As you aim to have a more organic diet, it can be difficult to keep your home stocked with essentials. From the rising costs of fresh produce to the short shelf life of fruits and vegetables, it is no surprise that people are turning their backs on the standard supermarket model and opting to use their own gardens instead.
Growing Super Foods
“I would like to see people more aware of where their food comes from.” -Anthony Bourdain
Whether you currently have a garden at home or have been dreaming about growing plants of your own, now is the time to start planting seeds to grow your own superfoods. While you won’t be able to grow everything in your home garden, there are some great plants you can easily keep at home. Read on for 12 of the easiest plants to bring to your garden.
1. Lettuce
Lettuce is incredibly simple to grow. Take any leftover lettuce and have the leaves inside a bowl that has a small amount of water at the bottom. Make sure the bowl is in a well-lit area and that the leaves are misted regularly throughout the week. In just three to four days, you; ‘ll see that roots are starting to form. At this point, place your growing head of lettuce in the soil.
2. Celery
Looking for healthy foods to grow at home? Lettuce is another great option. Cut off the base of the celery, placing it inside a small bowl with a little warm water. The celery will start to sprout if it is ket facing direct sunlight for a week. At this point, you’ll start to see the leaves of the celery thickening. Then, you can plant the celery in the soil.
3. Lemongrass
When it comes to healthy foods to grow at home, lemongrass is another winner. Take the root of any leftover lemongrass and place it inside a jar or bowl, making sure to cover it with water. Once left in the sunlight, you’ll start to see new growth in about a week.
4. Bean Sprouts
Growing bean sprouts is relatively easy. Get about a tablespoon of the sprouts you hope to grow inside a jar covered with water. Leave the jar overnight and then drain off the water in the morning. Keep the container covered with a towel and then rinse the beans again the next morning. Repeat this process until the sprouts appear and they are your ideal size.
5. Avocado
Everyone loves avocados but not everyone loves their prices.
Good thing you can easily grow avocados right out of your home garden. The next time you get your hands on an avocado seed, stick a few toothpicks in it to have it suspended over water inside a jar or bowl. Make sure the water reached the bottom of your seed and keep the jar inside a warm area away from direct sunlight. Add more water as needed.
6. Potatoes
Potatoes can be easily grown from discarded potato peelings. Be sure to use the peelings with eyes on them. Cut each peeling into two-inch pieces. Then, let them try through the night and plant them the next day in the four-inch deep soil. The eyes should be faced up as you plant them. In a few weeks, you’ll start to see the potatoes sprouting.
7. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes can be grown as simply as regular potatoes. With sweet potatoes, cut one spud in half and leave it suspended with toothpicks above a shallow container of water. In a few days, you’ll see that roots and sprouts start to appear. As the sprouts reach around four inches, you can twist them off and place the sprouts in water. Once the roots inside the container grow to an inch, you can then plant them in the soil.
8. Ginger
Ginger is always a great food to have around. Start growing your own by taking a piece of the root and planting it in the soil. Keep the buds facing up and you’ll soon see new roots and shoots in a week.
9. Pineapple
Pineapple is such a fun fruit and an easy one to grow yourself. Cut off the top of a pineapple and suspend it over water with a few toothpicks. Keep your pineapple in the light and you’ll see that the roots start to grow in a week. Once the roots are formed, you can plant the pineapple in the soil.
10. Garlic
Garlic is easy enough to keep on hand once you start growing it in your garden. Start growing garlic by pulling off one clove and planting it, keeping the roots down in the soil. Try to keep your garlic in direct sunlight. As the new shoots grow, you’ll want to cut them back so that the plant can grow a bulb. Then, you can just take the bulb and replant it.
11. Onions
When growing onions, just take the roots of and cover it lightly with soil in a sunny area. When growing green onions, you’ll want to keep the base inside a container in direct sunlight. Be sure to change the water every so often, as your onions continue to grow.
12. Pumpkins
If you can never get enough of pumpkins, now is the time to start planting them. Spread pumpkin seeds inside a sunny area and cover them with soil. In about two to four weeks, you’ll see your pumpkins have started to grow.
Cultivating a Healthy Diet
The great thing about growing your own food is that you are in total control of the whole process. Whatever foods you enjoy eating, being able to grow most of them helps to turn the art of eating into an incredibly rewarding experience.
Use this guide to help kickstart your own garden. You’ll notice that with all of these superfoods readily available, you’ll start eating and feeling healthier.
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