Growing your own food is easier than many people think, even without a garden. Start small with a few easy, fast-growing crops in pots or a small bed: salad leaves, herbs, radishes, spring onions, tomatoes, peas, beans and zucchini are all good choices for beginners. Choose a sunny spot, use good compost, water regularly, and sow little and often. Homegrown produce is fresh and flavorful, can save money, cuts food waste and packaging, and many people find gardening relaxing and a good way to stay active. Children who help grow vegetables are often more willing to eat them, too.
Benefits of growing your own
- Freshness and flavor: vegetables picked minutes before eating often taste better.
- Eating more vegetables: having produce on hand encourages you to use it, and helps you reach the 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day the NHS recommends.
- Saving money, especially on salad leaves and herbs, which are expensive to buy.
- Less waste and packaging: you pick only what you need.
- Physical activity: digging, planting and weeding all count as activity.
- Wellbeing: many people find gardening relaxing and enjoy time outdoors.
- Learning for children about where food comes from.
Where to grow
- Pots and containers on a patio, balcony or windowsill. Most crops need a container at least 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches) deep with drainage holes.
- Raised beds, which warm up quickly, drain well and are easier on your back.
- Garden beds, improved with compost or well-rotted manure.
- Allotments or community gardens, if you don’t have space at home.
- Indoors, for herbs, microgreens and salad leaves on a bright windowsill.
The easiest crops for beginners
| Crop | Why it’s easy | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Salad leaves and lettuce | Fast, grows in pots, cut-and-come-again | Sow little and often; protect from slugs |
| Herbs (basil, parsley, chives, mint) | Grow on a windowsill | Grow mint in its own pot, as it spreads |
| Radishes | Ready in about 4 weeks | Sow thinly and keep moist |
| Spring onions | Small and quick | Sow in rows or pots |
| Peas and beans | Productive and fun for children | Give them supports to climb |
| Tomatoes | Very rewarding in a sunny spot | Water regularly; choose bush or cherry varieties for pots |
| Zucchini | Very productive | One or two plants are plenty |
| Potatoes | Grow well in large bags | Earth up as they grow |
| Strawberries | Grow in pots or hanging baskets | Net them against birds |
Our guides to growing lettuce and growing herbs indoors go into detail.
Getting started: step by step
- Find your sunniest spot. Most vegetables need at least 6 hours of sun a day; leafy greens tolerate some shade.
- Start small: a few pots or one raised bed is plenty in your first year.
- Use good compost. For containers, use peat-free multipurpose compost.
- Choose 3 to 5 crops you like to eat.
- Check the seed packet for when to sow, how deep, and how far apart.
- Water regularly, especially containers, which dry out quickly in warm weather. Water at the base in the morning or evening.
- Feed plants such as tomatoes with a liquid feed once they start flowering.
- Harvest often: picking regularly encourages many crops, such as beans and zucchini, to produce more.
- Sow little and often. The Royal Horticultural Society recommends sowing lettuce in small batches every couple of weeks for continuous harvests rather than gluts, and the same idea works for many quick crops.
Common problems
- Slugs and snails: check plants in the evening, use barriers, and encourage wildlife such as birds and frogs.
- Bolting: lettuce and spinach may flower early in hot, dry weather. Keep them watered and sow again.
- Overwatering or underwatering: check the compost with your finger; water when the top feels dry.
- Too much at once: sow small amounts every few weeks for a steady supply.
Food safety for homegrown produce
Homegrown produce still needs washing. The FDA advises washing produce under running water before eating, without soap or produce washes. Also:
- Wash your hands after gardening and before handling food.
- Use well-rotted compost or manure, not fresh manure, on soil where you grow salad crops.
- Keep pets out of vegetable beds.
- Be cautious with soil in urban areas, which can contain contaminants; raised beds with fresh compost are a safer choice.
- Never eat wild plants or mushrooms unless you’re absolutely sure they’re safe.
Our guide on how to wash vegetables explains more.
Getting children involved
Give children their own small pot or patch, and choose quick, fun crops such as radishes, peas, cherry tomatoes and strawberries. Let them water, pick and taste what they grow. Our tips on getting kids to eat vegetables include growing food together.
Eating seasonally from your garden
Growing your own naturally means eating with the seasons: salad leaves and radishes in spring, tomatoes, beans and zucchini in summer, squash and kale in autumn. Our guide to seasonal eating explains what’s in season through the year, and our guide on how to store fruit and vegetables helps you keep your harvest fresh.
Common questions
How much space do I need to grow vegetables?
Very little to start. A windowsill can grow herbs and salad leaves, a few large pots on a balcony can grow tomatoes and beans, and a single raised bed of about 1 by 2 meters can supply salad and vegetables for much of the summer.
What’s the easiest vegetable to grow?
Salad leaves, radishes and herbs are among the easiest and fastest, and grow well in pots.
Can I grow food without a garden?
Yes. Many vegetables, herbs and fruits grow well in containers on balconies, patios and windowsills.
Is homegrown food more nutritious?
Freshly picked produce can retain slightly more of some vitamins than produce that has been stored for a long time, but the main benefits are freshness, flavor and eating more vegetables.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making big changes to how you eat, especially if you have a health condition, take regular medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
