sow grow glow
THE BENEFITS OF GROWING YOUR OWN
SOW AND GROW
SOW AND GROW
SOW AND GROW
SOW AND GROW
photographs GARETH MORGANS
Discover the satisfaction of nur turing produce from seed to plant, then turning your homegrow n har vest into something delicious. As well as lowering your shopping bills, garden-fresh fruit and veg is more nutrient-rich than shop-bought, and only pick ing what you need reduces wa ste. Plus, being outdoors or losing yourself in a k itchen project can improve your sense of well-being.
How to grow beetroot
Grow kohlrabi
How to grow pumkpins
How to grow mushrooms
You can find out more at: bbcgoodfood.com/sow-grow-glow
Sow beetroot seeds outdoors from mid-April to late June into a shallow drill, 1cm deep. Space seeds 10cm apart, with 30cm between rows. Being a root crop, it does best if the soil is free of large stones, and prefers light to fairly heavy soil.
• Sowing time depends on the variety and whether seed is being sown direct outside or started off under cover before planting outdoors. Purple kohlrabi is slower growing, but hardier than green varieties, so it’s best to sow faster-growing green kohlrabi from March to June for early harvests, then sow the purple type in summer.
• Sow pumpkin and squash seeds in pots of peat-free multipurpose compost in April and May. Transfer to larger pots when large enough to handle, and plant outside when all risk of frost has passed.
• You can buy mushroom spawn to grow in beds or boxes filled with manure or compost. Alternatively, choose a mushroom-growing kit, which usually includes the spawn and growing media (such as wood shavings or straw).
THE BENEFITS OF GROWING YOUR OWN
Discover the satisfaction of nur turing produce from seed to plant, then turning your homegrow n har vest into something delicious. As well as lowering your shopping bills, garden-fresh fruit and veg is more nutrient-rich than shop-bought, and only pick ing what you need reduces wa ste. Plus, being outdoors or losing yourself in a k itchen project can improve your sense of well-being.
You can find out more at: bbcgoodfood.com/sow-grow-glow
It’s worth ‘station sowing’ beetroot to ensure a good crop. This means sowing two seeds at each location and thinning later to one seedling – the thinned seedlings are delicious eaten raw in salads. Label the row, then water along its length.