It's National Vegetarian Week, a celebration of all the fresh greens you can eat and discover at meal times.

If you're on a mission to become healthier, ahead of the summer months, then this is an ideal opportunity to explore the different varieties of vegetables out there.

To mark the occasion we thought we'd give eager green fingered readers some tips on how they can grow their own veg at home.

And the good news is you don't need a massive garden - or an allotment - to harvest your own crops.

Potatoes

New Potatoes

According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) potatoes are classified as either earlier or microcrops. Early potatoes are ready to harvest much sooner than maincrops.

Maincrop will be in the ground for much longer and need to be grown in larger containers or in an open space in a garden. If you don't have the space you can also buy grow bags which are deep enough for potatoes and are ideal for patios and smaller spaces.

Method:

Follow this guide on how to grow your own from B&Q.

  1. Prepare the soil by removing any weeds and use some fertiliser to give the soil for nutrients. Once you've done this use a spade and dig out a narrow trench about 12cm deep.
  2. Place seeds (otherwise known as tubers) in the trench, make sure each one is around 25cm apart, with the sprouts facing upwards. Use the spade to put soil on top of them once planted. This help the stems grow better underground which will produce more potatoes. You should do this every two weeks. Make sure you water your tubers regularly as potatoes need moisture to grow.
  3. The potatoes will be grown and ready to by dug out after around 10 weeks.

Lettuce

Find out how to grow your own lettuce

Buy a variety of lettuce seeds, the average packet contains 900. Between now and July is the best time to plant them, or alternatively you can do it in September.

You will need to sow them in rich soil and water well in dry periods.

If you don't have a garden space you can grow lettuce in containers.

According to RHS there are four varieties of lettuce:

Little Gem: This is a Cos lettuce with small solid heads and produces a sweet, crisp heart. It has good resistance to root aphid (also known as plant lice).

Set: A crisphead lettuce, this is easy to grow and produces large, solid hearts with crisp green leaves.

Tom Thumb: A small butterhead lettuce perfect for growing in small spaces. It matures early and has soft leaves with a mild taste.

Nymans: A Cos lettuce with deep red outer leaves and a rich green heart.

Method:

  1. Choose a spot in your garden where there's lots of light and warmth in the summer. Prepare the soil by removing stones and mix in some garden compost or manure.
  2. Make a shallow trench of 1.5cm in the soil and sow the seeds in rows about 30cm apart. Cover them with soil and water lightly. Contunue to water them regularly.
  3. Once the seedlings have grown to around 2cm, gently take them out of the ground and space them further apart. This gives them more room to grow.
  4. When the heads have grown to around 15cm they are ready to be picked. Do this by cutting the head off but leave about 3cm remaining in the ground. The stump will re-sprout.

Tomatoes

Yes, they're technically a fruit but tomatoes are ideal for beginners to grow

Although tomatoes are classed as a fruit, according to B&Q they are a great option for beginners, this is because they're relatively easy to grow making it an ideal first choice.

You'll only need a couple of plants to feed you and your family.

There are lots of different varieties to choose from including cherry tomatoes, to beefsteak ones and Black Prince. The bigger the tomato you choose the more space you'll need to grow them.

Smaller varieties like cherry tomatoes can be grown indoors using plant pots.

Follow this guide on how to grow your own from B&Q .

Method:

  1. Fill a seed tray or pot with seed compost and firm the down. Scatter the seeds across the top of the compost - but space them out to give them enough room to grow. Cover again with compost. Lightly scatter with water and place the pot somewhere with lots of light (like a windowsill) to ensure the seedlings sprout.
  2. For the next couple of weeks water them regularly until your seedlings reach a couple of centimetres in height. Once they're big enough to handle prick them out.
  3. Transferring them to a larger plant pot: using multi-purpose compost prepare some new seed trays and transfer the seedlings. Make sure to hold them by the leaves and not the stem as this part is fragile. After transferring your tomato seedlings, allow them to grow for approximately three weeks until they reach roughly 15cm.
  4. Carry on watering them regularly and use tomato feed, which will help them grow better. When the plants get to around 50cm in height place a bamboo stick in the pot to help support it. Make sure you also remove any unwanted growth, like branches or buds.

  5. When they begin to soften and become a vibrant red colour they are ready to pick and enjoy!