Salad shortages? They don’t worry me – I grow my own in a 8x5m plot. You can, too

theguardian.com:

W hen vegetable shortages hit supermarkets earlier this month, I was probably less concerned than most salad lovers. I’ve been an urban gardener for seven years, growing my own food in an 8x5m space in London. It all began for me as a tribute to my grandfather, who taught me everything I know about gardening and the living soil around us: how to use every part of the fruit and vegetables I grow; the importance of micro-organisms; using organic practices to nurture plants and protect Mother Earth.

Now, I’m on a mission to help other people to grow their own food, to recreate the missing link with nature and to reduce their impact on the environment. I want to empower people with the knowledge to start their own supply of homegrown food, in order to stop relying completely on big corporations and start being more self-sufficient. You don’t need any specific skills to do this: by following some easy and basic steps you will be able to grow your own organic food at home.

Supermarkets sell grow-at-home lettuce plants that stay fresh for longer. But what about one that grows back after you cut it, meaning you won’t have to buy it again for months? You can spend what you save on new plants, as once you start you will be hooked. The more that plants enter my living space, the happier I feel.

Direct sowing is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to start growing. It just means that you sow seeds directly in the area where you want your plant to be, rather than starting them indoors and moving them out, or starting them in trays and transplanting.

You will need to sow at just the right time, which is when the last frost has passed and the soil is warm enough to welcome new seeds. As a rule of thumb, you can start sowing a few hardy