How to Sow and when it’s best to Consume them.
But you may be wondering, what is wrong with buying products that are out of season?t’s why you get all these benefits. when a product is in season. Globalization and technology have made this possible. And it has lead us to overproduction of produces, which eventually ends up as waste.
Fruits and Vegetables that are harvested in season, taste better and they even have more nutrients than the ones you force to grow in a greenhouse or the ones that stay saved in a chamber for months.
These natural products have grown at the time when is more efficient for nature. That’s why you get all these benefits.
Also, by buying in season you obtain products that are free of preservatives. Farmers use them when they want their products to last longer. For example the wax layer some apples have to stay fresh.
But you may be wondering, what is wrong in buying products that are out of season?
Environmentally, it has an impact when you plant the same thing over and over again. You are not letting the soil breathe and regenerate the nutrients. By rotating the crops farmers can let some sections of their soil to take a break.
Every product have their own needs, they depend on different climate conditions to grow. Some need colder weather, others warmer and some adapt to both. For example, these are some of all year-long products:
Fruits: Banana, Lemon, Pineapple, Date, Kiwi, Avocado.
Vegetables: Chard, Celery, Mushrooms, Leek, Beet, Carrot, Bell peppers, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Potatoes, Radish, Onion.
*But even these tend to be better in certain months.
And one last thing, by consuming in season you are making sure to only eat what’s fresh. It will last you longer and you will be reducing the chances of throwing away produce that you haven’t had the time to eat and became rotten.
If you want to know more about Seasonal Eating I recommend you reading this blog of Conscious Healthy Mama.
To make it easier for you to know when to buy these fruits and veggies, here’s a guide I made for you. You can download it and save it to take it with you when shopping.
FRUIT AND VEGGIES SEASON CALENDAR
Sowing and Planting
As a consequence of wanting to stop consuming products that are not naturally grown, I thought about starting my own urban garden. Therefore I can grow my fruits and vegetables, in my house, to have them always fresh. And it doesn’t end there, you can still plant some herbs to add a little flavor to your meals, or even plant flowers to decorate your spaces. Fun, isn’t it?
Growing your own products also requires to be planned by seasons, in order to obtain better results. If you are a beginner like me, I really recommend watching and reading many tutorials as possible. Most of the time the envelope where the seeds come from, have some instructions.
Here are three essential things you need to consider every time you start planting.
- Light/Weather
- Volume
- Seeding
- Fresh and tastier produce
- Have more nutrients — easier to digest
- Less packaging and waste
- Free of preservatives
- Better for the soil and the planet
- It’s fun! A great activity to connect with our mother earth
Hours of sunlight they need. The temperatures they hold or endure. Or if needs to be inside or outside.
Quantity of square meters it needs. This will tell you the size of the pot and the depth it needs.
Direct or seedbeds. Some seeds need to be planted in small containers before, to start with the process of germination. Every seed has a period of time to germinate, when these days have passed you can repot your plants to a bigger pot. When it’s direct seeding just make sure the pot or the planting bed will be able to fit your full-grown plant or you can even plant directly to the ground.
*I don’t recommend planting directly to the ground when you are just starting because you can’t control the soil and you don’t know what’s in it.
Watering:
A tricky aspect, either you can Overwater or Underwater. Always stay alert to signals indicating this, for example, if the plant is wilting it might need more water or less sun.
Check the soil, if it feels dry you need to water, and if it still feels damp don’t.
Always make sure the pot or the bed has great drainage, if it doesn’t you might end up with the roots rotting.
*Also, the previous calendar will be useful to know when you’ll be harvesting your produce. but it might vary a little bit depending on when you start seeding.
Now… here is a detailed guide for you to know when it’s best to start planting your fruits and vegetables.
SOWING SCHEDULE
JANUARY
Flowers
*Begonia, Geranium, Dianthus/Carnation
Fruits
*Rhubarb
Veggies/Herbs
*Potatoes, Cauliflower, Spinach, Tomato, Sweet Pepper, Garlic, Carrot, Chard, Arugula, Parsley, Onion, Beet, Radish, Leek, Lettuce
FEBRUARY
Flowers
*Begonia, Dahlia, Chrysanthemum, Lilies
Veggies / Herbs
*Asparagus, Lettuce, Basil, Tomato, Sweet Pepper, Zucchini, Carrot, Chard, Eggplant, Arugula, Parsley, Onion, Beet, Radish, Leek
MARCH
Flowers*Wild Flowers, Dahlia, Roses, Gladiolus, Lilies, Ranunculus, Snowdrops, Lavender, Chamomile Fruits*Strawberries, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, PumpkinVeggies / Herbs*Tomato, Sweet Pepper, Zucchini, Carrot, Chard, Eggplant, Arugula, Parsley, Onion, Beet, Radish, Leek, Celery, Beans, Lettuce, Spinach, Pea, Oregano
APRIL
Flowers*Herbaceous Perennials, Lilies, Hyacinths, Lavender, Chamomile, Sweet peasFruits*Strawberries, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, PumpkinVeggies / Herbs*Tomato, Sweet Pepper, Zucchini, Carrot, Chard, Eggplant, Parsley, Cucumber, Onion, Beet, Radish, Leek, Celery, Coriander, Beans, Lettuce, Spinach, Pea, Basil, Mint, Corn, Oregano
MAY
Flowers*Wallflowers, Foxgloves, Dianthus, Salvia, Lavender, ChamomileFruits*Strawberries, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, PumpkinVeggies / Herbs*Tomato, Sweet Pepper, Zucchini, Carrot, Chard, Eggplant, Parsley, Cucumber, Onion, Beet, Radish, Leek, Celery, Coriander, Cabbage, Lettuce, Spinach, Beans, Basil, Mint, Corn, Cauliflower, Chive, Oregano JUNE
Flowers
*Wallflowers, Foxgloves, Dianthus, Forget-me-not, Nasturtiums, Sunflowers, Lavender
Fruits
*Strawberries, Pumpkin
Veggies / Herbs
*Tomato, Beet, Zucchini, Carrot, Chard, Celery, Cucumber, Spinach, Broccoli, Radish, Leek, Bean, Lettuce, Cabbage, Peppermint, Mint, Cauliflower, Corn, Basil, Chicory, Turnip, Endive
JULY
Flowers*Wallflowers, Foxgloves, Dianthus, Saffron, SunflowerFruits*Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, RaspberriesVeggies / Herbs*Bean, Beet, Chicory, Carrot, Chard, Parsley, Radish, Spinach, Broccoli, Lettuce, Leek, Endive, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Turnip, Corn, Onion AUGUST
Flowers
*Pansies, Violas, Calendula, Saffron, Lavender
Veggies / Herbs
*Bean, Beet, Chicory, Carrot, Chard, Parsley, Radish, Spinach, Broccoli, Lettuce, Leek, Endive, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Turnip, Onion
SEPTEMBER
Flowers*Verbascums, Hyacinth , Chrysanthemum, Violas, California Poppies, Pansies, CalendulaVeggies / Herbs*Beans, Green peas, Carrot, Chard, Parsley, Celery, Radish, Spinach, Broccoli, Lettuce, Leek, Endive, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Turnip, Onion, Arugula
OCTOBER
Flowers*Pansies, Calendula, Tulip, WallflowersVeggies / Herbs*Beans, Green peas, Carrot, Chard, Parsley, Celery, Radish, Spinach, Garlic, Lettuce, Leek, Endive, Onion, Turnip, Beet, Arugula NOVEMBER
Flowers*Pansies, Calendula, Cyclamen, Tulip, Magnolia, ViolasFruits*RhubarbVeggies / Herbs*Carrot, Beans, Green peas, Parsley, Chard, Garlic, Radish, Spinach, Onion, Lettuce, Leek, Turnip, Celery, Beet, Asparagus
DECEMBER
Flowers*Laurentia, CyclamenFruits*RhubarbVeggies / Herbs*Carrot, Beans, Green peas, Parsley, Chard, Garlic, Radish, Spinach, Onion, Lettuce, Leek, Turnip, Celery, Beet, Tomato
We created an illustrated version of this sowing guide, so you can download it an take it with you wherever you go. It’s a calendar to help you plan your planting. And if you like our illustrations, I know you’re going to love this one.
To get it you just need to become a member and subscribe. Will leave you the info below.
*If you’re already a subscriber it will be sent to your e-mail. I hope you like it!
To recap all the benefits it has to consume and plant in seasons, we have:
I’m no expert on this matter but I do love learning about plants and ways to live more sustainably. That’s why I wanted to share with you the tips I’ve learned, so you can join me in this journey. Hope they are helpful to you, don’t be afraid to start your own urban garden you’ll see how gratifying it is.
Look at my strawberry plant, it hasn’t produced strawberries yet, but it is growing.
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