How To Grow Produce All Year Round
The tastes and smells of homegrown food are reason enough to branch out your gardening into fresh produce, but there are many other reasons. Growing your own fruits and vegetables can be a great way to connect with nature and value the nutrients you are putting into your body. Seeing the full development of a plant from seed to fruition is an exciting journey, and there are several ways to do this all year round. As the winter months may reduce the number of crops you can yield with traditional outdoor planting, you can find ways to grow almost anything, even in the darker and colder months.
When growing outdoors, there are certain things that you can encourage all year round, and the below is a handy guide on when to sow certain plants:
Spring - artichoke, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, leek, parsnips, radish, spinach, turnips, cauliflower, marrow, swede
Summer - all of the above, as well as pumpkin, rocket, pak choi, chard, and spring onion
Autumn - broad beans, peas, radish, spring onion
Winter - you will see that there are fewer options for outdoor sowing as the winter months creep in, but you can still sow broad beans in December and then start with peas, carrots and parsnips at the start of the new year.
As with any kind of gardening, planning is vital to make sure you make the most of your crops and ensure that you are prepared with any equipment you may need all year round. The two main options for growing produce all year round are hydroponics systems and greenhouses. There are countless approaches to both of these methods, and both of them require cost for heating, electricity, and equipment so make sure you bear this in mind when planning your annual growth charts. One of the reasons many people grow their own food is to reduce waste and make sure they are utilising as much of the plant as possible so make sure you have recipes in mind for the fruits and vegetables you are growing if you are looking to produce a vast amount of something specific then look into ways of preserving it whether through dehydration, pickling, or canning.
Hydroponics is an excellent method to choose for any kind of home. There is always a tiny space that anyone can utilise, or if you’re lucky, a whole spare room, but a spot under the stairs or even in your living room can work just as well. You will need different equipment depending on what you’re growing and the methods you choose to use. Plenty of retailers offer hydroponics grow lights, grow tents, and much more. With hydroponics, you can grow all year round, and there is no limit to the variety of food you can produce as long as the plants are in the right conditions. You can take a fundamentally scientific approach to the hydroponic method and experiment on different conditions, fertilisers, and more. This kind of experimentation can be an exciting way to get the best crops possible. As hydroponics is within your home and doesn’t use soil, there is a reduced risk of pests and disease with your plants, although there are still dangers to be aware of, so make sure you research those with any choices of plant you make.
Growing in a greenhouse is a great way to have an entirely separate gardening world. You can step into your greenhouse and escape into a world of gardening. You may not be fortunate enough to have space for a large greenhouse if you don’t have much garden, but you can always have more miniature balcony greenhouses or tiered sheltered shelves that mimic some greenhouse conditions. A free-standing greenhouse building will require temperature control in the winter, and maybe some cooling will be needed in the warmer months, depending on what you are trying to grow and the weather conditions. Greenhouses will need maintenance to keep them clean, strong and stable. They can be a great space for storing unhappy plants from the garden until the warmer months come along. Plan your greenhouse growing as best as possible to utilise the natural warmer months.
Resources:
- Grow Lamp - Ameba Ownd
- Cfl Grow Light - Hype.News
- Grow Tent UK - Splash
- Orchid Potting Mix - Telegraph
- Clay Pebbles - The University of Texas at Austin