How to Grow Your Own Food
While you probably won’t be harvesting winter wheat, most herbs, and many vegetables, can be grown at home easily with planning, ingenuity, and sunlight.
1. Assess conditions.
For ideal growth, plants should have at least five (and for fruits like tomatoes, more than five) hours of direct sunlight each day. Typically, this will be in a south-facing location in the Northern Hemisphere, but of course will depend on shade thrown by surrounding buildings and trees.
2. Gather containers and soil.
Herbs, carrots, and even some leafy greens should be started in containers with fresh (not old!) soil, fertilizer, and good drainage. Toilet paper rolls filled with soil and placed upright on a tray are an easy way to start plants from seeds. Cans with holes punched in the bottom also work well, particularly larger (28oz) cans from things like whole tomatoes. These can be placed inside on a sunny windowsill. (See below for raised beds.)
3. Choose plants.
Don’t grow anything you don’t like or won’t eat. Herbs can be grown from mail-order seeds, and even from ends/scraps of store bought produce (start those in water). Some plants are less hardy than others: you won’t be able to start tomatoes outside in April except in warm climates, while leafy greens like kale can be started outside. Seed packets will have planting instructions, and there are resources online. Most seeds should be planted in a hole made with your finger and covered loosely with soil.
4. Avoid over-watering.
Over-watering is the primary cause of home garden failure. Stick a finger two inches into the soil: If it’s dry, water. If it’s still moist, don’t.
5. Transplant.
Once established, move your plants to larger pots/containers with plenty of room below the roots for growth. Do not use pots without drain holes, and do not place pots on saucers (which will also help with mosquito control if outside).
If you have lots of outdoor space
If you’re more ambitious and have a deck, patio, or yard, you can buy (or build) raised beds and grow virtually anything (with proper light and enough soil). Keep in mind, however, that the larger the space, the more soil and tending/watering required. (And, of course, if you’re outside a city, deer, rabbits, and other pests may feast on your plants if not properly protected). In general, leafy green like kale, Swiss chard, some lettuces, cucumbers, tomatoes, most herbs (including mint, which will spread rapidly) and ground fruits like strawberries will do well with proper care and sunlight. Raised beds are heavy, so be sure there’s enough support below your growing area.
Pro Tip
Don’t get too ambitious.
While we’ve all seen an avocado seed suspended on toothpicks sprout in a glass of water, you’re not going to be making guac with home-grown avocados by July. Similarly, fruit trees can take years to reach maturity and bear fruit.