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Growing your own veg, fruit and herbs made easy
Whether you’re new to growing your own vegetables, fruit and herbs, have some experience or just want to find out more, we hope you find this guide useful.
Growing your own has loads of benefits: it saves you money, involves no food miles, reconnects you to the seasons and means you can eat organically – and, of course, it’s incredibly satisfying. It’s no surprise that these days, veg seeds easily outsell flowers.
In this guide, we’ve picked some of the easiest and most popular vegetables, fruit and herbs to grow, many of them suitable for containers. Over the years, our experts have tested everything from growing potatoes in pots to finding the tastiest strawberries. And because this guide is from Which?, it’s full of clear, no-nonsense advice. Happy growing!
In this guide
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Getting started
All you need to get growing is some soil, some seeds (or young plants), a sunny spot and a plan of action.
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Grow your own salad: salad leaves, beetroot and tomatoes
Lettuces and rocket can be ready in as little as a month – keep sowing them for a constant supply.
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Essential ingredients: onions and garlic
Aromatic alliums like onions, shallots and garlic are essential ingredients in simple weeknight suppers and festive holiday feasts.
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Start a vegetable patch: peas, beans, courgettes, potatoes and pumpkins
It doesn’t take many seeds to produce bumper crops.
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Juicy fruit: rhubarb, strawberries, blueberries, pears and plums
For the ripest, juiciest fruits, we say grow your own.
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Homegrown herbs: coriander, rosemary and mint
Homegrown herbs, fresh from the garden or a patio pot, add a zing of flavour to your favourite recipes.
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Caring for your crops
You’ve planted your crops – now you need to look after them. Read our tips on watering, feeding and pest control.
LEGAL
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This guide has been produced for general information and interest only. Which? makes every effort to ensure that the information in the guide is correct but we can’t guarantee that it’s 100% free of inaccuracies, errors and omissions.