Why buy vegetables that have traveled miles through the air when you can grow them so easily at home? by Hanna Stephenson.
Gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh recently made headlines when he claimed he avoided eating avocados due to the “huge carbon footprint” of moving avocados from farm to table in the ocean, as well as destroying tropical forests to create such. plantations.
We may not be able to grow avocados outside in this country, but there are many edible foods that will thrive in our climate and taste better if we grow them ourselves and eat them healthily. rather tasteless fruits and vegetables. out of season.
Therefore, when planting your vegetable or orchard, consider seasonality in your choices; Not only will this drastically reduce the carbon footprint of your food, it will also create an easy-to-grow base that will keep you going all year round. .
Seasonal edibles that are easy to grow and when to plant
1. Spring
Sow: Beets, broad beans, lettuce, arugula, carrots, parsnips, turnips, spinach, scallions and kale can all be planted outdoors, but if the weather is really cold, wait in the spring until the soil softens. it was a bit hot. If you want to start certain foods early, plant tomatoes indoors along with celery, greenhouse eggplant, cucumbers and peppers, courgettes and green beans.
Harvest: Forced rhubarb, broccoli sprouts, Swiss chard and winter shallots. In late spring and early summer, the first lettuces, radishes and rocket planted at the beginning of the season can be harvested.
Hit of the season: asparagus. Spears can be cut from mid-spring to early summer (late May), but this is of course a short season and May is the best time. Growing your own asparagus takes a lot of space – it’s a perennial, so once planted it will give you spears every year – but it can take up to three years to settle in your garden before you can produce a good one.
2. Summer
Sowing: Directly sow tender vegetables outdoors in June, including green and dried beans, corn, squash and squash, after the danger of frost has passed. Continue planting lettuce leaves, carrots, turnips, sweet corn, and Chinese cabbage throughout the summer. Plant the young strawberry plants in August or September so they are ready to grow next summer.
Harvest: aromatic herbs such as strawberries, rhubarb, summer raspberries, currants, gooseberries, lettuce leaves, beets, Calabrese, shallots, turnips, mint, thyme and sage. Green beans and green beans, early outdoor tomatoes, corn and pencil leeks will also be available by the end of the summer.
Favorite of the season: artichokes. These fantastic ornamental vegetables can reach up to 1.5m and look great both in a herbaceous border and in a kitchen garden.
The fist-sized flower buds contain delightful hearts, are ready for harvest in July, August and September, and are easy to grow. Collect them before they bloom, but if you run out of them they will reward you with purple “thistle” heads which are also great for drying.
3. Autumn
Sowing: Quick crops like winter onions and spinach to put in salads. Plant winter lettuce and oriental greens in a soil border under glass. Plant Purchase autumn onion sets and spring vegetables as plants.
Harvest: Continue to harvest red and dried beans in early autumn. Look for dark blackberries in shrubs, pick apples and pears to eat straight from the tree, or keep them in boxes on the newspaper and harvest sprouts, cauliflower from fall, main crop potatoes, carrots and parsnips – root vegetables can be removed as well. follows. necessary.
Seasonal hit: fall raspberry. They are very expensive in stores, but canes are relatively easy to grow if you plant them in a sunny, sheltered spot in fertile soil that retains moisture and is enriched with lots of organic matter. Plant reeds in late fall or winter when they are dormant.
4. Winter
Planting: Wintering winter salads, including outdoor peas and beans and indoor purple bok choi, but you can grow garlic, buy onions sold for planting, then get a head start for spring by pushing individual cloves outside on the tips . In January, crumble the seed potatoes to grow on the windowsill before planting them.
Harvest: Leeks, carrots, parsnips, broccoli sprouts, winter cabbage and cauliflower. Indoor vines should also be ready for harvest.
Hit of the season: Brussels sprouts. Love them or hate them, why pay more for fancy germ-covered stems at the grocery store when you can easily grow them yourself? And it is not necessary to cut the entire stem. Simply remove the shoots from under the plant when needed.
Source: Herald Scotland
Smith Charles is a talented entertainment journalist and author at The Nation View. He has a passion for all things entertainment and writes about the latest movies, TV shows, music, and celebrity news. He’s known for his in-depth interviews with actors, musicians, and other industry figures, and his ability to provide unique perspectives on the entertainment industry.