What to consider before you start

What to Consider Before You Start

Planning Ahead

If you want to keep fresh produce flowing into your kitchen, then planning ahead is very important. Knowing the square meterage, aspect, and shape of your plot is vital if you want to get the most out of it.

What Would You Like to Grow?

Rule number one is to 'grow what you like to eat', but bear in mind that some crops take up more room than others.

For instance, if your family eats a lot of potatoes, you might want to grow those to last you through the winter. Potatoes take up a lot of space though, so by growing these you may not have room for other vegetables.

It's important to think about how much you need to grow too. A great way to work this out is to note down what your family eats over the course of a month. If, for example, you're getting through a kilo of beetroot every two weeks, then you may want to consider succession sowing to ensure a regular supply.

Once you have an idea about the quantities you would like to grow, you can use my guide to work out the spacing of your plants and how many you will need.

Knowing the size of your beds will also help with this.

What Are You Trying to Achieve?

Having a clear idea of how you'll use your produce will also help you plan ahead. If you want to make lots of preserves, you'll need a ready supply of fresh fruit, whereas if you're growing vegetables to see you through the winter months, you'll need to grow varieties that store well.

You'll need a degree of flexibility though, as the weather will have a massive impact on what you can successfully grow in any given year.

Other Aspects of Your Plot

Here are some other things to consider about your plot:

• Is it damp or shaded?
• Does it get a lot of sun?
• Is the soil heavy clay or is it loose and sandy?

The answers to these questions will really influence what you can grow in your space.

With time, regular applications of compost will improve poor soil, but if you are just starting out with an uncultivated plot, two great crops to grow are beans and potatoes. Both of these crops have large rooting systems that will help to loosen the soil.

At the beginning of your growing journey, there are so many new things to learn. But by experimenting, you will discover that much of food growing is about intuitive observation.

Ultimately though, plants want to grow, and the more you care for your soil, the better the results will be.

Reality Checks - the Ups and Downs

Whatever the weather, it's important to remember that something will grow well in it.

You might get excellent strawberries after a wet spring, or great tomatoes after a really hot summer, so embrace whatever the weather brings you and you won't be disappointed.