New reports show fruit and vegetable prices rose 3.6 percent in July, with lettuce up a whopping 32.4 percent on the previous month. Instead of swapping fresh for frozen, or going without altogether, Awapuni gardening guru, Tod Palenski, recommends Kiwis get back into growing their own.

"Most of us will remember their grandparents growing their own vegetables. It's time to take a leaf out of their book and get planting. It's easy, fun and rewarding and, if food prices keep climbing, you could save a small fortune."

September is a great time to get started to ensure you're getting your five-plus a day by summer. Tod's advice is to start small.

"You don't have to have a quarter acre section to grow great vegetables. Just pick a spot that gets plenty of sun and is clear of large trees so you're not fighting with their roots. If you don't have a garden, use large pots or build a timber raised bed."

Tod says the thing most people overlook when starting out is the quality of their soil.

"Soil pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a soil is. Vegetables prefer a slightly acid soil, with pH values between 5.5 and 6.8. The easiest way to find out whether you need to add more acid or alkaline is to grab a testing kit from a garden centre and check the pH levels."

Tod says the wet winter we've had will probably mean the soil is too acidic.

"Chances are you'll need to add lime to your soil, so dig in some mushroom compost or add organic lime."

You can also make your own compost by collecting scraps in the kitchen, like vegetable peelings and egg shells.

"You'll be amazed at how fast your compost pile grows. It's a great way to cut down on waste."

With your soil rich and ready, it's time to decide what to grow. In most cases this is determined by the time of year. The start of spring is perfect for planting seedlings of silverbeet, lettuce, radish, spring onions, carrot, cabbage, herbs and beetroot.

"If you want a bit of variety, pick up a mixed pack at the supermarket, like Awapuni's mixed vegetables selection of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. They're in the Pop'n'Grow range, which means each seedling has its own individual root system. This makes them easier to plant and less likely to get damaged."

Awapuni also has a Pop'n'Grow lettuce hearting mix. With a mixture of hearting, buttercrunch, red and cos lettuce, it's perfect for salads and sandwiches.

"Lettuces take six to eight weeks to grow, but you can make sure you've got a continuous supply for your summer salads by planting more every couple of weeks."

Tod says even absolute beginners should give potatoes a try.

"Choose seed potatoes with a shoot of at least an inch and make sure you continue to mound the soil up over the potatoes as they grow. They're really easy and there's nothing quite like the taste of freshly-dug potatoes for dinner."

When the weather warms up and there is no danger of frost, you can plant a range of salad vegetables, including cucumber, capsicum, zucchini and tomatoes.

"Traditionally, tomatoes are planted at labour weekend, because there's less chance of the cold weather killing them off. Choose a tasty variety, like Awapuni's money maker they're full of flavour and great in salads."

Whatever you decide to grow this spring, success is more certain if you can keep water in and weeds away.

"Pea straw is the perfect mulch," says Tod. "It holds in the moisture, which means you don't have to water your garden as often, and it stops weeds from growing. Pile it up around your seedlings and when you've harvested them, dig it into your soil, it's great for adding nitrogen."

As well as saving you money at the supermarket, gardening is a great family activity, so make sure you get the kids involved.

"It will teach them where there food comes from and you'll be surprised at how much keener they are to eat greens when they've grown them in their own garden."