Article by Carol

If you are just starting out Growing Your Own Fruit and Veg there can be a bewildering amount of varieties to start with.  So a few basic tips;

1) Grow what you like to eat. It may sound silly but if you dont like say beetroot dont grow it just because its easy to grow. Stick with what you know you like to start off with.

2) If you havent grown before pick easy varieties to start with, dont set yourself up to fail from the start. Some things are more difficult than others, theres a reason lots of people grow potatoes, onions, etc., they give a reliable crop. Depending how much space you have try the starter packs from one of the well known seed merchants, and if you'r watching the pennies dont get carried away, its easy to be over enthusiastic when you see all the offers! If you have a friend or family member who also grows their own either share with them or buy a different variety to them then you can swap either a half packet of seeds or the grown fruit and veg to compare.

3) Start slowly, sow a little and often, especially with salad crops. If you are only growing for 1 or 2 people dont plant all the packet of seed at once. Use half size trays to begin with or a few pots and sow again once you pot those seedlings on or plant them out, that way you will have a succession of plants coming on so if you loose one batch to pest or weather you have a back up and they dont all need to be eaten at once!

4) If you are starting your sowings on a window ledge use a piece of cardboard twice the size of the tray, or the pots when they are grouped together. Fold the card in half in L shape and cover the 'l' part with cooking foil on the inside of the L. Fit the card so the foot of the L is under the tray or pots so the foil faces the window, that way it will maximise the amount of light all the way round the seedlings as they grow and encourage strong growth not long weedy seedlings.

5) Get a little note book and write down a few notes as you go along. Just basic stuff like the date you sowed what variety it was, maybe the compost you used. That way later you can update it and see if it gave you good results or poor? What went right or wrong and you can learn what to do better next time. Also keep a rough plan of where you plant what in the garden. It doesnt have to be elaborate but by the end of the year and certainly by next year you will have forgotten and its best not to plant the same thing in the same place twice running, (thats what they call crop rotation!)

Most of all ENJOY growing and eating your own food. Its amazing what satisfaction you get from seeing your own seeds grow and being able to pick, cook and eat YOUR OWN home grown fruit and veg.

I hope this has helped some of you get started. Good luck and good growing.