Kitchen Counter Garden

Spring is days away and it’s been so cold the snow has turned into solid ice. My cat has lost his mind from not being able to go outside. To pass the time of day he has resorted to playing fish on my daughter ipad. Although I think he knows something up with this “pond” – he keeps shaking his paws thinking they are wet and but they are dry, and then there’s no smell.           As a farmer, I cannot wait for warmer weather to start digging in the soil again.  In January, I completed all my shopping for seeds, and on March 1^st, the new season began I started planting my new seedlings in trays.  The best part is my new aquaponics system is finished and I am excited to see how well the system works.  This system was designed to grow hundreds of lettuce and herbs.  In another week or so, the fish should be arriving and that will really boost the system.  (These are garlic cloves sprouting into garlic greens) While talking to a friend recently, she mentioned she couldn’t wait to start eating fresh local greens.  I suggested she start a small kitchen herb garden on her counter – it’s the fastest way to get fresh greens and in less than 10 days she can be cutting fresh greens for her salads. Start with any kind of container.  I personally like the containers our Chinese food come in.  They hold enough soil to do the job. Gently poke holes in the bottom of container.  An easy way to do it is using a board underneath the container and hammer the nail through the bottom.  For those who want a higher tech method, a drill with a small bit will work fine.  Just make sure there are enough drainage holes in the bottom so the water can drain. Moisten the potting soil prior to filling the container.  The soil should be wet enough to make a meatball size clump – but not soaking wet where there is water dripping from your hand. Sprinkle your seeds over the top of the soil and cover with plastic wrap until the seeds sprout then remove the plastic.  If the container has a lid, gently close it but don’t seal it tight.  The goal here is to keep the soil moist until your seeds sprout.  Remove the lid completely and water when soil appears dry on top. Easy Kitchen Garden Varieties: Arugula Basil Chives Garlic Greens – (need a deep container for this) just peel a few garlic cloves from the grocery store and plant. Parsley Happy Spring!