Growing a selection of vegetables all year round

Growing your own vegetables will provide you with a number of benefits. There are a number of different types of vegetables that can be grown all year round. Home-grown vegetables not only offer a number of health benefits but also enable you to cut down on how much you spend on the supermarket varieties.

Tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce and cabbages are just a few of the vegetables that can be grown throughout the year. Tomatoes are available in a number of varieties and can be grown at various points throughout the year depending on which types you choose. Cherry tomatoes are ideal for hot and cold weather and many types are disease resistant. There are many hardy varieties that can be planted early in the year.

The many varieties of potatoes available enable you to grow them throughout the year. There are early, mid-season and late varieties available, which are suitable for growing outdoors or in a greenhouse. Potatoes require plenty of sun, so avoid planting them in frosty areas in your garden. Use multi-purpose compost or good-quality soil. Watch out for pests and select varieties that are disease resistant. Using certified seed potatoes will help you to avoid problems with pests and diseases.
 
Lettuce is available in a number of varieties, making it suitable for growth all year round. Cabbage is also a good all year round vegetable and will grow successfully when planted in the right conditions. Lettuces thrive in moist soil, whilst cabbages require deeply dug humus-rich soil.

If you own a greenhouse, then you can easily extend the growing season by providing your vegetables with the right conditions. Extra insulation or lighting may need to be added to your greenhouse in winter to protect your plants and you may need to add extra ventilation during the summer. Making sure that the conditions in your greenhouse are suitable will enable you to grow a selection of vegetables throughout the year.

For extra protection for fruit or vegetables such as tomatoes, cold frames are ideal. Cold frames are ideal for all year-round growing and will protect winter plants and enable you to grow a selection of vegetables during summer. They are available in a number of sizes and are an ideal choice for those who do not have enough space for a greenhouse but wish to grow a selection of vegetables all year round.   
 

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