Choosing What to Grow
Growing your own food opens you up to a whole new world of varieties. You can grow things that you won’t find in the shops. I remember giving my friends purple pea pods and they were so surprised. At first, you’ll pick up a seed catalogue and want to grow EVERYTHING in it. I don’t blame you, it’s so exciting…well for me it is haha. I love nothing more than pouring over a seed catalogue or website and choosing varieties. But for now, I’d like you to think about a few factors which I have listed below.
Space
Your space will not only determine what you can grow, but how much. If you are only going to be growing in pots, this will cut down on the number of things you can choose from. If you have a larger space, you’ll need to determine how much space each variety needs to grow and divide it up accordingly. Winter squash vine and sprawl, they’d take up and take over an entire raised bed unless you can grow them vertically. Courgettes can have a leaf span of at least 2ft across. Peas need supports to grow upwards. Asparagus takes three years to harvest, are you willing to give up that space for three years? Potatoes can reach at least 3ft in height.
Light
Your choices will also be dependent on the amount of light your growing space receives. You’ll either be able to grow more shade loving varieties, or if you are blessed with 6-8 hours of sunlight, a lot more.
What do you like to eat?
I’ve mentioned it before and I will mention it again, but grow what you like to eat. Of course, I’m not saying don’t try new things. But when you are starting out, learn to grow what you love eating.
Storing and Processing
The one thing I didn’t take into account when starting out. You want to grow courgettes? Only plant one, unless you REALLY love courgette and have space to store and process them. Otherwise, you’ll be giving them to neighbours, the postman, your taxi driver. They are prolific producers. The same with winter squash. As I type this, I still have 13 of them sitting in my conservatory. That’s a commitment to a crop. Same with freezing certain things, or pickling, fermenting or dehydrating. You’re going to need space to store all of your amazing bounty if not eating it fresh from the garden.
Yield
Now that I have experience under my belt, I know that I want to grow more crops that produce a higher yield. I also know that I want to plant crops that will last me throughout the year. Things like onions, garlic, herbs I can dehydrate. If you want to grow your own food to save some money, think about things that produce a high yield. Strawberries are always great; you can freeze them too. Potatoes will feed you for weeks if you plant enough. It’s just something to consider.
Nutritional Value
Whilst I’d love to give you a shopping list of specific varieties, they are hard to pin point. What I can say is that growing a wide variety of colours is super beneficial. Aiming for diversity will help with your gut microbes too. You can achieve this even with a small space. Especially if you choose dwarf varieties.
Purple foods are full of anthocyanins and resveratrol. They help to prevent cancer, oxidative stress and inflammation, and protect cells from damage. Think berries, aubergine, plums, figs, grapes, purple cultivars of kale, potatoes, onions, lettuce and broccoli.
Green foods are high in glucosinolates, lutein and zeaxanthin. They improve blood and bone health, enhance the immune system and help to prevent cancer. Think Broccoli, kale, Brussel sprouts, spinach, swiss chard, green beans, peas, courgettes, asparagus, green apples and green grapes.
Orange and yellow foods are high in carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin and hesperidin. They help to promote healthy vision and cell growth in the skin, increase blood circulation and lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Think carrots, squash, golden beetroot, sweetcorn, yellow peppers, sweet potatoes, citrus fruit such as oranges, pineapples, melons and peaches.
Red foods are high in lycopene, anthocyanins and ellagic acid. They help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. They help to prevent cancer, especially prostate. Think tomatoes, red peppers, red onions, beetroot and berries.
White foods are high in alliin, quercetin and sulforaphane. They increase bone strength, lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation. Think onions, garlic, cauliflower, potatoes, parsnips, daikon radish, celeriac and mushrooms.