The 3 Best Vegetables to Grow in your Greenhouse

The 3 Best Vegetables to Grow in your Greenhouse

As food prices continue to rise it is becoming more popular throughout the UK for people to grow their very own food.Although the convenience of getting your own food from the supermarket is tough to beat, there’s nothing nicer than tending to your own garden and later digging down to your own, succulent produce. Whether you do it in your small patio greenhouse or fully fledged Hartley Botanic masterpiece, the world really can be your oyster. With that in mind however, which are the best foods to grow if you are just starting out?

Tomatoes

Due to the fact that you can buy a pack of tomato seeds for as little as 75p, growing your own plants from the off can save you vast amounts of money in the long run. By sowing your seeds into small, shallow pots between March and April, you can get ready to plant them out in or around June. A 10 to 15 litre pot filled with multi-purpose compost will be enough to let your plants grow. If you plan to grow into the ground, leave enough space for them to mature at around half a metre apart. To get the best out of the fruit, choose sunny, sheltered spots and allow the fruits to ripen until around September or October. A fully grown tomato plant can produce around 15kg of tomatoes a season; not bad at all for less than 75p!

Carrots

If for any reason you are looking for quick results, you will be glad to know that you can actually grow baby carrots in as little as 12 weeks. Prepare to sow the seeds outdoors from March until July in thin, large pots filled with multipurpose compost or well-dug soil. It is imperative however, that you do not trench them in a depth greater than a thumbnail. Once that the seedlings begin nudging their way out of the soil, pull out the weaker plants, leaving room for one carrot every couple of centimeters. Remember to water them sparingly though you must not let the soil die out. After around 12 weeks, your baby carrots should be ready for eating. The great news is of course, that they’ll taste far better than store bought ones as they will be much fresher!

Lettuce

Sow your lettuce seeds outdoors around March to August. You can do this in a thin pot, a growing bag or well-raked soil. Like carrots, it is important not to bury your seeds in soil no deeper than your thumbnail. If you have enough room, you can keep a continuous supply of lettuce by sowing more seeds every fortnight. Once that they appear from the soil, pull out the weakest plants, leaving a spade-with of space between each lettuce that you save.

Get ready to pull them up once that they appear big enough to handle. You should be able to do this around September and October. If you want to save the lettuce, don’t pull it out in one go. Instead cut the biggest leaves to your liking and new ones will simply grow in their place; making lettuce the plant that keeps on giving.