Last updated on March 15th, 2019 at 06:33 pm
There are so many different ways to create a more substantial, simple, and fulfilled life. But, I consider growing your own food to be (absolutely and without-a-doubt!) one of the most important ways. Not only is growing your own food healthy for yourself and your family, but it is also really good for Mother Earth, too. And, the more we can personally do for Mother Earth, the better we will feel about ourselves and the life we lead. I really believe that….
In this day-and-age, we also seem to be experiencing extremely high volumes of food recalls, shortages, and alerts. All the more reason to try to become as self-sustainable as possible. Even if that means just growing some herbs in your kitchen window or on a fire escape! It doesn’t have to be intimidating or complicated, and this post is going to teach you how to make it approachable and totally realistic!
I was raised with parents who always had some sort of veggies or fruit growing in the garden, so from an early age I appreciated the simple excitement of watching my food grow and the gratification of pulling that night’s meal or side dish out of the rich soil!
Don’t get me wrong, here: my parents were far from homesteaders and certainly not self-sustainable! But, they did always have a few different food items growing in the garden year-round. And, this constant veggie garden really left an impression on me as a young child…. and luckily this impact persisted into adulthood!
When I was living in San Francisco in my twenties and all I had was a (quite shady!) fire escape, I grew lettuces, carrots, and even a shade-loving tomato variety on a plastic tray with a trellis attached to it to grow my food vertically! It was far from successful growing and harvesting, I assure you, but the interest was there and I believe it was because of that early intervention of learning to garden and be outside and grow food!
So – I would highly recommend you teach your children to do the same! And, if you don’t have kids, then treat yourself with kid-gloves and teach yourself to grow a few things!
You will only wish you’d started earlier!
Also, when you research where your spinach or your corn came from in relation to where you live….well, you might really start asking yourself some other questions about food safety and just WHY your food has to come from somewhere so darn far away!
Not only is that crazy bad for Mother Earth (hellooooo gas guzzling trucks!) but it simply isn’t necessary – especially when growing certain fruits and veggies is so darn easy!
I’ve done a lot of the research for you, dear readers. And, trust me, once you start researching not only where your local grocery store produce comes from location-wise, but also HOW it’s grown, HOW it’s processed, and just HOW much energy, effort, and resources it takes to get that produce to your local grocery store…..well, once you really educate yourself in these areas you will find yourself asking,
Just What Else Do I NOT Know About My Food?
When you grow your own food, you don’t have to worry about pondering this question! You can trust the entire process from start to finish – and the joy you will feel watching each item grow from seedling (or start!) into a full grown specimen ready to harvest really is indescribable! It’s pure bliss!!!
And let’s not forget that growing your own food and cooking with it really is one of the most basic and fundamental of all human experiences!
So – Just HOW Do I Start?
It’s super easy, friends! Start by asking yourself if you’d prefer to start by seed (less expensive) – or, by “start.”
A “start” is the wee little baby vegetable or fruit plant you see at the nursery or garden department. I prefer to grow by seed, specifically because I prefer to grow only heirloom variety’s. But, the choice is yours! Another nugget of advice? Grow what you love.
Don’t grow an entire row of kale if you don’t like kale, riiiight? You want to set yourself up for success by growing something you will actually use and cook with! Seems obvious….but you’d be amazed how many people don’t do this!
Then, you need to decide what your plants will grow in. You can use pots (choose 16 inches wide and deep at minimum) if you have a small space, or you can learn how to build your own raised beds, or grow vertically, or by hanging plants – well, your options here are really endless!
Of course, you can always just buy a pre-made option, too! You want to pick a sunny spot in order to ensure your garden survives and doesn’t get root rot or not enough light for the leaves to photosynthesize.
Once you have your seeds (which you can buy at any local nursery or garden center; I prefer this or this seed company personally) or your start(s), you also need to ensure you are using organic products to help your wee little bairns along. What I suggest you do is either research this on Pinterest, or physically go to your local nursery or garden center and ask to speak to their Master Gardener or the garden manager. This person will be full of useful information on what products to use – from soil to amendments to pest problems.
Just remember that the deeper your growing area, the better.
The roots love being able to have plenty o’ space to grow!
Remember, the soil is also super important. One thing you should familiarize yourself with is to suss out which garden zone you live in. Doing this is critical, and once you know this you can go to your local Master Gardener or garden center and inquire more about soil choices and even get your own soil tested if you already have an existing soil site.
Some gardeners use commercial fertilizer, but I would HIGHLY suggest otherwise. It is full of toxic ingredients – so you are much better off using all-natural/organic fertilizer. Who wants their freshly harvested dinner plate with a side of synthetic fertilizers? Not Me!
Better yet, use your own food scraps and create your own compost and use that to ‘feed’ your garden! Doing so means it is essentially FREE!!! #win-win
Compost is like solid gold to a garden!
And if you don’t want to build your own compost pile(s), you can always use a kitchen counter-top bin, a compost tumbler or a worm bin.
You will want to use your compost inside the hole where you will place your seed(s) or start(s), as well as using it as a side dressing or even an entire top layer to your beds. Lastly, if you aren’t going to make your own compost, you can purchase it in bags at your local nursery or garden center. Just always purchase organic! Remember — this food will eventually be going in your mouth and into your body! Make sure you are using all organic products!
The soil/compost aspect of your garden will be super critical: without good quality soil your veggie or fruit garden simply will not thrive!
Where your new little gems full o’ nutrients are placed is perhaps one of the most important elements to growing your own food. Set yourself up for success and not only should you place them in the aforementioned sunny locale, but also make sure you are feeding them occasionally with organic or non-toxic products.
You should watch your front or back (or side!) yard – basically, any areas you are considering planting on or near – and see how much sunlight it gets throughout the day. Is the sun on that plot or space in the morning? Or the afternoon? You’ll definitely need full (or at the very least) partial sun for 6-8 hours each day.
Another great option for container gardening is agricultural water troughs: they are a great size and also allow for the much-needed depth for your veggies roots! I always find these useful – even though I have custom made (a la’ hubby!) raised veggie beds, I still use these troughs for additional veg growing and I can always successfully grow an incredibly substantial harvest just from these troughs alone!
Worst case scenario, if you have no sunny areas, then choose shade loving plants! Lettuces, kale, spinach, some herbs like mint, basil and chives, carrots, radishes, beets, peas, beans, cabbage, broccoli, and even potatoes can grow in partial sun! So, research which crops do well in shady areas and go from there!
You will be absolutely amazed at how growing your own food cuts your grocery bills, too!
This still never ceases to absolutely amaze me! I save, on average, about $500 a year by growing my own food! That number will only increase as I plan on becoming about as self-sufficient (food-wise) as possible!
I always suggest, for absolute beginners, to start an herb garden. There really isn’t anything quite as satisfying as clipping herbs from your own herb garden to add to your dishes and cooking! It’s so rewarding! My personal favorite herb is Rosemary.
If you have the room and land, I definitely suggest trying to grow some fruit trees, too! Again – you best bet is to research Pinterest or ask your local Master Gardener or garden center manager which ones would grow best in your zone.
You will also want to investigate utilizing mulch into your garden once you have lil’ seedling sprouts cropping up from the earth (or, if you purchased “starts” you’ll want to mulch right away!) — mulch helps to retain moisture in the soil and keep the weeds from taking over. What’s great is after awhile it breaks down and creates organic matter straight into your soil!
As far as how much of each type of fruit or veggie to grow, I say keep it simple by thinking in terms of what you or your family members eat the most of: a larger sized veg plant, such as zucchini, will sustain a family of 4-5 easily with just one plant! But, a broccoli plant won’t – you’d want to grow a few in order to harvest a new broccoli head a week or so after you initially harvested the first one! So, you cannot always take size into account and say large plants = higher yield!
Again – focus on what you know you’ll eat, and also choose fruit or veg that are easier to grow; you want to set yourself up for success, here! Also, learn all about companion planting and crop rotation. This is super important to creating a successful harvest as well as a more pest-free garden! This book is highly recommended for starting your at-home garden! I still constantly refer to mine, and although the pages are covered in dirt and grit – it’s a gardener’s BFF!
Pests are, unfortunately, a natural aspect of gardening. But, there are many natural ways to get rid of them that doesn’t hurt your plants or the earth! I use items such as this, or this – but there are also products such as this, or this. Whatever you think will work best for you. Another advantage of using all-natural and non-toxic products in your garden is that you don’t want to harm or kill the beneficial bugs and critters that roam around your garden – the toxic stuff is bad for you, the earth, AND kills everything….not JUST the bad bugs! It eradicates the good ones, too!
Keep in mind that utilizing essential oils in my garden has actually SAVED me money – as you only need a few drops of this brand since there are no fillers or additives in their oils! *Remember – even if a bottle of essential oil says 100% pure – this brand is the only one I would trust because of their non-biased testing procedures. DON’T burn your money at the dollar store or even the local co-op; oils are so popular today that many companies are doing unethical things and basically lying on their bottles to consumers.
Educate yourself on: your zones/areas more likely pests, the diseases your particular plants are more likely to get – or, if you live in a very rural area – ways to protect your hard work from wild critters! Taking the time to educate yourself on these aspects of growing your own food IS critical to success.
Besides just eating your harvest, you can also try your hand at making your garden last longer!
One thing I love doing is drying my herbs, canning my ‘glut’ harvests (another words, foodstuffs that I know I cannot consume in time before they go bad or an overproduction of a particular fruit or veg), washing/cutting/freezing my harvest(s) for future use, and even setting out an honor-stand for neighbors or locals to enjoy!
There are countless ways to research preserving your garden – but of course the very first steps need to be:
- Â Seeds vs. Starts
- What your growing in
- Where your garden will be placed
- Educating yourself on your zone/what grows well where you live
Really, dearest readers: it IS that easy!
Don’t even get me started on all the gazillion reasons to grow your own food, because honestly I could (and would!) talk about this until I pass out! Just ask my hubby or friends…..
But, just in case you aren’t already completely convinced having at least a wee spot to grow some herbs, fruits, or veggies is a grand idea, here are just a FEW:
- You will not BELIEVE how much better home-grown food tastes….
- Better for Mother Earth
- Healthy for you and your family – you can TRUST this process of growing!
- Great exercise!
- We all know being outside is good for us – healthy for body AND mind! Talk about FREE therapy!
- You can grow endless variety’s and types of food! Especially if you support heirloom or heritage seed companies!
- ZERO toxins, baby!!! You will be personally helping Monsanto go OUT of business! YAYYYSSSSSS!!!!!!!
- Reduced risk of food contamination….
- You will be much more likely to eat ‘in-season’ – which is a great way to get a variety of colors and nutrients!
- Guarantee, here: you WILL waste less food when you’ve put in the work to grow it yo’self! Facto, friends!
- You will SAVE MONEY like you wouldn’t buhlieve!!!! Seriously – your grocery bills will diminish!
- Did I mention FREE therapy????
Well, there are JUST.A.FEW.REASONS……
Seriously, friends – ya gotta start an edible garden! And don’t just say you will, k? Really DO IT! Get your kid(s) out there with you! Educating “littles” on how food is grown and incorporating getting their teensy hands in the dirt early-on really is monumentally important to how they view the world around them, the way they portray food choices, and potentially affects the choices they make as big humans! I absolutely believe this with all my heart!
And, we ALL know good ole’ Mother Earth is counting on us to help a sister out….
So, follow the advice in this post and even if you have a teensy-tiny fire escape like I did living in San Francisco all those years ago — just get yourself to the nursery or garden center and touch, smell, and learn! You will be inspired, and the effects of gardening on your mindset are MASSIVE!
It’s one of the reasons I truly believe that growing your own food is a critical step towards leading that more fulfilling and substantial life….the mindset improvement A.L.O.N.E. is priceless!
I hope you heed this advice, my dear readers. I know it will do loads to your outlook, your health, and if nothing else your visual atmosphere!
And just remember — Mother Earth says a heartfelt THANK YOU….
Always Here,
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