How would you like a glass of lemonade prepared with homegrown mint leaves or your favourite pasta sauce with basil from your own garden? Those days are not far away if you grow a kitchen garden in your own apartment. If you’re worried about not having sufficient space for a garden, worry no more. The best thing about kitchen garden is that it doesn’t require a lot of space! Here are 7 tips to help you grow a successful kitchen garden.
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Pick a sunny spot
Since sunlight is the main source of energy for plants, it’s essential to choose a site that receives sunlight for a major portion of the day. But different plants have different light requirements, so choose a spot based on the plant you’re growing. It’s good to reserve an area under the shade for those herbs which require more shade than If there’s insufficient space in your kitchen, you can always use the patio, balcony or even the windowsill of your kitchen, but make sure it has ample amount of sunlight reaching it.
Start out small and simple
It is always good to start by experimenting with a small garden and expand after gaining enough experience. In the beginning, pick what’s easy to grow and what grows quickly. Stick to plants that require less care and are not prone to pest infestations. Mint, lettuce, parsley, and spinach are some of the plants that take very little time to grow. If you’re looking to grow vegetables for cooking, tomatoes, eggplant, beans and cucumbers are your safest bet.
Know what to grow
This is a key point to bear in mind before setting up a kitchen garden. You need to understand the weather conditions of your apartment and choose the kind of plants that are best suited. If you live in a tropical climate with an abundance of sunlight, you should opt for plants like tomatoes, corn and bell peppers while carrots, cabbage and broccoli blossom well in a cold-weather.
Get the soil right
Getting the right kind of soil to grow your plants is one of the most important steps in the whole process. Since the plants are going to be grown in pots, it’s vital to use high-quality soil that is packed with all the essential minerals and nitrogen.
To improve the fertility of the soil, you can always use your kitchen waste as compost. Fruit scraps, vegetable peels, egg shells or used tea bags will add important nutrients to your soil.
Go vertical
Don’t let the lack of space dissuade you from setting up your own kitchen An innovative way to grow your plants is to tap into the potential of unused vertical space. You can buy pots to mount them on the wall, install rail planters or even use hanging baskets. A number of plants like pole beans, peas and gourds can grow vertically without needing too much attention.
Choose your pots wisely
The best thing about growing a kitchen garden is not just about getting an endless supply of fresh vegetables, but also the natural vibe it brings to your place. This is why it’s important to choose the right kind of pots that will accentuate the beauty of your apartment. You can even recycle objects to use as pots, making your home an eco-friendly place to live in. You could use old plastic bottles or tetra packs as an alternative to plastic pots. If you have a terrace or a balcony, you can go for square foot gardening with square boxes. Let your imagination and creativity run wild with your garden set up.
Keep rotating
Planting the same kind of crop every time will tend to deplete the nutrients from the soil so keep mixing it up. It’s advisable that you try out compatible combinations of plants. Cross-planting saves space, keeps the regular rodents at bay and makes your garden more productive. Maintaining a garden journal could be of great help to track the harvest time and to record the variety of plants grown.
Lead a healthy life by using these tips to yield organic, homegrown vegetables and herbs in your own apartment. At Lancor, we have built convenient kitchen spaces to utilise it the way you wish. Visit our website to learn more about us.