How to grow your own fruit and vegetables at home
You don’t need a field and lots of special equipment to grow your own fruits and vegetables. In fact, you don’t even need a garden.
You can grow your own fruits and vegetables at home – it does not cost a lot and it is a fun way to make sure you always have fruit and veg to eat or snack on.
Here are just a few fruits and vegetables that can be easily grown in pots at home and enjoyed by the whole family. And once they are grown, you can check out our healthy recipes page for some meals to use them in.
Home-grown vegetables
Strawberries
When we are on holiday, it is easy for healthy eating to go out the window.
So, our first tip is to eat salad or veggies with every meal. This could mean having a bowl of salad before your main meal to fill you up, or filling half of your plate with vegetables.
It helps keep you full and on track of your portion sizes! We have an entire session on portion sizes in our Beezee Adults course.
Courgettes
Courgettes are a source of vitamin C as well as being low in energy, and therefore are a great way to bulk up meals. Courgettes are very versatile vegetable, working perfectly in salads — as well as alongside meat and potatoes.
To plant, sow in May indoors in small pots: one seed per pot. Once the seedlings have one leaf and the risk of frost has passed (normally early June) plant one plant out into 10L pots outside.
Acclimatise the plant first by leaving it in its seedling pot outside for a few days. This helps it get used to outside temperatures after being in your cosy house.
One plant should keep the family going all season, just keep harvesting the courgettes and more will appear. Perfect if you’re on a budget.
Tomatoes
Did you know tomatoes are actually fruits? They’re a source of Vitamins C and A along with potassium too. Despite their secret fruit status, tomatoes are a great addition to any lunch or dinner — and they’re easy to grow too.
You can grow two types of tomatoes, either a bush or climbing variety — bush varieties are good for beginners.
Most garden centres will sell tomato plant seedlings all year round, but tomatoes are best planted in early to mid-spring. Move seedlings into bigger pots as they grow and keep in a sunny spot, watering well every day.
Salad leaves
Salad leaves are easy to grow at home. You can find “cut and grow again” varieties or just keeping re-sowing them — you can even have salad leaves all year round if you’re growing them inside, making these a perfect low-budget choice for anyone without a garden.
To grow salad leaves, fill a seed tray with compost, sprinkle the seeds over the top and then cover with a thin layer of compost. Water well and put on a sunny windowsill. .
Rainbow chard
Rainbow chard not only looks amazing, but is a source of vitamins C, A and K.
Chard needs a sunny and sheltered spot with a pot roughly 25cm (10 inches) deep to plant into once seedlings are big enough. As with salad leaves, water just once a week to keep your chard healthy.
After eight to 10 weeks, the leaves should be big enough to harvest for salad or you can wait until they’re bigger to cook. Pick individual leaves from each plant as you need them, cutting at the base.
Tips to grow your own fruit and vegetables
- Try adding some lavender, thyme or rosemary in amongst the vegetables as the scent will confuse pests. They look pretty and you can use them to season your meals too. Lavender can even be used in a dessert.
- Think about where you are going to put your pots or planter and how much sun and shade you have in your spot before choosing what you are going to grow.
- Don’t forget to water. Fruit and vegetables need a consistent water supply, so if the sun is shining and there is not much rain then you might have to provide the water instead. They will really appreciate an evening water when the sun is not so strong.
Useful websites:
For more information on how to grow fruit and vegetables at home, visit the RHS website:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/gardening-children-schools/family-activities