Why not grow your own veggies this summer?

As summer continues and food prices remain high, there is surely no better time to sustainably grow your own veggies, says Rudi Coetzee, minerals sales manager for Pratley.

“More people are also turning to home-based vegetable gardening to promote sustainability and reduce their environmental footprint,” he adds.

Home gardening reduces the need for transportation and packaging associated with store-bought vegetables, which often come from far-off places, translating into reduced carbon emissions.

Moreover, growing your own vegetables affords you control over what pesticides and chemicals you use.

For example, you can opt for organic methods, ensuring that your vegetables are free from harmful substances.

Home vegetable gardens provide a source of fresh produce, contributing to food security for your family and potentially even your community in times of need or high food prices. What’s more, gardening itself offers numerous mental and physical health benefits, from stress reduction to increased physical activity and a deeper connection to nature.

This trend not only benefits individual households, but contributes to smallscale feeding schemes for communities. However, a key factor in the success of home vegetable growth is the use of an effective and environmentally friendly growing medium.

Grolite from Pratley is a unique, naturally occurring mineral-based product that is used extensively as a horticultural growing medium and is the ideal product to get your home growing on the right track! It allows for improved fertiliser efficiency, soil quality, and water drainage, while retaining moisture in the root zone.

It therefore promotes vegetable plant growth and increases crop yields in a cost-effective, efficient manner.

Grolite captures nutrients and water molecules, resulting in a capillary action in the voids between particles for uniform distribution of water and nutrients.

“Grolite is the ideal method to increase yields for self-sustainable gardening and farming practices,” says Coetzee.

With food prices on the rise, there is no better time to get your home growing off to a good start.

Grolite is available nationwide in various grade sizes.