Why Seed Starting Can Make You Healthier and Save you Money

Growing an organic vegetable garden is a great way to introduce your family to a variety of new foods inexpensively.  We all know that eating more vegetables is going to make us healthier, but organic produce is not always affordable or available.  One way to help is by starting an organic vegetable garden from seeds.  Seed packs cost anywhere from $3.00-$5.00 and have over a hundred seeds.  Another reason to start vegetables from seed is the amazing variety available to order.  Some of my favorite vegetables to grow are Asian greens like Toy Choy (a tiny variety of Bok Choy) or Red Frills Mustard.  They can be started in early spring under row covers and will give you greens as fast as 30 days depending on the variety.   I get these seeds and other great Asian greens from West Coast Seeds.  You can also go to a seed swapping event like Seedy Saturdays/Sundays held in different locations around the province.  Toronto Botanical Gardens is hosting a Seedy Saturday this weekend, February 23, 2019 from 10am to 3pm. We also know that freshly picked produce has the most nutrients in it; so that lettuce you picked in the morning is nutritionally better than the one that has been picked a week or two ago and shipped here by truck. 

There are a few rules to follow when starting a vegetable garden:
1.  Start with things that you want to eat daily or every other day:  Lettuces, chards, kales, spinach, Asian greens and herbs grow quickly and can be picked and will regrow all season.
2.  Plant vegetables in a variety of colors to maximize your phytonutrient intake:  Dragon Carrots, Merlot Lettuce, Rainbow Kale, Purple Cherokee tomatoes and others provide a rainbow of vegetables for your plate.  Take advantage of the unusual variety of seeds available to order online and make your plate a rainbow of colors.
3.  Plant in succession:  Planting greens that will grow in spring, followed by beans, tomatoes and cucumbers that will grow in the heat of the summer, followed by fall and winter grown carrots, beets, Asian greens and kales allow you to use your garden for the majority of the year.
4. Start small and work your way up:  Don't try to plant too much in your first year and don't fret is something dies - you can always plant more seeds in its place.  Start with a small space that will be manageable based on the amount of time you have.  Once plants are established all they need is a little water and some compost mid-way through the growing season.
Make sure to enjoy the putting your hands in the dirt as being outside in nature has a calming and therapeutic effect on our bodies.  

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