Hey guys. To keep things simple, I'll basically have a lot of free time in the coming year. I've never grown anything before, unless you count the various fungi I've discovered in my bathroom over the years. But I want a hobby; more specifically, I'd like to grow a few herbs and vegetables. I love the idea of organic eating, and just the simple thought of growing my own food makes me happy. So I'm wondering what I need to get started. Is it as simple as a few seeds and dirt? Thank-you to whoever can offer some advice to someone with no idea what they're doing.
I recommend starting small, and plant a few of the types of vegetables that you like to eat. Easy ones to start with are growing your own tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions are all easy. These can be grown in small garden plots, and even in window boxes. Do some research to find what type of plants grow best in your area, and when to plant. Go online and look up some seed catalogs, there a lot that are free to get. Seed catalogs usually also have gardening tips in them. Also, look and see if your area has a community garden. These are garden plots given free to residents who want to plant gardens. The space is provided, and water is located there, and the ground is prepared for you. This makes it easy for a beginner. Have fun! It's so exciting when your first tasty home grown food is available Have fun! It's so exciting when your first tasty home grown food is available to eat!
Honestly, I've heard that windowsill herb gardens can be pretty simple for beginners. Just make sure they get as much sun as they need (which is easily googleable) and check their water levels daily. You can pick off the herbs and toss them right into your dishes if you've got a window sill in your kitchen. And no, JOLO, the fungi in your bathroom does not count.
Are you going to be growing these vegetables and herbs indoors or out? In what part of the world will you be growing them? Where you live and your type of climate are going to have a significant impact on what you are able to grow. While some plants are easier to manage than others, what you really want is to choose your plants based on the things you actually like to eat.
Herbs are the way to go for beginners. It could be frustrating when your plants don't grow as much as you want. Herbs are easy to grow and maintain. You will be greatly encouraged by your success. Getting yourself one of those kits may be a great idea. Maybe you can expand to tomatoes, squashes etc when you feel more confident. You could also start your garden with kitchen scraps. The bottoms of onions, the stems of herbs like rosemary, basil etc, can be started in small cups of water. You will enjoy watching your plants grow.
Herbs are a good way to go, either indoors or out but I do prefer to have them inside so I can use them while cooking. I would suggest a small outdoor garden space with a couple of cherry tomatoes, a few different types of lettuce, a couple of cucumber plants, carrots and radishes. This is basically a salad garden plan and you could add what you like to have in a salad to it. It doesn't have to be too large if you only plant a few of each type. For the radishes, you may want to stagger the planting times (a few each week) then they will grow and can be harvested in a gradual manner instead of a ton of them being ready all at once. Good luck and let us know how you do!
