There is nothing more satisfying, or empowering, than growing and eating your own vegetables; Imagine chopping your own salad leaves or pulling your own mini beetroots to turn into a quick and nutritious meal during the summer months. And despite the hypotheses, this is remarkably easy (and cheap) to achieve on a relatively small scale. You don’t really need a huge kitchen garden or the corresponding amount of time to grow your own vegetables at a very manageable level, and it’s entirely possible to start in May, to reap the benefits throughout the summer. Growing things on a small scale, in a pot or in a livestock container, keeps things simple and concentrates the mind. You won’t have the cascade of courgettes or cabbages that friends with larger plots might have, but at the same time, the amount of salad leaves or chard that you can pack into a 200x50cm trough is impressive. These are small-space, fast-growing crops that you can harvest this summer if you sow them now — or buy plug plants from any garden center for an easier, head start.
Salad leaves
The easiest salad leaves to grow are cuttings and re-emerging seed mixes that include lettuce, rocket, mizuna and other leafy crops that germinate in 7-10 days and can start harvesting about 4-6 weeks later. Spread the seeds on the surface of the soil or compost and gently pat them down with the back of your palm. Water with a fine spray and do not let the compost dry out over the next few weeks. When the plant is 10 cm. Cut the outer leaves first when tall, allowing the central leaves to grow and continue harvesting for another six weeks. Add herbs and marigold petals to your leafy salad for a final flourish.
Radish
Radishes are one of the fastest maturing vegetables, often used as a ‘catch crop’ among other slow-growing vegetables in large kitchens. garden. The best varieties for pots are fast-maturing globe varieties such as ‘Early Scarlet Globe’ and ‘French Breakfast’. Plant them in 50cm diameter containers, about 1cm deep and 2.5cm apart, and harvest after just four weeks when they have swollen to full pink-red globes. Cut them into pieces and throw them away Salad For a juicy crunch.
