Chepstow Garden Centre

Grow Your Own

There’s nothing better than the taste of fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs. Especially when you have grown them yourselves in your garden. Growing your own comes with high levels of satisfaction and enjoyment, for all ages. If you are not sure what to grow or where to start, we have you covered. 

Growing Fruit

Positioning: It’s extremely important to give each fruit tree enough personal space. Making sure they can branch out, around 8ft between each one is a good guide to follow.

Pollination: some fruit trees are self-pollinating, some require bees, butterflies, winds, and spores to start fruiting. Feel free to speak to our gardening team to see which fruit trees are best for your area.

Timing: Make sure you know exactly when your fruit trees need to be planted and harvested. This differs depending on the type of tree.

Fertilizer and soil: Different fruit trees need different fertilisers and different types of soil. Make sure you do your research before fertilising as the area you live impact the type of soil you need.

Watering: Different fruit trees need different amounts of water. Do not overwater your fruit trees in the early stages of growth. If the soil is damp, don’t water.

Pests and disease: These are very common in fruit trees, birds can cause problems throughout fruit growth, netting or mesh can prevent them. Check fruit plants regularly for fungal diseases and pick off any infected fruit.

Raspberries
They are delicious and easy to grow, suitable for any size garden and container.  Raspberries are usually planted in rows and supported by a system of posts and horizontal wires. But if you don’t have room for this, you can grow just a couple of plants supported by a single post, or one plant in a container.

Planting
Raspberries can be planted at any time during the dormant season, between November and March providing the soil is not frozen or waterlogged. Before planting clear perennial weeds of the site, these can be difficult to control when the raspberries have been established. Dig in large amounts of well-rotted manure (Bucketful per square metre/yard). Make sure they are spaced 45-60cm (2ft) apart and space the rows 1.8m (6ft) apart.  Avoid deep planting, first roots should be no more than 5cm (2in) below the soil. After planting generously cover the soil in thick mulch or organic matter, such as garden compost, to deter weeds.

Growing
Raspberries grow best in sunny positions but also will grow successfully in partially shaded areas. Plant them in free-draining soil and avoid windy sites, as raspberries are self-fertile and pollinated by flying insects. Keep them well watered and net them if they prove irresistible to the birds.

Harvesting
Harvest regularly. The first summer raspberries are ready for harvesting in early June/July Autumn raspberries won’t mature till later summer.  Pick on a dry day when they are rich colours, plump and at their peak of ripeness. Eat them fresh, freeze or make them into preserves. 

We now have an amazing range of fruit bushes online from McIntyre & Sons. They have specialised in the production of soft fruit plants for over 60 years and you can now purchase them online at Chepstow Garden Centre.


Growing Vegetables

Positioning: Most vegetables need plenty of sunshine to encourage growth, they are best positioned in an open garden with isn’t overshadowed by trees.

Timing: Make sure you know exactly when your vegetables need to be planted and harvested. This differs depending on the type of veg.

Fertilizer and soil: Good soil is well-drained and moisture-retentive. Make sure you do your research before fertilising as the area you live impacts the type of soil you need.

Watering: Vegetables need regular watering and additional water will be essential during dry periods. Too little watering can cause nutrient deficiencies whereas too much can cause pest issues and rot.

Pests and disease: Keep a lookout for wilting and rotting. Make sure pests are kept away, you can use physical barriers such as netting, or tunnels.

Tomatoes

Growing your own tomatoes is simple and just a couple of plants will reward you with plenty of scrumptious tomatoes. They are ideal for growing in containers, either outdoors in sunny areas or greenhouses and there’s a huge variety to grow and taste yourself. Fill a small pot with seed compost, water well, then sow 3-4 seeds on the surface. Leave pots ideally in heated conditions or cover with a clear plastic bag and place on a warm windowsill. When seedlings appear uncovered and place in as much light as possible.  After a couple of weeks, move seedlings into individual pots, keep these in a greenhouse on a well-lit windowsill, water regularly and keep the temperature at 16°C.

Growing
After a month, they should be ready to move to their final position. To boost fruiting feed every 10-14 days with a high potassium liquid fertiliser, lay a thick layer of mulch around the tomato plants to help hold in moisture and deter weeds. Use compost or well-rotted manure, leave a gap around the stem to prevent rotting.

Harvesting
Tomatoes start to ripen from mid-summer onwards, depending on the variety. Greenhouse tomatoes will usually start cropping earlier than those outdoors. Check plants every few days, make sure they are ripe and fully coloured and pick tomatoes individually with the stalk still attached.

 

Growing Herbs

Positioning: Herbs are best grown where there is full sun and light.

Timing: Most can be sown directly outdoors in early spring.

Fertilizer and soil: The soil needs to be well-drained fertile and moisture retentive. Make sure there is plenty of organic matter.

Watering: Shallow rooted herbs dry out quickly so need to be watered regularly.

Pests and disease: Maintain air movement to prevent rot and diseases like grey mould. Make sure if planting outside you protect your herbs from birds, slugs, and snails.

Raising your herbs
Herb seeds such as Basil Chives and parsley are usually sown from January to early April. Coriander and dill can be sown directly into outdoor soil from March. If you are do not have suitable conditions to raise your herbs, Chepstow Garden centre has a range of young plants or plugs which potted and grown somewhere warm and well lit, such as a windowsill.

Step by Step Planting:
Make sure the soil and compost are moist.

Rake the soil removing stones and clods.

Loosen plants from their pots/trays.

Handle plants by root ball to avoid damaging stems.

Plant so the top of the root ball is just below the soil.

Make sure it is firmly in the soil.

Water the herb into the soil.

Harvesting
Some herbs may be ready to be picked within a few days of sowing while others take a few weeks.

Basil
Grow in rich, light well-drained to dry soil in sun.

Pinch out tips to encourage bushiness.

Regular sowing is needed for a summer-long supply.

Coriander
Well-drained fertile soil in full sun.

Leaves and roots should be used fresh.

Seeds can be used dry in curries and pickles.

Parsley
Rich, well-drained neutral to alkaline soil in sun or partly shaded areas.

Prick just before flowering and use fresh.

Essential in French, Italian and middle eastern cookery.


Phillis Says

Pick outdoor plants with unripe fruit and place somewhere warm and dark to ripen. Alternatively, put unripe tomatoes in a drawer with a banana to aid ripening.

 

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