Vegetables

Vegetables - more info

Vegetables are what we here at Thompson & Morgan are all about. Growing your own veg is a great contribution to keeping healthy, provides you and your family with air-mile free organic veggies and, most importantly, is fun! You'll find everything from exotic tubers to excite the palate to the tried and trusted allotment favourites in our quality collections. Browse our range of seed potatoes to find sweet early new potatoes all the way through to late season Christmas croppers.

Where should I plant my vegetable garden?

It's important to site your vegetable plot in an area that's not overshadowed by mature trees. Take a little while to get to know the area around your proposed veg patch, making sure to note any trees during the winter that may cast a lot of shade when in leaf during the summer. Try to avoid planting near a mature walnut tree as they can inhibit the root growth of nearby plants.

Think about what you'd like to grow in your vegetable garden. If you're a blueberry and rhubarb enthusiast, test the soil to choose a spot that has an acidity of between pH 5 to pH 6. If you want to be completely self-sufficient in potatoes, choose an area with a more clay-heavy soil.

It's always a good idea to check with your local council to make sure that you don't need planning permission if you'd like to erect a garden shed, glasshouse or polytunnel. Avoid areas in the flood plains of streams or rivers on your property. Remember that whatever you need to create your veg garden will have to be carried there. Good access routes are helpful especially if you're lugging wheelbarrows of compost!

What are some of the easiest vegetables to grow?

The easiest vegetables to grow are often the quickest to crop! One exception to that rule are garlic sets, which once planted need very little attention until they're ready to harvest around eight months later. As a beginner, start with leaf crops like 'cut and come again' salad leaves, rocket and lambs lettuce. These start cropping around a month after sowing. They don't need any special attention, and will provide a continuous crop from spring through to autumn if you sow a handful of seeds every two weeks.

How to grow vegetables in the home

Growing vegetables at home can be simple. If you just have a windowsill, try sowing a few salad seeds in a pot with damp compost. Mediterranean herbs like basil thrive on hot windowsills. Sow a few seeds in a pot and enjoy adding the fragrant leaves to homemade sauces and salads.

If you have a balcony, growing your veg in containers is the way to go. Choose low growing but productive vegetable seeds like herbs or salad. Otherwise, buy a grafted tomato plant to enjoy the increased vigour and productiveness. One plant in fertile compost will provide plenty of fruits for one person to enjoy.