There’s been a surge in people wanting to grow fruit and vegetables, but the path to self-sufficiency isn’t as easy as some may have you think, writes James Wong

By James Wong
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“Empty shelves? Grow your own fruit and veg!” promised a headline on my feed. According to another, “Thousands of families are planning to become more self-sufficient” as “millions take up the Good Life”. No garden, no problem! “Try sprouting seeds, aka microgreens, like alfalfa, broccoli, amaranth and wheatgrass on wet kitchen roll.”
Urged on by a slew of such suggestions, unprecedented demand for fruit and veg seeds (up as much as 1800 per cent year-on-year) has caused many online sellers to freeze all new orders and set up long waiting lists. As someone who has been obsessed …