Think you don’t have space to grow your own fruits and vegetables? Not so! You can do it by container gardening.
What you will need:
- A sunny spot indoors or out that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.
- Vegetable seeds or seedlings (small, young plants) which can be purchased using SNAP benefits (formerly known as Food Stamps). Recommended: cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, green onions
- A container that is at least 6-8 inches deep with holes punched in the bottom for drainage. A plastic bucket works well.
- Potting soil or topsoil filled to 1-2 inches from the rim (top) of the container.
- Fertilizer that can be mixed with water. Follow the directions on the package. If you use potting soil that contains fertilizer, you don’t need to add extra fertilizer.
What to do:
- Fill your bucket with enough soil.
- If using seeds, plant them one quarter inch (¼”)below soil surface.
- If using seedlings (small, young plants), make a deep hole in the soil and carefully place the plant in the hole so the roots are covered and up to the first set of leaves.
- Water each day until the water runs out the holes at the bottom of the container. Keep the soil wet like a damp sponge but not muddy. Try not to over water your plants.
- Avoid getting the water or fertilizer on the leaves of your plant.
- Pull weeds and dead or diseased plants from your container.
- Pick your veggies early and often. This will make your plants produce more.
- Tie very tall plants to a wood stake using strips of old sheets or soft string. This helps support them while they grow.
Photo Credit: “IMG_5292” by roman.petruniak / CC BY 2.0
