Grow your own! A beginner's guide to creating your own edible garden

Gardening is an increasingly popular hobby, as more and more people look to grow their own produce at home. But while this may be easy for people with big, sprawling gardens, what about people who live in flats and apartments?

Luckily, you don’t need loads of space to grow your own fruit and vegetables. There are plenty of things you can grow in a smaller space, whether that’s a balcony, or even just a sunny windowsill!

Follow our tips and start growing your own edible garden today.

Getting Started

Windowsill

1
Make sure there’s plenty of sun – 5 hours or more per day in summer if possible.
2
Uncovered is a plus – rain saves on watering.
3
The wider the better – more space means less crowding.
4
Be careful when using window boxes – make sure they’re secure and aren’t at risk of falling.

Balcony

1
Check your positioning – how much direct or indirect sunlight does the area get? What about rain and wind?
2
Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid anything too heavy and make sure things are secured.
3
Put a tray or dish under pots to avoid too much water dripping down to lower balconies.
4
Make use of vertical surfaces too – consider hanging smaller containers off walls.

Mini greenhouse

1
Create more vertical space.
2
Maximise your growing season.
3
Increased heat and no rain means soil can dry out quickly, so make sure you’re watering enough daily.
4
How much do you want to spend? Do you want to go with simple plastic or a more complex metal and glass option?

Choose your container

The bigger the better, but aim for at least:

15cm across
for herbs
15cm pot
25cm across
for smaller fruit and veg
25cm pot
35cm across
for larger veg
35cm pot
20cm deep
for herbs
25cm pot
30cm deep
for fruit and veg
35cm pot

As long as you’ve got the right size, you can use just about anything!

Traditional

Plant pots
Window boxes
Hanging baskets
Grow bags

Upcycled

Buckets
Wellies
Paint pots
Biscuit tins
Plastic bottles
Wooden pallets

How much space to leave when sowing seeds?

The more space the better, as overcrowding can limit growth. Aim for at least:

5-10cm for things like carrots, herbs, French beans, spring onions, peas, radishes
10-15cm for things like beetroot, garlic, leeks, spinach
15-25cm for things like broad beans, lettuce, swiss chard
30-45cm for things like tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, cabbage

Your growing guide

Vegetable
Herb
Fruit
Leaf
Direct sunlight
Partial sunlight
Sow
Harvest
Windowsill
Balcony
Greenhouse
Sun
Days to Harvest
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
VegetableAubergines
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
HerbBasil
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetableBeetroot
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
FruitBlackcurrants
120+
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
FruitBlueberries
120+
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetableBroad beans
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetableCarrots
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetableCherry tomatoes
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
LeafChicory
<40
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetableChillies
80-120
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
HerbChives
80-120
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetableFrench beans
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetableGarlic
80-120
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
FruitGooseberries
80-120
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
LeafKale
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
LeafLettuce
<40
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
LeafMicro greens
<40
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
HerbMint
80-120
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
HerbOregano
80-120
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
HerbParsley
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetablePeas
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetablePeppers
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetablePotatoes
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetableRadishes
<40
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
LeafRocket
<40
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
HerbRosemary
80-120
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetableRunner beans
80-120
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
HerbSage
120+
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
LeafSpinach
<40
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetableSpring onions
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
FruitStrawberries
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
LeafSwiss chard
40-80
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
HerbThyme
120+
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
VegetableTomatoes
40-50
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest
LeafWatercress
<40
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow
Harvest

Top tips

1
Do you rent your property? If so, check what you’re allowed to do.
2
Don’t overcrowd when sowing – give your produce room to grow.
3
Smaller containers need more frequent watering.
4
Put a layer of gravel at the bottom of your container to allow for drainage, then lightly pack compost on top.
5
Choose the right compost, ideally one designed specifically for containers. These retain water better & contain extra nutrients.
6
Use a liquid feed every couple of weeks – your crops will have used up all the nutrients in the soil.
7
Worried about over or under-watering? Stick your finger into the soil, if it’s moist just below the surface, you’re all good.
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