Grow Your Own

Cholesterol lowering remedies do not need to come exclusively from the supermarket or chemist. Find out how you can grow your own delicious ingredients for your healthy meals.

Grow your own May

For me, May on the veg plot is perhaps the busiest month of all. There’s just so much to be getting on with. By now, your soil should have warmed up and the danger of frost should be receding, so it is time to sow and plant in earnest. Prepare your soil by carefully weeding and raking it over and sow seeds of everything from beetroot and carrots to beans and salad leaves. Harden off seedlings you’ve raised indoors or under cover by moving them outside during the day but bringing them back in at night. Then plant them out, keeping them well watered and protected with cloches or fleece if the nights are still cold. Oh, and don’t forget to keep an eye out for slugs – or you’ll lose everything and be back to square one!

Sow seeds outdoors if the weather is mild – but not all at once. Instead, “succession sow” a small batch every two or three weeks to avoid a glut later in the summer.

Sow seeds indoors or under cover if it’s not yet warm enough for them to germinate outside – particularly courgettes, pumpkins and squashes, winter brassicas, and some “back-up” French and runner beans.

Plant a last batch of seed potatoes for an autumn crop.

Transplant seedlings you’ve either grown yourself or bought from the garden centre.

Check the weather forecasts and protect tender plants against late frosts with cloches, fleece and even newspapers.

Weed and water regularly to give your young plants all the help you can.

Stake broad beans and put up cane supports for climbing beans.

Net strawberries and fruit bushes to protect them from birds.

Harvest asparagus, baby globe artichokes and turnips, fresh “green” garlic, and new-season salad leaves.

Grow Your Own

Grow your own May

vitality magazine

Stress Factors

The FIT crowd