There are few healthier and better ways to save money than organically growing your own fruit and vegetables in your own garden. This allows you to not only take constant care in monitoring the growth of your produce, but it also lets you strictly supervise the cost of producing your goods, which you’ll find is significantly cheaper than purchasing them from the local grocer. So if you’re interested in turning your garden-patch into a bowl of ripe produce, here’s how to start.

Preparing your garden

The soil base of a produce yielding garden must be a minimum of 15cm deep in order to support salads, but the greater the soil depth the better the fruit and veg you will produce. Remember, even if you do not have garden beds you can grow vegetables in garden boxes, but be sure to keep them in a location that has plenty of sun and is sheltered from heavy winds.

Selecting your soil

The type of soil you choose to use is extremely important, as many non-organic types use manmade mixes that are harmful to the environment and take up a lot of energy to produce. Organic compost soil is most environmentally friendly, and by starting a composting site within your own garden you can also help enrich your own soil throughout the seasons.

Starting off your plants

When you’re sowing your vegetable seeds your plants will be at their most vulnerable, and if you plant them directly in the garden you will often find them eaten by slugs. The best move is to start your plants off in small 10-15cm pots, which you can keep indoors or on an elevated table outdoors to keep them away from pests.

Types of plants to grow

Some of the easiest garden plants to grow are actually fruit and vegetable producing plants. Lettuce, tomatoes, chard, carrots, and courgettes will grow well in temperate climates, though beware that some (like tomatoes) may need a little extra care in the early months.

Maintenance

The most important thing to keep in mind during your growing seasons, is that your garden must be kept clear of loose debris like branches and leaves in order to prevent and infestation of mollusks and pests that might ruin your crop. Also, try to keep the grass in the area of your garden trimmed to a short length, as this will also limit the hiding spots for dangerous grubs.

Don’t forget that your garden is also meant to look as beautiful as its produce tastes, don’t be afraid to decorate with some lovely stones chippings from stores like  Tesco, to give it a manicured feel.