Be it a beginner or a usual consumer, growing veggies may sound easy, but it may not be, especially when you decide if your required vegetable has to be grown from a seed or a transplant. Well, seeds are cost-friendly, easy to reproduce, and offer variety. Some plants like tomatoes and eggplants can be tough on seeds, and therefore, using transplants could be a great start to your vegetable garden.
Green Leafy Vegetables
As amusing as they may seem, green leafy vegetables are essential sources of iron, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, calcium, and fiber.
Spinach
Spinach is a superfood due to its enormous benefits in regulating blood sugar levels, being chemotherapeutics, and maintaining good bone health.
Spinach is one of the fastest-growing vegetables, so you have to decide if you want to grow it indoors and then relocate it outside the house. Because it can quickly seed, you can re-seed it instead of increasing it every time. Take a pot and fill it with some moist soil. Next, place seeds into it and water daily. Spinach needs full sunlight with some partial shade and requires well-hydrated neutral pH soil.
Cabbage
Cabbage includes a variety of colors that give a lavishing look to your salad. Apart from their catchy look, they have tons of nutrients that contain fibers, folate, manganese, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
Make sure that the soil is well hydrated and contains organic matter. If not, then prepare organic beds that have compost or commercial organic mix. Sow the seed into the soil and space them about 60 cm apart for better growth. Water regularly as cabbages require abundant water. Cabbage grows best in long-cool regions where the temperature is around 44 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, so sow seeds during spring.
Potatoes
Well, there isn’t any vegetable as versatile as potato. Fries, chips, BBQ, and more! It can blend itself almost everywhere, and that is the true specialty of this underestimated vegetable. Potatoes are high in calories, fiber, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins. Being antioxidants components, they can keep the inflammatory reaction at bay and contain resistant starch, regulating blood sugar levels. Most importantly, they are excellent sources of fiber that can help you flush the unrequired waste out of your body to maintain a well-balanced gut microflora.
Potatoes quickly grow in wooden boxes, so all you need to do is build a wooden bottomless square box. Loosen the soil and place seeds into it. Make sure to set them apart for better growth. Until the potatoes grow, add more and more soil so that the wooden bed gets covered well. Also, water the soil occasionally. If you have potatoes that are beginning to sprout with bulb-like structures growing on them then, plant the potato in a roomy pot covered with soil and let it grow.
Carrots
Carrots are high in carotenoids, making them an excellent source of anti-inflammatory products. They work well to keep external factors such as foreign particles such as viruses, bacteria, smoke, and hypoxia that causes stress on our cells at bay.
You must prepare the soil well because carrots need exclusively well-designed soil for their proper unobstructed growth. You should till soil down over 10 inches, and there shouldn’t be any stone, rocks, or clumps present underneath. Remember, carrots need plenty of sunlight, so the soil has to be light, loose, and airy so that the carrots can easily grip their way down the ground. Sow some seeds with proper spacing and water the carrots frequently. The top layer of the skin can be covered with compost and should not be crusty. Carrots can be slow to germinate and take around two or three weeks to grow, so do not be in haste.
Tomatoes
Botanically a fruit but is usually prepared and eaten as a vegetable. Again, a rich source of carotenoids, particularly lycopene related to reducing cardiovascular disorders and cancer risks. Tomatoes contain lots of nutrition, including fiber, calories, sugar, fats, proteins, and carbs.
Tomatoes can be grown from transplants or seeds so if you select seedlings, give them plenty of space as crowded conditions can reduce their growth. They need solid and direct sunlight, so be wise before sowing them in any shady area. If going in for plants, then plant the tomatoes deep into well-aerated warm-temperature soil. It is also crucial to water the tomato plant regularly while the fruit is grown. If you’re growing them indoors, then provide them with some air to make their roots strong enough to hold the weight.
Brussel Sprouts
Brussels sprouts contain nutrition high in vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Apart from that, it is a rich source of fiber that will keep your gut health well. Did you know fruits and vegetables rich in fiber can help you deal with obesity?
Brussel sprouts need cold weather to grow. However, they will sprout at a higher temperature. Full sun with moist soil is ideal for Brussels sprout growth, ensuring you prepare the ground thoroughly. Sow seeds one-half-inch deep and around five inches apart. It usually takes around a week to sprout. Regular watering is highly essential for the proper growth of Brussel sprouts. They can be susceptible to worms, and therefore to keep them protected, check them regularly.
Final note!
Preparing the soil and sowing the seeds are not the only steps to a healthy growing vegetable garden. You should cater to other factors, such as adequate sunlight, water requirements, soil requirements, and pest control for better growth. Also, go the organic way and do not indulge in covering your soil with too much fertilizer or pesticides. One can come up with safer alternatives and organic approaches to deal with growing the right way. Creating compost at home is also a great way of segregating the wet waste from the dry and making good use of the leftovers.
Having your vegetable garden sounds like a perfect plan as you can freshly pick them up as and when required. Apart from all the health benefits discussed above, having your garden will keep you on your feet. It will be an excellent physical exercise to indulge yourself in for some good physical and mental health as well as self-being and self-care.
