If you’re thinking about venturing out into the world of DIY gardening, there’s no better time to start then the spring or the great British summer. With the occasional day of sunshine and plenty of rain, conditions to grow vegetables in the UK are seemingly perfect, and a contrast to the UK’s recent harsh and devastating winters. Although despite the frequent changes in weather, it’s easier than you think to grow vegetables at home.
As more people are becoming environmentally conscious and turning ‘green,’ there are more tools than ever available for people to create their own garden. But you may have no idea what vegetables are the easiest to grow, or how to get started with home grown food, which is no problem. With a few seedlings, the right kind of good quality soil and plenty of water and sunlight, here are five easy vegetables to grow in your garden.
1. Lettuce and Salad Leaves
‘Ready made’ bags of salad leaves from supermarkets are expensive and have a very limited shelf life. The advantage of growing your own doesn’t stop at the pure fun of it; you can pick exactly how much you need for every meal whilst the leaves continue to grow.
Whether you’re growing an Iceberg, Romaine or Round Lettuce; salad leaves are one of the most versatile foods you can grow. The good thing about growing salad is that you can do it indoors or outdoors, which is ideal in the UK, where cold weather can sometimes play havoc with an outdoor garden. Just decide what kind of salad leaves you want to grow, which are all packed with nutrients, buy the seedlings and plant them. Whether you’re growing them inside or outside, salad seedlings need plenty of sun and water. The leaves are ready to harvest usually within 30 days.
Top Tips for Growing Salad Leaves in the UK:
- Choose a sunny part of your garden to plant your seeds.
- Prepare the soil by digging over, and remove any stones and weeds.
- Mix in your organic garden compost.
- Sow your seeds in short rows, about 30cm apart then cover with soil.
- Keep soil moist to ensure good growth.
- Harvest leaves after about 30 days, when the plants are 5cm high. You can let them grow to around 15cm high as well.
- For a continuous supply, sow your lettuce seeds every 4 weeks.
Check out the British Leafy Salad’s leaf guide for more information on what you can grow here in the UK.
2. Tomatoes
Loaded with lycopene, tomatoes are one of nature’s ‘superfoods,’ and used in everything from salads to sandwiches to pasta sauces. You can grow tomatoes indoors or outdoors, depending on how big a yield you want, but either way, select a place that receives a lot of sunlight. Tomatoes really can be one of the most rewarding vegetables to grow in the UK as they’re easy to grow from seeds as long as they’re in a warm and slightly sheltered spot. Greenhouses give the best conditions for year round tomato growth in the UK, but good conditions outdoors can be worth the risk.
Seeds germinate within two weeks, after which, you should transplant the leaves into individual containers if you’re growing the tomatoes indoors. You can also buy tomato plants and transplant them into your outdoor garden or indoor container. Tomatoes harvest in about 60 days.
Top Tips for Growing Tomatoes in the UK:
- All tomato seeds need fertile soil, plenty of regular sun, heat, food and water.
- Scatter your tomato seeds thinly in a 8cm pot and add organic garden compost, then cover with a thin layer of vermiculite.
- Seedlings should appear within 2 weeks, and then large enough to move into separate larger pots within 8 weeks.
- Always ensure roots are covered with soil, and make sure you water them regularly so that the soil is moist and not overwatered.
- It’s best to grow a single-stemmed plant, so make sure you snap off shoots that grow from leaf joints. This will ensure all of the plant’s energy goes into producing fruit.
- Water the plants daily!
- Harvest when your tomatoes are a nice healthy red colour; if they’re green try putting them with a banana to encourage them to ripen.
3. Onions
Onions are used in nearly every main meal, as a flavour enhancer, to add zest and to give body to the food. Growing onions is very easy, requiring very little maintenance once you’ve planted the seeds. However, it takes several months for onions to harvest from seeds. You should always plant onions four to six weeks prior to the last frost.
First call of duty is to decide on which type of onion you’d like to plant and harvest, from spring onions to shallots – they can all be grown from seed in the UK.
Top Tips for Growing Onions in the UK:
- A sunny patch of your garden with good drainage is key for growing a good crop of onions.
- Light soils are best, as long as it’s fertile soil with a small amount of nitrogen.
- Sow your seeds in January or February when it’s 10 – 15 degrees.
- Cover your seeds with most soil and vermiculite.
- Regular weeding is essential.
- Harvest when the leaves start to yellow and die black.
4. Peas
Peas flourish even in colder weather, which makes them ideal to grown in the UK, where temperatures are known to become chilly. Peas are best sown from Spring to early Summer, when the soil is moist and warm. You can plant them indoor or outdoors in direct sunlight, and water the soil once a week. Peas will harvest in about three months.
It’s important to remember that peas come in two varieties; shelling peas and mangetout. The difference between the two is more than just taste and appearance as shelling peas mature at different times of the year. Either way, peas require a sunny, nutrient-rich part of your garden to grow that is able to retain water.
Top Tips for Growing Peas in the UK:
- Use bamboo canes, trellis or netting to support the plants growth.
- Once peas have reached 2 – 3 inches in height add further supports to enable to the plant to grow.
- Peas will be ready to harvest after 12 – 14 weeks.
- Regular picking is vital for lovely fresh peas.
- After the harvest, cut off the stems at ground level and let the nitrogen-rich roots to rot back into the ground.
Carrots
Carrots are a tasty snack eaten by itself, boiled or shredded over a nice salad. They’re rich with vitamin A, a necessary nutrient for good vision. Carrots also work wonders for your immune system, making them another of nature’s ‘superfoods.’ Carrots are easy to grow in fertile soil and will usually sprout in about seven to 21 days. They will harvest in two to three months.
Top Tips for Growing Carrots in the UK:
- Buy a good quality soil and take time and consideration to prepare your patch.
- Start digging the soil over in late winter or early spring, and make sure you remove all stones and weeds before planting.
- Plant your carrot seeds as thinly as possible, on a sunny dry day 1 inch deep.
- Once the seeds have germinated, they’ll start to show rough leaves.
- Harvest from June / July onwards, pulling up your carrots as soon as they’re big enough to eat.
For more information on landscaping, quality topsoils and organic gardening materials, please contact us at www.buryhilltopsoilandlogs.co.uk or call us directly on 01306 877540.
Bury Hill is a leading topsoil and landscape gardening supplier in Surrey, Sussex and London and would be glad to help you with all enquiries.