Vegetable Plants

Organic vegetable plants FAQs

Growing vegetable plants is a great way to enjoy delicious, nutritious veg, often for a fraction of the price you would pay at the supermarket. Here, we provide some answers to your FAQs about growing your own veg at home or at your allotment.

How to plant vegetables

How to plant vegetables varies quite a bit, depending on what you’re growing and whether you’re planting in planters, a greenhouse, or straight into the ground. If you’ve grown your plants from seed or plug plants indoors or under glass, you may need to harden them off, gradually acclimatising them to the outdoors before moving them to their final locations. To make sure you’re following the correct planting procedure, always be sure to follow the instructions on the back of the packet.

When to plant vegetables in the UK

While spring is commonly recognised as the time for planting crops, in fact, there’s almost always something ready to go into the ground here in the UK. From winter lettuce plants you can grow on your windowsill in the depths of winter to ‘first early’ potatoes, autumn-planting onion and garlic sets, and much more, any good gardening book will have all the information you need to get the most from planting vegetables all through the year.

How to grow organic vegetables

For excellent results from your organic seeds and plants, begin by preparing your soil. In the weeks before planting, make sure you dig plenty of organic matter into your soil. As your plants grow, keep them well watered, especially during dry spells, stay on top of weeding, and apply feeds in accordance with the instructions for your chosen plants. Other than that, trouble-shooting for pests and diseases is all you need to do to assure a good harvest – nature will do the rest.

Are organic vegetables better?

Whether organic vegetables are better for you is a hotly debated topic. Some studies show that organic veg have a higher percentage of key antioxidants and that because they haven’t been sprayed with pesticides, they’re less likely to cause allergic reactions. From an environmental standpoint, however, there’s no question: organic is better because it reduces risk of pollution, uses less energy and captures more carbon, and organic farming practices do much to protect and enhance wildlife and biodiversity.