When you live in a country like Canada where five months of winter give way to a debilitatingly hot and humid summer, it’s easy to assume that the weather is trying to kill us. So just imagine how our plants feel.
To keep them from being encased in ice as frost looms, we shuffle plants indoors for the winter, only to watch as they perish in their new ecosystem. Obviously, we need to be a bit strategic about what we plant indoors.
However, it’s not just succulents and hardier plants that thrive in urban spaces. With a combination of direct sunlight and the right amount of watering, edible plants can prosper within your apartment.
Herbs are a great place to start and will quickly yield usable dinner ingredients. Basil, thyme and sage, as well as salad greens like arugula, parsley and chives are ideal since they spring back quickly after you cut them.
One of the easiest ways to condo-garden is to regrow vegetables like scallions, lettuce or carrots from their discarded ends. Simply put the roots in water, change every day, and watch as your veg replenishes itself.
Do your research – I’ve killed countless plants because I truly believed that if the soil wasn’t dripping wet, my plants must be thirsty. By figuring out how often a plant needs watering, you can make your thumbs a little greener. Appearances are deceiving, so if in doubt, buy a moisture sensor to assess how much liquid is actually getting through.
Take things one step further by investing in a smart garden, which expertly controls how much water, oxygen and nutrients your plants are receiving.
I'm not suggesting that you can grow your entire shopping list, but with a few choice purchases and a little extra thought into repurposing waste, you can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labour.
Salad greens
Herbs like basil and mint are the obvious choices when it comes to growing your own ingredients, but there are many more options for you to try your green thumb at. Kale, lettuce and spinach can all be grown in your home garden, whether a lush backyard or a few pots on the window sill in an apartment. Salad greens differ in harvest time and maintenance, so choose carefully.
Bean sprouts
These crunchy veggies can be grown just about anywhere – all you need is the beans, a mason jar and cheesecloth. For beginners, try alfalfa or mung beans. If your living conditions are short on sunshine this is the perfect plant for you – bean sprouts actually taste better when they’re grown in the dark. Best of all, they’re ready for your bowl of soup after just three to seven days.
Avocado tree
After you’ve enjoyed your avocado toast, growing a plant from the leftover pit is relatively simple. Use toothpicks to suspend the seed over a cup of water with the fat end submerged and the top dry. Once the sprout reaches about six inches you can pot that sucker and watch it grow – and wait about fifteen years for it to fruit. Or for the impatient, buy a potted avocado tree from a nursery.
