Why you should start growing your own produce

Spring has sprung! With the current stay-at-home restrictions and warmer weather, it’s the perfect time to get your hands dirty. Whether you have a balcony or backyard, there are ways you can grow your own produce.

Horticulturist, writer and talk-back radio show guest Toni Salter has told us why it’s so great to grow your own produce.

After the initial set up costs, maintaining a garden has very little cost if you use any food waste you may have to make quality compost and worm juice, and collect your own seeds.

So much of the fresh produce we buy in the supermarket is wrapped in plastic or packaged on styrofoam trays. Your own home grown produce doesn’t come with any of that packaging.

No more bags of herbs or veggies rotting in the back of the fridge when you grow your own. It also means that you don’t need to pop back to the shops for that one veggie you forgot- just walk outside to your garden.

Produce starts to lose its nutrient value the moment it is picked, so maximise its goodness by minimising the time from plant to plate. Pick only what you need at the time, it’s a great way to ensure all food is eaten and not wasted.

Toni says when she started growing her own veggies, she struggled: “I only managed to grow enough for a meagre amount of salad. I learnt that I was definitely planting the wrong things at the wrong time and in the wrong spot.

“It took some time but through research and learning from others, I have become self-sufficient in fresh produce and I eat what’s in season.”

If you would like to learn more, tune into one of our free webinars with Toni: