As we enter into varying levels of lockdown across the country, growing your own vegetables is trendier than ever! Trendiness aside, growing your own veggies is rewarding, thrifty and kind on the environment – a truly winning combination of reasons to start your own garden today.
Growing your own delicious vegetables can be easier than you think. Here is a short list of some of the most cost-effective vegetables to plant today.
1. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are either loved or hated (and technically a fruit but we will overlook that for the purpose of this article) and they are a healthy staple in any diet. Dressed up or dressed down, the humble tomato can take on many forms and still remain nutritious and delicious. Tomatoes do not require much space for growing and take around 12 weeks to be ready for harvesting. Tomatoes can produce every day for around five years. These cost-effective little beauties will also deter caterpillars from cabbage leaves.
2. Potatoes
Easily the most versatile of vegetables, the potato is one of our cost-effective favourites! With the average potato plant producing nine potatoes, a packet of seeds will feed your entire family and likely a few neighbours too. If given the right growing conditions you will end up with more potatoes than you know what to do with! With many varieties to choose from, and both sweet and savoury options, there is no reason not to plant a potato today.
3. Carrots
Carrots are highly nutritious and utterly delicious in both raw and cooked forms. These cost-effective little stars can be planted in large outdoor planters, vegetable boxes or directly into your vegetable garden. Carrots are easy to grow in rich, loose soil that is free from clods and stones. Available in a variety of colours, the carrot is largely disease and crack-resistant, making it a wonderful option for adding to your vegetable garden on a dime!
4. Cucumbers
Cucumbers are healthy, have virtually no calories and are known for producing in abundance. Used in salads, pickles, sushi, and rice dishes, the crunchy cucumber has edged its way to the top of our list. There are vining and bush varieties so regardless of your requirements, there is a cucumber for you. Cucumbers do require an abundance of sunlight to grow a bumper crop, so keep this in mind when you are planting. If at all possible, make sure your plant receives early morning sunlight.
5. Asparagus
Asparagus requires a great deal of patience as it can take up to two years to start producing but it is definitely worth the wait! Growing your own asparagus will not only give you a vitamin-rich veggie option to incorporate into healthy dinners, it will definitely save you money – the average asparagus plant will produce for fifteen years or even more! Green asparagus is the most common variety, generally, and these plants grow spears in a variety of thicknesses. Some gardeners plant different varieties as these will mature at different times and keep a continuous supply during the harvest periods.
*collaborative post
