Recycled Garden: Foods You Can Grow from Kitchen Scraps

Healthy food that we eat the most is usually expensive, yet ironically, it is food that is so simple to grow. Instead of going to grocery shop to buy veggies from who knows where and treated with who knows what, wouldn’t it be better to pick some fresh celery and tomatoes right from your balcony? Not to mention the numerous possibilities if you happen to have a backyard. Even those who live in a small apartment can grow some of the lovely herbs that will spice up any meal. Good will is all you need to start growing vegetables from scraps

Tomatoes

Next time you enjoy eating a juicy tomato, remember to save seeds, wash them and dry them well. Plant seeds in the seeds starting trays and make sure to plant them in a potting mix. Water the soil and keep it in a warm place until you notice any growth. If you plan to move the plants outdoors, make sure the seeds are few inches high. You can grow tomato indoors too, as long as you provide enough sun and space for the plants.

Peppers

Any leftover seeds from peppers will do the trick if you plant them properly. Germinating pepper seeds may seem challenging, but once they sprout, consider it done since peppers are easy maintenance plants. Plant the seeds in potting soil and make sure to expose them to direct sunlight. If it is a warm season, you can move them and plant them in the garden. Peppers grow relatively fast, so you can expect the first crop in about three months.

Garlic

Garlic is easy to grow, even for those without any gardening experience. Put the cloves in the soil (flat end down) and make sure they are at least two inches deep. You can use regular garlic from the grocery shop, but try to find and grow organic garlic. If you plan to grow garlic indoors, keep in mind that garlic requires at least six hours a day of direct sunlight. Once you take notice of new shoots, cut them and in about eight to ten months, the plant will produce bulbs.

Celery

For starting to grow celery, all you need is a bowl of water where you will lay the bottom side of the celery. After a week of direct sunlight, you will notice growing leaves at the base which is when you plant the celery in the soil. Celery likes moist ground and moderate temperatures (between 15-21°C). Use water sprayer to water the soil thoroughly and water it regularly to keep the soil moist. Harvest celery when about eight inches tall.

Lettuce

When making a salad, pick a few leaves and place them in a bowl with some water on the bottom. Same goes for cabbage or Bok Choy. Keep it in a sunny spot and make sure leaves are wet. In about three to four days you will be able to notice new roots, which is the perfect time to plant lettuce in the soil. This veggie is easy to grow indoors since lettuce grows well at room temperature, although it does require a lot of direct sunlight. Water regularly and in about 4 – 6 weeks you will be able to harvest

Ginger

Choose a firm ginger root with tight skin and few eye buds on it. Place the root in a bowl with warm water and let it soak for the night. After that, place the root in the pot filled with soil. Before you completely cover the roots in soil, make sure the eye buds are facing upwards. Ginger requires warm temperature, plenty of water and some shade. New shoots will appear in about three weeks after planting, but ginger will be ready for harvest in about four months after that.

In conclusion: does it worth growing vegetables from scraps?

Growing your food is a money saving option that will put tasteful and healthy veggies on your table. No more running to the grocery shops or paying extra cash for organic produces, since all you need is right here. Needless to mention, it is a responsible and eco-friendly act of reducing your carbon footprint. In short, it is a win-win situation.

Advantages Of Prepping Your Garden This Fall

It feels like just the other day I was relaxing in the sun with my shades on while breathing in the smell of fresh flowers as the wind blew by. Now it’s officially fall and there’s no looking back. With every turn of a season comes preparation for the following to make sure everything surrounding your lawn and garden are in good shape.

There are many advantages to preparing and renovating your garden for fall. The arrival of cooler weather in the coming months is the perfect time to tackle prepping your garden. Cool weather is optimum for yard work and the growth of cool season plants. The cool weather also helps dry out any seeded areas, which leads to better germination in your plants. Take advantage of cutting back any stems and collecting dead foliage to produce an organic soil conditioner for your garden. It will appear daunting at first, but most of the prep of putting your garden to bed is mostly a matter of cleaning up the bed and covering up those plants that need protecting from the colder elements. The last of it will be revamping or repairing the garden bed itself. To make the job of prepping your garden for fall easier, you should consider renting the garden tools and equipment you’d need.

Prepping your garden will only need to be done once a season so there’s no need to own all the tools. Buying tools is expensive and comes with long-term maintenance of the tools themselves. If you don’t know already, cleaning garden equipment and any other tools can sometimes be a nightmare. Renting is important especially if you’re considering renovating your entire garden bed. Many gardeners should take advantage of the cooler weather to build a cold frame, dig and box in raised beds, and make general repairs if needed. This is the idea time of the year because you won’t kill yourself working in the heat and the plants and soil are easier to work with. For all these changes to your garden you’re going to need shovels, power tools to cut the wood or stone, and a trailer to help move the new plants, soil, and other relevant pieces of equipment. Sell my home in Saint Petersburg.

All of this doesn’t come cheap, so rent what you need to prep your garden so that your winter is manageable and so your spring gets a head start. Don’t be afraid to put in a little extra effort this season to increase your advantages in the winter and spring. With a little hard work and some creativity you will reap all of the rewards come springtime. All it takes is a visit to your local hardware rental store to grab the right equipment and the advantages of prepping your garden will be endless.