Gardener's World tips: Why your outdoor tomatoes haven't ripened
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Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a great way to eat fresh and healthy food, and gardening experts have said that now is the perfect time to start one. Growing your own also means avoiding having to buy the fruit and vegetables from supermarkets, most of which come from overseas, according to a new study by Lancaster University. Jack Sutcliffe, co-founder of Power Sheds has shared vital tips on how to grow certain fruit and vegetables in the garden this weekend.
Jack explained how Britons are becoming increasingly interested in growing their own fruit and vegetables.
He said: “This time of year is particularly exciting for the gardening community, as we start to head towards springtime and milder weather.
“We know from experience that demand for garden sheds and potting sheds starts to skyrocket at this time, and the number of searches for how to grow fruit and vegetables only confirms this.
“Hopefully our expert tips can help keen gardeners across Britain grow their own produce at home and become more self-sufficient.”
The gardening expert has shared several “ideal” fruits and vegetables for gardeners to begin planting this weekend.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes can be easily grown, and will reward gardeners with plenty of fresh, delicious tomatoes throughout the summer.
Jack said: “Thanks to the fact you can grow them in containers or soil, inside or outside, tomatoes are ideal for all gardeners.
“It’s important to keep on top of watering and feeding, as well as ensuring the vertical-growing cordon plants are tied to supports to stop them from collapsing.
“Bush tomatoes are the ideal choice for beginners as they can be grown in small gardens, growing bags or even hanging baskets.”
Aside from bush tomatoes, heritage, beef, cherry and plum are just a few other tomatoes out there, and they can all be easily sown and grown in any garden.
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Strawberries
Strawberries are often seen as the fruit of the summer, and the sweet fruit is easily grown at home for budding gardeners.
These plants are versatile, needing only sun, shelter, and fertile, well-drained soil.
The gardening pro said: “Nothing says summer like strawberries, and now is the perfect time to get those crops planted.
“Seeds should be sowed in compost and covered with a plastic sheet to keep them humid until germination.”
Once germinated, they can be planted outside in a sunny area of the garden, requiring regular watering and feeding with high potassium fertiliser when planted.
Potatoes
Potatoes are a dinner table staple and are a popular choice for beginner gardeners to start with.
They can be grown either in pots or directly in the ground.
Jack advised: “Plant your potatoes between March and May using seed potatoes from any garden centre.
“The main thing to remember is to ‘earth up’ your plants, this means creating a ridge of soil to protect the stems.
“To do this, once the stems are about 23cm tall, draw soil up around them, creating a ridge about 15cm high.”
As the stems grow, repeat the process several times until the ridge is around 20 – 30cm.
Garlic
Garlic is a great beginner vegetable to grow as it needs very little upkeep to do successfully.
Jack explained: “Simply plant a clove of garlic in well-drained soil before the end of March, ensure you keep the weeds at bay by snipping them back and water the soil during dry spells.
“By mid to late summer, you’ll be ready to harvest.”
Avoid growing garlic in the same space as previous allium crops for best results.
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