Veg Guide Archives - Kitchen Garden Magazine

Grow your own: Asparagus

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

Asparagus is one of the few perennial vegetables (those which come up year after year) and is one of the most highly prized – a true delicacy. It grows from thick spidery roots which act as the storage organs in winter when the plant dies back. In early spring the first young shoots to grow from these roots are harvested…

Grow your own: Beetroot

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

Beetroot is a vegetable that you either love or hate but it is unique in its colouring and flavour. It is a more popular vegetable in Eastern Europe and the States where it is used more in hot dishes. Here we are keen on pickling it as well as using it in salads. The best beetroot is definitely home-grown because…

Grow your own: Broad beans

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

Broad beans are a great crop for sowing in spring but also autumn to get some delicious beans in June when there is not much else in the veg garden. These large, leafy beans produce big pods which contain either white or green beans depending on the variety. The tips of the bean plants can also be picked and eaten,…

Grow your own: Broccoli

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

Broccoli is a highly nutritious vegetable that is a must for the veg patch. You will really notice the difference in flavour of your own grown broccoli and, being so fresh, it will contain even more vitamins and health giving properties. It belongs to the brassica family and there are three types: white and purple sprouting broccoli which are harvested…

Grow your own: Cabbage

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

Cabbage is another crop that has suffered the same prejudice as the Brussels sprout, again probably due to being served overcooked. However, if freshly cut and lightly cooked with still a bit of crunch in the leaves, this veg is simply delicious. Cabbage is a member of the brassica family and is relatively easy to grow on most soils, although…

Grow your own: Cucumbers

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

The traditional long, smooth cucumbers need to be grown in awarm, almost hot, humid atmosphere so require greenhouse or polytunnel conditions. Some of the smaller-fruited more prickly varieties can be grown outside on your veg plot. Many of the greenhouse varieties sold are now all-female plants which means there is no need to remove the male flowers. The ordinary old-fashioned…

Grow your own: Chicory

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

Chicory is a popular Italian salad crop but they have never really taken off here. One reason could be their slightly bitter taste, but they should be more widely grown for the zing they can add to salads. There are two types of chicory to consider. One is the ‘Witloof’ chicory which is familiar as the white, green tipped chicons.…

Grow your own: French beans

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

French beans are a great choice for new comers to veg growing and especially good for those with little space. Just one plant will produce many beans over along period so a whole row will keep a family in beans easily. They will also crop over a long period if the pods are picked regularly. There are two types, climbing…

Grow your own: Garlic

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

It’s either loved or hated but whatever your view garlic is certainly popular… and until you have tasted your own grown you won’t believe that it can be so much better than shop bought. It isn’t a difficult crop to grow, but it is in the ground a long time, so ideally find a sunny corner or edge of a…

Grow your own: Kale

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

Kale or borecole is one of the best winter greens you can grow and just packed with health-giving nutrients. It is a member of the brassica family so is closely related to cabbages and broccoli but probably a bit easier to grow. It will do well on most soils, although a more limey soil is better than an acidic one.…

Grow your own: Leeks

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

Leeks have to be king of the winter vegetables and probably the most popular to grow and eat at this season of the year. It is also the easiest of the onion family to grow and generally undemanding. It will tolerate a range of winter conditions, from wet to very cold, and once mature it can be left in the…

Grow your own: Lettuce

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

Lettuce has to be one of the most popular vegetables to grow. It is fast maturing, the ultimate salad ingredient and can be grown in a relatively small area. Sown successionally crops can be produced nearly all year round. The choice of varieties is endless and it is best to try several to see which ones you prefer. There are…

Grow your own: Marrows & Courgettes

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

Courgettes and marrows have to be the first choice for beginners to veg growing. They grow quickly and produce masses of fruit without too much trouble making them real confidence boosters. As a bonus, they really are most attractive plants with big leaves and stunning yellow flowers that can also be eaten, especially tasty if battered and fried! The difference…

Grow your own: Onions & Shallots

3rd March 2023 Web Editor Fruit & Veg Growing Guides

These crops both belong to the allium family, which also includes garlic, but whereas onions form one large bulb, shallots split to form several small bulbs and are generally milder and sweeter than onions. Onions can be grown from seed sown in spring for harvests in mid to late summer. They can also be sown in August and the plants…