Grow your own

January is the perfect time to plan what fruit and veg you want to grow throughout the year, and get ahead by ordering your plants and seeds. You can even make a start by sowing your seeds indoors, either in seed trays or pots, ready to plant out when the weather warms up.

Preparing your potatoes

Potatoes are one of the first vegetables to be planted outside when the worst frosts have passed, but you can start seed potatoes into growth as early as the end of January. To start the ‘chitting’ process, all you need to do is place your seed potatoes, eyes up, in a seed tray or egg box and leave them in a light, cool area protected from frost. Once large shoots appear, rub out the weakest to leave two or three on each tuber. Your potatoes are then ready to plant out when the weather allows come March.

Fruit is an easy addition to any grow your own garden, as many varieties are able to grow well in containers, with very little maintenance.

If you are growing fruit for the first time, now is the chance to get planting ready for a summer harvest, so long as the soil isn’t frozen or too wet. If you are growing in containers, choose one that has plenty of depth, and place some broken up pots or large stones at the bottom to help with drainage. If you have established fruit bushes or trees, now is the time to prune them back to keep them strong and healthy to ensure you get the most from your harvest.

With any soft fruit you grow, birds will be one of your biggest problems. Try and protect your plants from hungry birds with some form of netting and make sure you water regularly.