Growing Guides: Growing Vegetables

Aubergines at a Glance: Choose a sunny, sheltered site Plant in rich, fertile soil or multipurpose compost Best grown in a polytunnel or greenhouse Plant 50cm apart, or 3 to…

Easy to grow Choose a sunny spot in full sunshine Plant in beds or large pots They will need a support structure – wigwam or fence to climb

Beetroot is delicious and colourful, and what’s more, it’s pretty easy to grow. This root veg does not need a huge amount of attention, or space as their roots do…

Borlotti Beans at a Glance: Choose a sunny site that is sheltered from the wind Plant in rich, fertile soil or multipurpose compost Suitable for pots & containers – see…

Brassicas tend to be very nutritious vegetables and they are nice and easy to grow in the garden. It’s a big category, with calabrese, broccoli, cabbage and kale and there are others too….

Broccoli and calabrese, like the other Brassicas are really nutritious vegetables and they are nice and easy to grow in the garden. Calabrese and broccoli are from the same family and often get mixed up….

Well, we all know how these can be the outcast of the vegetable world, but we rate them very highly indeed – stir fried with a little chopped up bacon…

Bulb fennel is very easy-going – just pop it in the ground in fertile soil, keep it well watered and it should do well. You may need to harvest them…

Cabbage falls into the Brassicas category of veg plants that need to be looked after in much the same way. It’s a big category, with cauliflower, calabrese, broccoli, and kale and…

Growing carrots is pretty straightforward – the two key things to remember are to make sure the soil quality is good (more on that below) and protect them from carrot…

Cauliflower falls into the Brassicas category of veg plants that need to be looked after in much the same way. It’s a big category, with calabrese, broccoli, cabbage and kale…

Celeriac is one of those underrated vegetables that is not the most beautiful looking, but is truly tasty! We’re very much rooting for it and would like to see it…

Celery has a bit of a bad reputation for being tricky to grow, but the good news is that we do all the hard work for you. So when your…

Celtuce is a stem-lettuce with a Chinese origin. It’s an unusual plant that can be used in 2 ways: The leaves can be picked whilst young and used like a…

It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but once you’ve got it, you’ve got it! They are great for salads and with regular picking you can get a lot from…

These tasty vegetables do not like the damp or the cold. What they like is a sunny windowsill or a nice warm greenhouse. Chillies are surprisingly easy to grow and…

Courgette and Summer Squash are unbelievably easy to grow and require minimal effort. You pop them in the ground and they just get on and do their thing, producing plenty…

There’s nothing better than tasting a home-grown freshly picked cucumber! Cucumbers are a very good salad vegetable to grow, and often give you a surprisingly good crop.

Plant in early spring approx 10cm apart in pots, containers, raised beds and any traditional veg patches. Make sure the soil/compost has good drainage.

Definitely one for foodies! Globe artichokes look very majestic in the garden, and there’s something very ceremonial about eating them, peeling off each of the petals one by one to…

Kale is a super nutritious vegetable that falls into the Brassicas category. Brassicas need to be looked after in much the same way. It’s a big category, with cauliflower, calabrese,…

Kohl Rabi are funny looking things that are often described as a cross between a turnip and a cabbage. They are part of the brassica family, and as such can…

The great thing about leeks is that you get a nice long harvesting period. You can dig them up all through autumn and winter. They are nice and easy to…

Lettuces and other leaves (wild rocket, mizuna, mustard leaves etc) are quick growing and can be ready to harvest in as little as 3 weeks. You can let them grow…

You’ll find onions and shallots a really useful addition to your veg patch if only because we cook with them so frequently. Growing them with Rocket Gardens is much easier…

These Chinese cabbages are great to have in your kitchen garden. They naturally lend themselves to Asian style stir frying, and the make a lovely side dish for noodles and Thai…

Our parsnip plants come in biodegradable fibre pots to minimise root damage when transplanting. You can soak these in water before planting, peel off the base carefully, and then plant…

Peas are fairly easy to grow as long as they’re in a nice sheltered, sunny spot. They don’t like strong winds. They are a great crop for those short on…

Growing potatoes is abundantly fun and they are great for getting children involved. Our friends over at River Cottage advise putting your efforts into growing the more unusual varieties that…

Great for growing with children, pumpkins are unbelievably well behaved and require minimal effort. Winter Squash are very easy to grow and require hardly any effort as well. You pop…

Quick-growing plants, radishes are excellent for growing in between rows of slower growing crops – this makes them really useful if you’re planting rows of veg in raised beds, as…

You can plant spinach, chard and leaf beet anytime from spring to autumn. If growing in spring/summer, you can grow them in partial shade, but if growing in autumn through…

Quick-growing spring onions are a wonderful salad crop to plant in between rows of other slow-growing vegetables – use them to fill any gaps, or grow in window boxes or…

Swede is easy to grow and stores well too. It is a great veg for stews and casseroles, and you can eat the leaves too (which not many people do simply because they don’t…

Nothing compares to your own home grown, freshly picked corn-on-the-cob. One mouthful and you’ll see just how different it tastes to any sweetcorn you buy in the shops – so…

Growing your own tomatoes is vegetable gardening at its most rewarding. It’s just so satisfying to pick off a ripe, juicy tomato from its vine and pop it straight into…

Turnips are easy to grow and they store well too. They are a great veg for stews and casseroles over the winter months.