‘Perfect time’: Fruit and vegetables with ‘very little upkeep’ to sow now for summer crop

Gardening expert demonstrates how to get rid of weeds

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Growing vegetables at home has many benefits including using fresh produce for cooking, produce which hasn’t been treated with chemicals and cutting down on food bills. According to Power Sheds, now is the perfect time for gardeners to start a vegetable patch, with the majority of crops being ready to harvest in summer.

Looking at the most common searches for growing certain vegetables, Power Sheds found that how to grow garlic had 6,500 monthly searches.

The experts said: “Garlic is a great beginner vegetable to grow as it needs very little upkeep to do successfully.

“Simply plant a clove of garlic in well-drained soil before the end of March, ensure you keep the weeds at by snipping them back and water the soil during dry spells.

‘By mid to late summer, you’ll be ready to harvest.”

Potatoes, which are a dinner staple, are also a popular choice for beginner gardeners to start with.

Power Sheds recommended planting them between March and May, using seed potatoes from any garden centre.

They added: “The main thing to remember is to earth up your plants.

This means creating a ridge of soil to protect the stems. To do this, once the stems are about 23cm tall, draw soil up around them, several times until the ridge is around 20cm to 30cm.”

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With 4,000 monthly searches, how to grow tomatoes was the third most popular searched term.

According to the experts, tomatoes are “ideal” for all gardeners because they can be grown in containers, inside or outside.

They added: “It’s important to keep on top of watering and feeding, as well as ensuring the vertical-growing cordon plants are tied to supports to stop them from collapsing.

“Bush tomatoes are the ideal choice for beginners as they can be grown in small gardens, growing bags or even hanging baskets.”

Strawberries, which are extremely popular during the summer months, must be sown now to ensure they are ready to harvest in the next few months.

Power Sheds said: “Nothing says summer like strawberries, and now is the perfect time to get those crops planted.

“Seeds should be sown in compost and covered with a plastic sheet to keep them humid until germination.

“Once germinated, they can be planted outside in a sunny area of the garden, requiring regular watering and feeding with high potassium fertiliser when planted.”

Pumpkins are often associated with Halloween, but April and May are the “key months” to get these planted.

Ideal to sow as seeds indoors or in the shed, the experts explained that positioning for pumpkin seeds is vital.

They must be kept in direct sunlight and protected from cold winds.

The experts added: “They need plenty of water and feeding every two weeks with a high potassium fertiliser.”

Jack Sutcliffe, co-founder of Power Sheds, commented: “This time of year is particularly exciting for the gardening community, as we start to head towards springtime and milder weather.

“We know from experience that demand for garden sheds and potting sheds starts to skyrocket at this time, and the number of searches for how to grow fruit and vegetables only confirms this.

“Hopefully our expert tips can help keen gardeners across Britain grow their own produce at home and become more self-sufficient.”

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