Plant It for the Planet with TRUE Model Management
Happy Earth Day!
In honor of giving back to the environment, the TRUE team gathered for a group planting project! We planted some of favorite perennials in mugs and mason jars, which don’t only make for super cute decorations, but are the perfect size to hold small flower plants.
Another great option is to plant some garden veggies, which you can harvest and incorporate into your cooking, later this summer! Whether you’re in an apartment or have a house with a large backyard, the following vegetables are great for beginner gardeners. Don’t feel intimidated – these are easy to grow and you’ll be able to have your own organics for a fraction of the price!
Basil
Basil is a great herb to flavor foods with and keep pesticides at bay in your garden. Once the weather gets warmer and there is no possibility of frost anymore, plant basil with its roots into the soil. You can either buy a small plant at a nursery, or make a start by cutting off a center shoot from a basil plant and placing it into a glass of water until it develops roots. Then, the basil can be planted into the soil.
Peas
Peas are a great source of vitamin K, B1, and C, and is rich in fiber and zinc. Peas are great crops to grow in March up to May, as they are a cold-weather plant that grows and flowers in early spring. Pods from this plant can be picked when tender and still young and only take about 50 days to harvest.
Peppers
Peppers are great vegetables to grow once the weather becomes warm, as they are heat-loving. Peppers such as cayenne pepper starts, banana pepper starts, and jalapeño pepper starts can be purchased from a nursery and planted into the ground. You can also purchase seeds and plant them into a pot. In about 8 weeks, once the pepper starts are big enough, they can be transplanted into the garden soil outdoors.
Broccoli
Broccoli tolerates cool climates, and therefore is good to grow for those of us spending the spring in the North East, where the warm weather does not truly begin until mid-May. Broccoli can grow in full sun and in partial shade, but needs soil that’s rich in Nitrogen, or requires fertilizer. To grow in the spring, plant seeds indoors until about 5 inches tall. Then, transfer into the soil outside. When the first broccoli crown forms, cut it off with a sharp knife for harvesting. You should continue to do this each time a new crown forms.
Cucumbers
As a very prolific plant, cucumbers are great for those of us who can only spare a small piece of land. Plant seeds into the ground. Once the plant begins to grow you will need to trellis them. Cucumbers take about 50 days to harvest. Cucumbers are rich in magnesium and potassium and flush toxins out of the body. In addition, cucumbers have a rich water and fiber content, which promotes healthy digestion.
Lettuce
Fresh, supple lettuce tastes amazing in various kitchen recipes as well as on lunch sandwiches. Grow your own lettuce by purchasing small lettuce plants at a nursery and place in a container at various time intervals – the various plants need room to grow and should be harvested when a you can feel a firm center (or heart) of the lettuce. The plant should be watered in the morning as frequently as needed to keep the soil moist at all times.
Carrots
Purchase short-rooted carrot seeds and place single seeds in a container about 1cm deep and 3cm apart from each other. The carrots do not need to be watered frequently and tolerate the heat well but the soil should be kept damp if any of the foliage starts to wilt. Carrots will be ready to harvest about 3 months after planting.
Spinach
Spinach should be planted in rich compost soil. Whether in a garden or in a pot, spinach should be kept in a light shade and watered frequently. If not watered frequently enough, the spinach will taste bitter. Seeds will grow and be ready to harvest when leaves are large and mature.
