Reasons Why You Should Be Growing Your Own Vegetables
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| starting to grow your own vegetables |
1. Growing is Actually A Fun Activity for All The Family.
Watching, waiting and caring for your growing veg is actually more fun than you might realize. Going out to your plot every now and then to take a look at what has changed can really be an enjoyable experience. Vegetable gardening can also be a fun hobby that can be done together with your family and you may be very surprised at how much fun kids can have joining in.
2. The Exercise is Good For You in More Ways Than One.
Gardening is a good and cheap way to get some outdoor exercise, I would advise anyone to start digging their garden rather than out costly gym fees. It is also outdoor exercise which means plenty of breathing beautiful fresh air. I honestly think that getting out and into your garden is also good for you mental well being in a similar way that walking can be. I certainly feel healthier happier after I have been working up a sweat in the garden.
3. Better Tasting Food
It is true and I can vouch for it! Food that you have grown does taste better. It is fresh and so much more juicier and compared to shop bought produce has nicer and stronger flavors. This is because most of the varieties of vegetables you can buy as seed are different to the shop varieties.
Shops tend to choose a variety of tomato for instance on its ability to store well and have a long shelf life. This is achieved by choosing a tomato variety with extra thick skin and the tomato is much firmer. The varieties you grow yourself tend to be the best tasting ones because shelf life isn’t so much as an issue when the tomatoes are eaten nearly as soon as they are picked.
4. The Food is Better For You
Vegetables lose their nutrients in the time between when they have been picked or dug up to when they hit your plate. When you grow your own you tend to get it as you need it or store them for very shorter periods of time. This means more nutrients are still stored in your food and so you are getting the maximum health benefits from what you eat.
5. You Know What Has Gone Into Growing It
Shop bought veg has most probably had pesticides and who knows what sprayed on them. This is so the farmer could get a bigger crop which is unaffected by pests. Growing your own means you know exactly what has gone into and on your food that has come from your garden or plot.
6. It is Better for the Environment
How did your food get to your plate? It has probably traveled a good number of miles and may even have been grown in another country half way round the world. When you grow your own it only goes a few meters to get to your plate. This helps to cut down on the impact your food has had on your personal carbon footprint.
7. It Can Save You Money
Every year I always grow a good number of courgette plants (because they are my favorite). These plants produce heavy crops and yet in my country (UK) organic courgettes usually cost between about £1.50 to £2 ($3 to $4) for three medium sized courgettes. I must easily grow between about £100 to £200 worth during a season from a very cheap pack of seeds. So it can save a lot of money as well as give you the ability to give friends and family lots too.
8. You Will Eat More Veg
Because you have grown the veg yourself and it tastes so much better you will eat more of it which is better for your health as it will be easy to get your recommended 5 a day throughout the harvesting season. Kids especially will eat more if they have had a hand a growing it themselves.
9. You Can Grow Varieties Not Seen In The Shops
There are lots of varieties of fresh fruit and veg not seen in the shops such as purple and yellow runner beans, round cucumbers and yellow tomatoes to name a few. The shops don’t sell these because they know the average shopper will not buy something that doesn’t look to what they expect a piece of fruit or veg to look like. You can have a go at growing all these in your tiny plot which will also be a good talking point when you have family and friends round for dinner.
10. You Use Up Your Garden Space Productively
The average garden is usually just a lawn. When you grow your own your garden can turn into a wonderful used area all year round. Vegetables can actually be very beautiful as most have flowers, runners beans have reddy orange flowers, strawberries have small little white flowers and courgettes and pumpkins have big egg yolky colored flowers. This makes your garden not only productive but it looks nice too.
Hopefully these ten reasons have showed you the benefits that growing your own produce can have and inspire you to take it up.
