Released On 21st May 2025
Urban Gardening – Tips For Growing Your Own Food At Home
We can’t be the only ones who have noticed the food shop getting more expensive every week. As prices above the board rise, things like fresh produce are suddenly becoming something we need to budget carefully for. And yes, you could substitute fresh for frozen or even tinned (they have similar nutritional value after all), wouldn’t it be great if you could have access to all the fresh produce you want, whenever you want it?
The good news is, you can. All you have to do is grow it.
Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds. And it doesn’t really matter how much space you have either. You can still grow some of your own food in a house with a garden, a flat with a balcony or even just a windowsill. Since it’s the perfect time of year to start growing, we’ve got some tips to help you create your own bountiful harvest.
Find Your Perfect Spot
The perfect spot for your growing will depend on the space you have. Allotment gardening has seen a big rise in popularity over the last few years, so if you’re limited on space or just want to keep your garden as it is, this can be a great way to do it. For growing at home, start small by sectioning off an area of your garden, then install a few raised beds. This will really save your back in the long run! If you don’t have a garden, or are limited on what you can do, many vegetables and fruits can even be grown in containers on a balcony or patio. So find wherever makes sense for you!
Plan Your Crops
Most fruits and veggies will have a natural season. A time in the year when their harvests will be at their best - which is what you want. This also means there will be a best time to plant them. Get yourself a dedicated diary or calendar, and go through pencilling in when you need to sow and harvest your plants. In doing this, you’ll also notice that some plants will only give one bumper harvest in a year, while others will give several smaller harvests across the year. Mix up what you’re planting so you’ll always have access to something fresh.
Know Your Soil
We’ve talked about the importance of knowing your soil before. The type of soil you have can make a huge difference to what types of crops you plant, or if you need to prepare the soil before you start sowing produce. For example, potatoes, carrots and onions will be fairly happy in clay soil. Let’s face it, potatoes will grow pretty much anywhere! But strawberries will struggle in that same soil, so they might do better in a raised bed with topsoil. If your soil is acidic, you’ll get the best harvest of blueberries and raspberries you could ask for, but not much else will grow! Here’s our guide to finding out what type of soil you have to get you started.
It’s Sowing Time!
Now it’s time to plant! What that looks like will largely depend on what type of things you’re planting. For example, bulbs (and some seeds) can go straight into the ground. But crops that are a bit more delicate in the beginning need to be started in a seed tray, and then planted out into their bigger containers later. This is known as ‘hardening’. If you’re a little nervous os starting from scratch, a lot of vegetables can be bought as ‘plug plants’, which means they’ve already been partially grown. This way you can just plant them out into your plot and focus on keeping them happy. Many fruit bushes and trees can also be bought as saplings rather than seeds, so you can just plant them out and enjoy.
Just Add Water
Don’t forget that your plants need water! Even if the weather is a bit wet, you still need to make sure that they are getting plenty of water, or they won’t grow. Plants need water to fuel the photosynthesis process, and without it they will starve.
That being said, some plants can do very well with less water than others, so it’s important to keep an eye on the plants themselves. They’ll send you clear signals about whether they need more or less water. Dried up, curling leaves usually mean ‘Feed me!’, while yellowing or sagging leaves might mean there’s too much water.
When you do water your plants, try to do it in the early morning or late afternoon/early evening, when the sun isn’t as strong and they won’t get scorched.
Cover Them Up
Some plants need a bit more protection than others. Do your research on the varieties you plant and find out if they’re particularly vulnerable to birds, insects or frost. If they are, you can reduce the risk by covering them up. There are a few ways you can do this.
- Polythene will protect against harsh weather conditions and pests.
- A fine mesh cover will protect against most insects, but won’t do much against weather.
- Chicken wire dug 6 inches into the ground can be the perfect deterrent for cats or burrowing rabbits.
This lets you tailor the protection you need based on what you’re planting and what type of pests you tend to get.
Harvest Time
After some patience, you’ll have healthy crops ready for harvest! Some will be happy to wait in the ground or on the plant for a little while once they’re ripe (like potatoes or carrots), while others you need to pick quickly if you want the best taste. Think sweetcorn, peas or berries. They can start to wither and even rot if left on the plant too long, so you’ll need to keep an eye out and grab them fast! Monitor your plants daily and pick anything that seems ripe. That’s how you get the best out of the harvest and the plant. Then, enjoy!
We may be biased, but we think food you’ve grown yourself always tastes better than supermarket food! If you’d like to give growing a go this year, we’d love to help you out. All you have to do is get in touch, and we can help you design your perfect growing space, and give you lots of tips and tricks to keep your crops strong and tasty.
