SAVE MONEY GROW YOUR OWN  & VEGATABLES

 

During these tough times any way to cut down on your shopping bill is a great help so we a Promostop have done up a guide to help you save on vegetables and herbs by helping you grow your own. It may seem a lot of hassle put follow are simple guide and you could be the next Gerry Daley!

 

A major decision you need to decide is where to grow the vegetables patch and how much of your garden your a going to set aside, it is best to allocate depending on your needs; is it to provide for a couple or a large family. Don't worry if you dont have much space you can use containers to the same great effect .

 

Light

As with all plants  light is essential. Most vegetables need a maximum of 5 to 6 hours of  sunlight and south facing areas are best. Avoid shaded areas if possible.  

 

Soil

Preparation of the soil is another major factor to producing a quality crop. Vegetables  herbs grow best in slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.5 and as they are heavy feeders they need soil rich in organic matter this allows for the earth to be more penetrable for roots to grow. To enrich your soil you can add organic fertilizers such as compost or animal manure, or a general fertiliser such as 10-10-20 which can be bought from your local garden centre. Ensure you soil  has good drainage as if water does not flow through the soil your plants wont be able to absorb the essential nutrients. If flooding is a problem use raised beds.

 

Plot Preparation
Decide what type of plot you would like, raised bed and drills are the best options For small areas a raised bed  may be the best and most successful option. Dig over the soil to a depth of roughly 30-35cm and take away any excess grass, weeds or stones. Now add some compost, most gardeners would recommend a half a bag per square metre and work in a hand full or two  of  fertiliser per square metre into the soil and rake in. If you are going to use containers for your vegetables there is no shortage of items to use from flower pots, buckets, wooden boxes. To ensure good drainage have 1-2 inches of pebbles at bottom of container also make sure you have drain holes in the bottom of container to allow excess water to drain off.

 

Vegetables To Grow

Firstly you will  need to decide if you want to plant vegetable  seeds, or purchase small plants from the garden centre. Start of simple dont plant vegetables that need a lot of attention, try lettuce, onions, radishes, and carrots and herbs, potatoes,beetroots  these can easily be planted from seeds and will need to be planted at 2-3 week intervals from spring to the end of summer . When choosing seeds always read the sowing instructions which will tell you the best time and conditions to plant for best results.

 

Gardeners suggest applying a staggered  technique when sowing and planting  vegetables and herbs  this ensures a much longer production time and allows you to harvest crops over a longer period. When sowing dont  use the entire packet of one vegetable seed instead sow 6 or 12 seeds of one variety every few weeks during the summer. Most vegetables take 10- 12 weeks to mature to their full potential.