One of the most common reasons people give us for not growing food is “Sure I wouldn’t know where to start”,  So, here’s what you do first.

• Decide what you want to grow. If you like lettuce, grow lettuce. If you like chilli peppers, grow chilli peppers, if you like spuds grow spuds. 
• Get the basics. Plants need soil, water, and sunlight. They are individual and need it in different amounts but that’s their basic requirements in a nutshell. 
• Put seeds in the soil, apply water, leave in the sun. We’re not even kidding. Yes, seeds germinate better at specific temperatures, yes some prefer shade, some full sun, and others darkness, but honestly, they need soil, water, sunlight; we’re not overstating this. 
• Have a look at the GIY Veg Directory to see what your specific veg needs to thrive and when you can expect to harvest it.
• Buy high-quality seeds, store in a cool dry place and use them within two years or they might degrade.
• Stay consistent, keep an eye on what you’re growing. Pull up weeds when you see them, add water if the soil is dry.
• Get your hands dirty. Yes, we grow to eat but growing has plenty of benefits as an activity itself. Get some fresh air, get your hands in the soil, maybe get active in the garden. Get up close and personal with your future dinner.
• Pest control. This is probably the biggest obstacle for outdoor growing. Pickoff slugs and snails. Use soapy water to get rid of greenfly. Put a net over anything that the caterpillars or birds might attack. 
• Don’t forget to harvest your food! You may laugh, but not knowing when to harvest means sometimes food is just left to rot in the ground or forgotten about. 
• Accept that plants die. Not the most motivational sentence but let’s face it, they will die, you may kill them, and that’s ok. Nobody has a hundred percent perfect record for growing.