By Sidra Forman, Best Life chef
If you’ve ever wanted to plant your own vegetable or herb garden, now is the perfect time. There are so many reasons to grow even a little bit of your own food: It will taste better, be fresher, cost less, provide you with exercise, help the earth, connect you with nature and give you a huge sense of accomplishment.
You can plant a large garden if you have the space and time, but even if you have a small apartment, you can grow veggies. And of course, there are tons of choices as to what to plant, but we’re going to focus on herbs and lettuce. Not only can you use these with almost any meal, but the lettuce and herbs you grow will be superior to any that you can buy in the store because both benefit from being picked right before eating.
Check out these planting pointers to yield a healthy, tasty crop:
WHERE
If you’re planting outside, find a sunny spot. If you’re staying indoors, find a spot that gets sun at least six hours a day. If you have a sunny fire escape or a balcony, those are great spots.
WHEN
Many lettuces and herbs are fairly cold-hardy so there should be no danger in starting your planting immediately. In, fact most lettuces prefer spring and fall weather to the heat of summer.
HOW
You have two options for how to plant—you can use a pot (buy one at a garden center or hardware store) or make your own by using a container you may already have around the house, such as a plastic food container. Simply poke some small holes in the bottom so water can drain, but not so many that the soil will escape. Fill it with potting soil, which is available at garden centers or hardware stores.
You can also plant right in the ground remember that good soil is key to gardening success. You’ll need to add some new soil before planting. Be sure to dig up the top six to 12 inches of soil (this will help loosen compact soil), remove any large rocks or weeds. Mix compost into the existing soil at a ratio of 1 part compost to 4 parts existing soil. You can find compost, or decomposed organic matter, at garden centers or some hardware stores. It will help your plants grow and thrive. For more information about specific types of soil for your area and what you'll need, ask at your local garden store. Also, I’d recommend using an organic fertilizer—preferably one that is dry and specifically formulated for vegetables. Simply sprinkle the fertilizer on the soil right before planting. You can buy soil for in-ground planting and fertilizer at garden centers and many large hardware stores.
Lettuce Tips
Lettuce can be started from seed. I like many different varieties; you can try something you are familiar with or something new. When it comes to planting, the smaller the seed, the less soil coverage it needs. So, with tiny lettuce seeds, you merely need to evenly sprinkle them on top of the soil. Keep the soil moist but do not soggy.
It only takes seven to 10 days from the time you plant your seeds to the time that you can see little sprouts. Lettuce can be eaten when the leaves are small, approximately three weeks from planting, by cutting leaves from the head with sharp scissors. You’ll usually get another batch of leaves from the same plants if you do it this way. Otherwise, you can wait until the plants mature, and then use the big heads of lettuce. To harvest these, pull up the whole head roots and all. Discard the roots, wash the leaves and eat.
Herb Tips
Although you can grow herbs from seeds, most herbs grow slowly and it will take awhile to get from seed to harvest. I suggest buying plants from your local garden store, many hardware stores and some grocery stores. The size available will vary, so make your choices based on the space you have available and the amount of herbs you think you’ll use.
To harvest most herbs, snip off the tips with sharp scissors and use immediately. Frequent use will actually encourage more growth. Many herbs, like thyme, sage, oregano and mint, are perennials and can tolerate cold weather, which means if you plant now, you’ll have fresh herbs for most of the year. (Some die in the deep winter, but will reemerge come spring.) Basil, a versatile herb, is an annual and cannot tolerate cold weather, but it is perfect for this time of year. It will grow until the first frost.