With the holiday season over, we are left with some extra pounds and lots of fat to burn. Some of you will be looking at your diet to try and get trim again, and those of you going this route should try growing your own veggies. The problem is that most people do not know where to start.
In fact, it’s not as difficult as you think. You could either set up a few garden beds or else use some half drums. If you are going to have beds, select an area in your back yard where you will get
at least six hours of sunlight, and then mark off the beds. Use a fork or a tiller to work through the soil until it is loose. Add potting soil and cured pen manure to this, and work it in. Water the beds. If you want you could fence off this area for your kitchen garden.
If you are planting in drums, fill up the drums and proceed in the same way.
Once you have purchased your seedlings, plant them approximately 12 inches apart. Mist lightly every day. If the sun is too strong, you may need to put some branches over the beds to shade your seedlings.
There are many vegetables you can choose from such as poi callaloo, lettuce, celery, tomatoes, bora, cabbage, pak choy, okra, sweet peppers or egg plant. You can have mixed beds or settle for your favourite veggie.
Poi callaloo, also called poi bhaji, is native to southern India and is widely grown in the tropics. The
young green or purple stems and fleshy leaves are used in a similar way to spinach.
Can you imagine going into your own kitchen garden and picking freshly grown veggies for your daily use? The taste and texture would be a plus, so here is to a healthy and productive New Year; eat healthy and grow your own veggies.
Until next week, happy gardening!
