How to grow vegetables: How to grow record-breaking vegetables - the best time is NOW
GROWING vegetables and fruit will have occupied many people for the last year, with the lockdown allowing homeowners to nurture a host of new hobbies. How do you grow record-breaking vegetables?
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Fruit and vegetable growing is a new pastime for many people, who may have taken it up over the last year. The lucky few with gardens or space to grow plants may have picked up a trowel for the first time and now have a garden ready to harvest. Some budding gardeners may wish to take their policy a little further by breaking records.
How to grow record-breaking fruit and vegetables
Record-breaking crops don't only exceed the average size of the average plant; they sometimes outgrow children.
Growing crops like this is a lifelong obsession for many people, and other people can join in.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, the head farmer from family farm Mash Direct shared their tips for growing mammoth fruit and vegetables.
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Sow your seeds in time
Mash Direct's head farmer suggested people plant their crops in the spring.
The ideal time is between March and the end of April, so people wanting to try should get started now.
Frost is a plant killer which people can avoid by bringing their plants inside on a cold night.
Germinate your seeds
Gardeners should germinate their seeds and watch them grow on a windowsill.
They will grow well in an old egg box, with one seed per egg space.
Manufacturers make these boxes biodegradable in most cases, making the process greener for sustainably living fans.
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Location, location, location
Locations matter, meaning budding growers should provide their plants with ample sunlight.
Depth and spacing
Plants need personal space and require a suitable area to deploy their roots.
Confined seedlings are vulnerable to health issues, such as disease.
Multiple plants need space between them, as one could end up depriving the nutrients of another.
Soil
Plants get their nutrients from the soil, meaning people should ensure they provide a compost-rich foundation for them.
Water retention
As the weather gets hotter, plants will need more hydration, and people can keep the soil moist with mulch.
Crops will also need watering twice a day, but less when the weather is too hot, in which case people should wait until the sun goes down.
Pests
The best gardens will attract more insects and pests, meaning people should keep a net over their crops to discourage unwanted guests.
Mash Direct recommends growing some Alliums in a plot next to vegetables to turn insects off the scent of growing food.