Vegetables
We think everyone should be able to grow their own edibles, no matter how little space and growing experience they have.
If you would like to grow your own veg, our range of growing tips will help you to find the perfect variety.
Aubergine
Why we love it
It looks fabulous, tastes great and there are lots of varieties to choose from.
Sowing and planting
We sow on 1st April, but plenty of people start in February. Follow our propagation guide. Pot on when three leaves appear and continue into larger pots as they increase in size until they are ready to plant outdoors or under cover.
If planting outside, sow under cloches and leave in place for a couple of weeks until the plant is hardened off. Space plants 50-60cm apart and stake the stem.
Cultivation
Pinch off the tip when they reach 40cm, to encourage fruit on side shoots, rather than the main stem.
If you are growing in the soil outdoors you will have to mulch to keep weeds down and keep moisture in the ground, but you will still need to water in dry periods.
Unless you are growing in a hydro system feed with general fertiliser until fruits are formed, and then change to a high-potash or tomato feed every 10 days.
For better quality fruits, only allow 4-5 per plant, removing any new side shoots.
Aubergines don’t like the cold, so if in doubt, give the younger plants some added heat.
Pests and diseases
If growing in a greenhouse, check plants for aphids, whitefly and red spider mite. Keep the greenhouse damp with buckets of water to keep red spider mite under control, and use soapy water to wash them. Any fungal diseases can be prevented with good sanitation.
Harvesting
Aubergines like to be picked as soon as they are ready. Harvest when the skin is nice and shiny and the fruits are plump. If you leave them, the skin will go dull and they will taste bitter.
Beans
Why we love them
There are so many varieties of bean: french, runner, broad… and their taste can differ hugely depending on their maturity. They take up little lateral space, produce a remarkable crop and fix nitrogen into the soil.
Sowing and planting
Broad beans: for crops through the summer, sow from March until May. Plant the beans 20cm apart and 5cm deep, with rows spaced at 60cm.
Runner beans: plant out after the frost has gone. These should be 23cm apart and 5cm deep, with the row spacing 45cm. Sow again in June for crops until October.
French beans: these need a warm environment and fertile soil. Initially you should sow them in May, but if you continue to sow until June you can harvest until October. Plant 10cm apart, 5cm deep and space the rows 45cm apart.
Cultivation
These plants need support if they are to grow upwards: tie them loosely and pinch out any tips that reach the top of the support or they will be top-heavy. They also need regular watering – mulching will help to retain moisture.
The best-shaped beans are found near the stem and at the back of the trusses. Pinch off the truss tips when there is a good selection of beans.
Pests and diseases
For french and runner beans you will need to watch out for slugs, and for broad beans, mice are the problem. Copper tape will stop the slugs and snails. Black bean aphid and chocolate spot may attack delicate beans – the affected areas will need to be burned. All crops will suffer from bean seed fly during germination. The best solution is to protect them with a fine mesh and cross your fingers.
Harvesting
Harvesting times vary drastically from bean to bean. Harvest broad beans when the pods are 5-7cm, and runner beans just before they start to swell (15-20cm pods) – these can be harvested for up to eight weeks. Beans used for shucking need to be picked when they just appear through the pod, and French beans can be harvested when they snap easily, at about 10cm length. The rule here is to pick little and often for about 5-7 weeks.
Recommended varieties
Charles Dowding chooses his favourites: “Bunyards Exhibition yields plenty of long pods from early spring sowings, while Jubilee Hysor is a new variety with high yield and good flavour. If you want purple beans, try Violetta. The old-fashioned Scarlet Emperor is a reliable variety of runner bean. For climbing, Blue Lake is the classic, while Blauhilde offers a long season of intense purple pods.”
Broccoli & Calabrese
Why we love them
Broccoli is a cool weather crop, perfect for the UK, and produces greens throughout the year. It’s also high in vitamins, minerals and anti-carcinogens.
Sowing and planting
Calabrese should be sown from spring through to late summer, station sows in drills 1cm deep and watered in, with 30cm between plants. Sow sprouting broccoli in modules and transfer outside when the plants are about 7.5cm high, spacing them 60cm apart with a deep drill.
Cultivation
Calabrese needs some attention, watering in dry weather and cloche protection in cooler periods. Sprouting broccoli may need staking or soil around the stem. Make sure they have plenty of ventilation to prevent mildew and disease.
Pests and diseases
Pests include pigeons and flea beetles, deterred by netting and grease-covered cardboard respectively. The plants should also be checked regularly for caterpillars. Any yellow or fallen leaves should be removed to prevent fungal diseases developing.
Harvesting
Different types can be harvested throughout the year, with calabrese throughout summer and early autumn, and sprouting broccoli winter through spring. Cut the spear with a sharp knife. Pick side-shoots on a regular basis to encourage continued growth and yield more crops.
Recommended varieties
“Belstar F1 grows evenly from early sowings and may crop by late Jun if sown indoors in March,” says Charles Dowding. “Chevalier F1 is a later variety for cropping late summer and autumn, with some good secondary heads.”
Cabbage
Why we love them
The highly savoury and reliable cabbage only needs a few heads to be planted every other month to produce a year-round supply.
Sowing and planting
A quick-maturing plant will develop quickly to produce an early autumn crop if sown at the start of May.
If the fungal disease club root is present in your soil, the seedlings need to be started off in pots under cover prior to planting out, allowing them to build up strength. Otherwise, they can be sowed in a seedbed, and transferred when they are about 10cm high. They should be planted 40cm apart, with their lower leaves just above the ground to provide a steady anchor, and drenched in water when initially planted out.
Cultivation
Given correct planting, the cabbages should be tough and hardy – drenching them in water when initially planted will give them the firmest base. They will need regular watering and removal of any dead leaves to prevent rot.
Pests and diseases
The fungal disease club root can cripple brassicas; start off seedling in pots to allow them to gain strength against it. Dip the roots in calomel dust for further protection.
Pests include cabbage caterpillars, white butterfly, flea beetle, root fly, snails and slugs. Check the plants regularly for eggs, and a moist environment will deter the beetles. A plastic or copper collar around the stem will discourage slugs.
Harvesting
Cabbages are harvested by cutting the stem close to the ground with a sharp knife.
Courgettes and Marrows
Why we love them
Courgettes, and their larger version marrows, produce glamorous flowers, a great crop of fruit and most of them are edible. Courgettes are another expensive crop to buy from the supermarket or market so growing them makes economic sense too.
Sowing and planting
Sow the seeds 2.5cms deep.
Cultivation
Water well during the growing season and pinch out the tips of the shoots when they are about 60cm in length.
In colder weather, you can help nature along by pollinating the plants by hand.
Courgettes can be grown in large pots or a Hydro System but they will need to be supported with a frame.
Pests and diseases
Diseases include cucumber mosaic virus and courgette rot. Any affected leaves need to be removed and burned.
Harvesting
Another crop that loves to be harvested. Regular picking will encourage the plants to continue to produce fruits. Cut the courgettes with a sharp knife when the fruits reach about 10cm; cut the marrows at about 25cm with secateurs.
Good King Henry
Why we love it
This reliable mainstay has edible shoots and succulent spinach-like leaves, and has been grown as a vegetable for hundreds of years.
Sowing and planting
Good King Henry can be planted directly into the garden, in 1cm drills spaced at 45cm. Thin the seedlings to 25cm. Alternatively, they can be sown in seed trays covered with perlite, then transplanted when they are larger later in spring.
Cultivation
You need to allow these plants to grow for a year before they produce a substantial harvest. In the first year, keep them well watered and hoe regularly, and take a few leaves from each plant. You will need to mulch and remove much of the foliage in the second autumn, and this should give some shoots to harvest in the spring.
Pests and diseases
Fortunately there are few problems with pests and diseases.
Harvesting
After the first year of growing, much of the plant can be harvested and eaten. Harvest the asparagus-like shoots from April to June, then after June leave the shoots to develop and you will be able to harvest the leaves, stems and flowers. In the autumn, the leaves can be harvested, but take care not to overdo it if you want crop next year.
Kohlrabi
Why we love them
Created by artificial selection, kohlrabi has a taste and texture similar to broccoli stems, a delicate root and edible leaves.
Sowing and planting
Kohlrabi is quick-maturing and can be sown successionally. They need to be sown thinly 1cm deep, with rows spaced at 30cm, then covered with soil
In the spring, sow the white and green varieties; purple varieties can be sown in late summer for an autumn crop.
Cultivation
The leaves should be thinned continually until the spacing between plants is 15cm, and they should be hoed regularly. Kohlrabis need to be watered in dry weather. This plant is ideal for growing in pots; use well-drained soil in full sunshine.
Pests and diseases
Disease has less effect on fast-growing plants like kohlrabi, but you can take the precaution of protecting against club root by dipping the roots in calomel dust.
Harvesting
The crop will be ready to harvest after 10 weeks, when the stem bases are around 5cm in diameter. They can also be harvested slightly earlier when they are smaller if you want a mini crop later in the season.
Recommended varieties
Bob Flowerdew grows the Dutch variety Superschmeltz. “It gets enormous yet remains crisp and sweet within. I grow them as big as cabbages and they store well.”
Pak choi
Why we love them
Pak choi are crisp, juicy and fast-growing. These hardy vegetables are ideal for the winter garden and can produce crops until December.
Sowing and planting
Pak choi can be grown either as a cut-and-come-again crop, or you can harvest them as a mature plant.
Cultivation
Shallow roots mean that you will need to water the plants little and often. Pak choi doesn’t like to be drenched.
Pests and diseases
Unfortunately you will need to look out for a whole range of pests, including birds, slugs and snails, aphids, whitefly, flea beetles, root fly and caterpillars. However, since pak choi is such a quick-maturing plant, these shouldn’t cause too many problems.
Harvesting
For a cut and come again crop, you can harvest at any point after the plant has grown over 4cm high. This can be within only three weeks of sowing, and you will also be able to make a couple of further cuts.
Recommended varieties
Sally Smith recommends China Choi: “A really good, strong flavour with good resistance to bolting and fast growth.”
Perpetual Spinach
Why we love it
Perfect for beginners, this is a cut-and-come-again crop ideal for smaller gardens.
Sowing and planting
Sowing throughout the year will give you a continuous supply. You can sow in February and March for a crop in late spring. The main crop should be sown in April for summer and autumn, and for a good-quality winter crop, sow in August under cover.
Cultivation
This will need lots of watering in dry weather. Pick off any flower heads to encourage leaf growth and extend the cropping season.
Pests and diseases
Birds will eat the seedlings, and slugs and snails will attack young leaves. Resolve this with netting and regularly checks.
Harvesting
Continual picking will encourage more growth – too many leaves will hamper the plant’s development. Pick the younger leaves (from the outside) if you want a milder flavour.
Recommended varieties
“There can only be one,” says Joy Larkcom, “and that’s Popeye – a very good grower.”
Spinach
Why we love it
Spinach is easy to grow, high in iron, vitamins A and C and beta-carotene, and all of the plant can be eaten. It's expensive to buy but very easy to grow. If you use a Vitopod mini garden plant spinach alongside other salad leaves and you will be able to have fresh leaves all year.
Sowing and planting
If you want mature leaves, sow successionally every 2-3 weeks from March through July. You can sow up until August to produce baby leaves.
Sow 10cm apart, 1.5cm deep, with rows spaced at about 30cm. If you want baby leaves, you will be able to sow the seeds closer together. Spinach doesn’t like very hot temperatures, so if sowing in summer it is a good idea to use a shady location.
Cultivation
Spinach needs ventilation, so the Vitopod mini garden is useful because of its large vents, make sure the plants are not overcrowded by thinning the plants during cooler temperatures.
If you are growing in the ground you will need to keep weed-free.
The plants also need protection during cooler weather – so from late November to spring add your Vitopod mini garden protective layers or if you are growing in pots or the ground use a cloche.
Pests and diseases
Aphids, flea beetles and slugs can pose a problem for these plants. Keep the soil moist and use a suitable insecticide. In unfavourable conditions, spinach can suffer from mildew – you can prevent this by thinning.
Harvesting
Spinach can be harvested from five weeks after sowing. Start picking with the outer leaves and leave the centres to continue to grow. Baby leaves can be harvested slightly earlier.
Recommended Varieties
Hardy varieties include Tetona F1 and spinach beet perpetual. Medania produces great-tasting leaves, and Galaxy F1 and Bordeaux F1 are perfect for baby salad leaves. Scenic F1 is extremely mildew resistant and is great when harvested as either baby or mature leaves.
