Allotments getting started, growing your own fruit and vegetables

You can’t beat the taste of freshly home grown and harvested carrots, potatoes, beans or crisp lettuce and tomatos.

Getting started on your allotment

With a bit of preparation work your allotment can produce attractive and productive crops all year round. Make sure you clear the ground properly of weeds, test the soil for PH level and plan what you want to and when, this will ensure a satsifying supply of food all year round for the table at home.

It is unusual to take over a pristine allotment, many are in very bad condition, covered in weeds, debris and rubbish and may not have been used for a few years. The first step is looking at the plot as a whole and identifying what will give most pleasure and productivity. You need to enjoy it to make the most from it!!

Home grown fruit and vegetables really are healthier and tastier then the supermarkets, even if they aren’t as pretty.

• Recent studies have found that home-grown tomatoes are sweeter and richer in nutrients then supermarket bought.
• Kew Gardens in London have discovered home grow veg have more natural sugars and anti-oxidants the supermarket varieties.

Growing your fruit and vegetables from seed is the lowest cost and most rewarding method of growing your own. You can sow into seed trays and propagators, or directly into the ground, there is nothing more satisfying than a glorious display of colour and scent and a great crop of tasty fruit and vegetables, that you have grown yourself.