ready steady grow

We’re no experts when it comes to growing veg but that’s why we thought we’d post a bit of inspiration as you don’t need to be an expert or have a huge country garden to grow veg for your table.

 

The great thing is that most vegetables can be raised in containers with very little time or space required.  Even a sunny window ledge will do.  Regular watering and some sunshine is essential and if you want your mini garden to be bountiful, it’s worth planning your plot.   To help, you’ll find a rough guide showing when to sow crops suited to small spaces in our cookbook, A Pie for All Seasons and here are some other simple tips we’ve gathered together here for great little organic kitchen garden.

Most pests and diseases can be avoided with regular checking – pick off pesky caterpillars and slugs for example.  And careful spacing will help prevent moulds and mildews developing as plants need air circulation.  If you do need to intervene, there are plenty of natural and organic pest and disease repelling products available.

Add companion planting to help your chosen veg crops along and divert or dissuade potential threats.  Marigolds, geraniums, nasturtiums and sunflowers will help with pest control and pollination (and they look pretty too).

Here’s a sack we planted in a tiny Bristol terrace garden with peas, basil and radishes, inspired by the bag gardens that Send a Cow teaches families to make in Africa.  Fast to prepare (and as far as we can tell, hessian’s a great slug barrier!) you can learn how to make your own one here.

If you’re in Bristol this weekend head to the Grow Festival on Saturday 2 May.  It’s part of Bristol Food Connections and Incredible Edible will be on hand to show you how to convert the smallest places into bountiful growing spaces.

So have fun, be patient and savour every mouthful of your harvest.