A rising number of health conscious adults are opting to grow their own superfoods in a bid to save money and make the most of their own outdoor space.
Craig Corbett from Alfresia shares his top tips for when growing your own superfoods in the garden:
1. Feed the seeds
Superfoods in particular grow in specific conditions and doing your research before you get planting is imperative. Seeds are best sown in spring through from February until May but some can be sown regularly through to September. Those kept in a greenhouse can be sown in September and October.
2. Good soil will not spoil
It’s important to remember when growing your own superfoods that there are other factors playing a part in the success, such as the soil. A mix of plotting soil and native soil from the garden is the best when growing your own fruit and vegetables – although you may still need to add compost to help replenish every year.
3. Spring and summer nights
The temperature has the ability to make or break your superfood grow. Cooler spring nights are ok to plant greens lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli and peas for example. But, planting some vegetables prematurely can have devastating effects. Hold back on tomatoes, and peppers as these will develop much easier over warmer nights.
4. Room to grow
Consider the space in which you have to grow your own fruit and vegetables, and weigh up what needs plenty of space and what doesn’t. Corn for example needs lots of space and doesn’t produce much, so probably best avoiding
5. Superfood SOS
Like all home-grown fruit and vegetables, superfoods can be prone to hiccups along the way, but it is how you deal with those that depicts the outcome. The chemicals in many superfoods mean that pests and diseases are rare, but they can occur so be sure to arm yourself with the correct equipment and pest killers, ready to fight any infestation.
