If you want to grow a really healthy vegetable plot that will last you for years, read on.

Choosing vegetables

This is one of the most exciting things about growing vegetables – picking them! So go for the vegetables you love eating without getting carried away and making sure you have enough space for the growth of each, look for vegetables you can progressively harvest so you maintain growth through the season.

There are 4 main vegetable groups and it is good to know which fall into which before you choose which ones to grow.

Group One: Swede, turnips, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale.
Group Two: Beetroot, chicory, carrots, artichokes, parsnips, potatoes and salsify
Group three: All types of beans and peas.
Group four: Salad crops and all other vegetables

Plot rotation

Group your vegetables together if they fall into the same group as listed. Divide your plant bed up into 4 sections to accommodate the 4 different groups. You must not plant the same vegetable in the same place year on year because it will destroy the nutrients in the soil and the soil needs to be replenished. So if you keep a note of what is where and where the boundaries of the 4 beds are (best marked out by wire), you will know that in your second year, you will need to move one section forward and have the next group of vegetable growing in it.