The Food Club

What Varieties Should I Buy?

Posted on 31. Jan, 2009 by Justin in Fruit, Vegetables

Choosing varieties of fruit and vegetables can be difficult but follow a few simple rules and you can't go too wrong. Just because you can buy the seed in the garden centre it doesn't mean it will be suitable for your garden. Each fruit and vegetable can be graded into a difficulty level so it's worth  doing a little research. Don't worry if you make a bad choice, you can put it down to experience and try a different approach next year. 

So what should I do to pick the right varieties?

1. Find out what fruit and vegetables the family like to eat and most importantly don't grow something no one in the family likes. 
2. If your unsure about a type a fruit or vegetable variety then grow one or two plants to see if they are for you.
3. If your new to growing your own choose varieties which are disease resistant, especially if your going organic. Once you are more experienced you can become more adventurous. Don't forget there are ways to control pests and disease using approved organic methods. e.g. organic slug pellets. 
4. When picking out of a catalogue or from a website see what the description says about flavour. If like me you like you like a good taste the variety can be very important. 
5. If you are in the North East of England you might struggle to grow some crops outside so if you don't have a greenhouse avoid these. 
6. Make a note of the varieties you like so you can grow them the next year. 
7. Do some research and try to find out a little about your soil type. Some plants are fussy about where they grow so a little knowledge goes along way. Soil testing kits are available from most well stocked garden centres. 

Tags: allotment, fruit bushes, fruit garden, seeds, type of seed, varieties, vegetable garden