Courtesy of Independent Health’s Wellness Team
Growing your own food isn’t only a way to save money; it’s a way to improve your health and wellbeing. Gardening encourages mindfulness, reduces stress, requires physical activity and supports healthier eating habits. Summer is closer than we think, so now is the perfect time to start cultivating a little wellness right at home by beginning your indoor garden.
Below are some key steps to follow:
- Pick your Plants! Tomatoes, herbs, carrots, radishes, and spinach are excellent choices for starting indoors. Choose the vegetables you and your family enjoy eating. You can buy seeds and seedlings at most grocery stores and garden centers.
- Choose a container. Use ready-to-fill seed trays or ceramic pots. Or, try something more budget-friendly, like small paper cups or cardboard egg cartons. Make sure it has holes in the bottom to allow for drainage. Also, don’t use containers that have been treated with chemicals.
- Prepare your potting mix. For the best results, use “seed-starting mix” soil that’s very fine and allows roots to grow and spread easily. An all-purpose potting soil mix could also work well for most seedlings.
- Create your grow environment. Choose an area that has sunlight for at least 12 hours per day. Artificial light, like a shop light or special grow light, is more consistent and can be fixed 3-4 inches above the seedling container to ensure your plants grow, even on cloudy days.
- Keep them warm. Most plants flourish in temperatures between 75–85°F. If needed, you can purchase warming mats made for heating pots to help regulate the temperature. Avoid spaces that have cold temperatures like a garage, outdoor shed or attic, which could kill the sensitive seedlings.
- Water regularly since seedlings thrive in evenly moist soil. Set reminders for yourself daily to check the soil status. Avoid overwatering to avoid mold growth..
- Transplant outdoors after the last frost of the season. As the weather begins to get warmer, prepare your outdoor bed by working the soil over and adding some compost into it. Refer to the seed packets to determine how far apart to plant them, how much sun they require and how deep to plant them in the ground.
There’s a wonderful satisfaction watching seedlings grow into delicious vegetables. With regular maintenance, your homegrown veggies will be ready to eat come summertime!
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