Did you receive a Grow Kit? Check out our Grow Kit Support page with a helpful video. Did you receive a Home Garden? Visit the Home Garden resource page. Benefits Include: Cost Savings Movement Mental Health & Wellbeing Beautification Community Self Resilience | Table of Contents Home Gardening Considerations Why Garden at Home Where Do You Live It can be helpful to understand how well plants grow in the area you live. The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones. *please note that these zones change as our climate changes, so be mindful that this may no longer be exactly accurate* 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map Monthly Garden Schedule By Zone Find Your Zone Nutrient Density We recommend growing the most nutrient dense foods that you can including (in order from most nutrient dense to less nutrient dense – all have LOTS of nutrients though): Watercress, Chinese cabbage, Chard, Beet green, Spinach, Leaf lettuce, Parsley, Romaine lettuce, Collard greens, Turnip greens, Mustard greens, Endive, Chives, and Kale Plant Spacing PLANT SPACING WHEN PLANTING Think of plant spacing as a circle around your plant. From where your plant is planted in all directions, nothing should be within its spacing zone. One way to visualize plant spacing is to use a ruler and string. Visualizing plant spacing activity Materials Ruler String Scissors Instructions Reference the plant spacing table below and find your plant. Don’t see your plant – feel free to look up plant spacing information for your plant online. Once you know how much space your plant needs, measure a piece of string that length Hold the piece of string in one hand next to the stem of your plant Pull the string tight – you will be able to see how much space your plant needs. Remember that it needs this much space on all sides. Plant Spacing for Grow Bags and Containers Plant Spacing Plant Spacing Plant Spacing Arugula 3-4 inches Collard Greens 5-7 inches Pepper, hot 1 plant per container Bush Beans 2-3 inches Cucumber 14-18 inches Pepper, sweet 1 plant per container Pole Beans 2-4 inches Eggplant 1 plant/ container Radish 1 plant per container Beets 2-3 inches Kale 10-15 inches Squash 1 plant per container Broccoli 12-18 inches Lettuce 4-6 inches Tomato 1 plant per container Carrots 2-3 inches Green onion 2-3 inches Tomato, cherry 1 plant per container Cabbage 12-18 inches Peas 3-4 inches Turnip 2-3 inches Swiss Chard 4-6 inches Zucchini 1 plant per container Succession Planting Succession planting is a way to harvest more fruits, vegetables, and herbs by planting different plants based on the date when they are ready to harvest. There are several ways to succession plant. Option 1: Same vegetable planted at different times Many vegetables produce less that we can harvest after their initial production. For example, lettuce will produce fewer new leaves after it produces its first larger leaves that we harvest. To use this method, plant the same vegetable every 2-4 weeks during the time in the season when it can grow. Option 2: Different vegetables planted one right after the other This option is based on the idea that some plants have very short life spans. Once they move through their life cycle you can remove them and replace them with another plant. For this method, pick a plant with a short growing season. Once it completes its life cycle replace it with a later season plant. Option 3: Same vegetable, different maturity rates Each type of vegetable has different varieties (types). The types may look slightly different and often take different lengths of time before they are ready to harvest. This method will allow you to eat different varieties of the same vegetable for a longer period of time. For this method, pick different varieties of one crop (i.e. carrots) and plant them together. Option 4: Paired vegetables in the same spot This option is based on the idea that certain fruits, vegetables, and herbs grow during different times in the growing season. For this method, plant a spring crop first and a summer crop right after or a summer crop first and a fall crop right after. Source: https://www.thespruce.com/succession-planting-1403366 Types of Gardens The size of your space and your budget will determine how much food you can grow and which way to grow makes the most sense. Container Container gardens, including grow bags like those in your Grow Your Groceries kit, are one way to grow food. Just a few bags or containers can yield a nice amount of food Containers must be food grade (i.e. restaurant buckets, grow bags) or you could ingest plastic unknowingly Can be moved as needed If you rotate crops, you can grow a variety of fruit, vegetables, and herbs in just a few containers Raised Beds Raised beds are another way to grow your own food. While they might allow you more space to grow, they require more space and cannot easily be moved Raised beds are more expensive to set up In Ground In ground gardens are one other way to grow your own food In ground gardens may allow you more space to grow but cannot be moved In Chicago and the surrounding areas, soil is often contaminated so you must get a soil test before your grow in-ground or you could be exposed to toxins Soil Testing Resources Organization Address Phone number Cost for home gardeners Stat Analysis Corporation 2242 W, Harrison, Suite 200 Chicago IL 60612 (312) 733-0551 $60.00 A&L Great Lakes Laboratory 3505 Conestoga Drive, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808 (260) 483-4759 Depends on type of tests. See costs here. The table
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WELCOME TO YOUR GROW KIT What’s Included Setting up Conduct a sunlight analysis for your space to help you decide where to place your plant. Pour soil from plastic bag into fabric grow bag. Plant seeds. Instructions for depth and spacing of planting located on back of seed packet. Water your plant. Slowly pour enough water into soil that it soaks deep enough. It will be hard to pour too much, the water will seep through the bottom. If you are growing inside: Place a plate or plastic container under your grow bag so that it does not leak water. Watering Watering https://youtu.be/Ou11H11TX_k Just like humans, plants need water to survive. Plants get water from rain or from us watering them. It’s important to think about where you will get water from to water your plants. Water sources: Your house using a watering can An outdoor hose with a spray nozzle A rain barrel – please note that it is not recommended to use collected rain water for produce plants. How much water do my plants need? Check your seed packets or research online to learn how much water your plants need. Fabric grow bags and containers dry out more quickly than raised beds. Always consider where you will get water from before establishing your garden. Watering best practices Water is a finite resource which means that we could run out of it some day. Because of this, it’s important that we conserve or use as little water as we can when watering our plants. Ideally water your plants each morning before it gets too hot (establish a daily routine) Before watering, feel the soil below the surface to see if it feels damp (stick your finger in up to the first joint). If it is still damp you don’t need to water your plants. You also don’t need to water your plants if it has just rained or is going to rain. For more guidance on specific water requirements for your plant check the seed packet or email CGF. Water your plants slowly, making sure the water doesn’t flow over the sides of the container. Stop watering once you see water flow out of the bottom of the container. Always water at the base of the plant and try to not get the leaves wet. Wet leaves attract pests and can cause diseases. Please Note: Containers will dry out more quickly than raised beds and in-ground gardens. Planting the Seeds Planting the seeds https://youtu.be/8Ur3P9_Uz2Q Direct Sowing Direct sowing means planting seeds directly in your grow bag, a container outside, or a raised bed garden. This way of planting seeds is necessary for root vegetables that grow underground like carrots, beets, onions, and potatoes. It’s also necessary for plants that don’t like to be transplanted, or moved from a smaller container where they first start growing to a larger container where they will continue to grow. To direct sow, follow the directions on the back of your seed packet. Watch a video about how and why to direct sow seeds – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xhC40u6R2Q. Broadcasting Broadcast sowing is an easy way to plant a large number of very small or small seeds. You can broadcast sow beets, carrots, herbs, lettuce, and some other greens. After your seeds sprout, you will need to thin them. Watch a video about how to broadcast seeds – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCnOa8BrpfQ Direct Sow Plants Arugula Beets Broccoli Bok choy Cabbage Carrots Chard Cilantro Collards Dill Kale Mizuna Onion Parsley Peas Purslane Radish Spinach Swiss Chard Starting Seeds Indoors Starting seeds indoors It can be helpful to start some seeds indoors so the plants have a chance to grow before you plant them outside. This increases the chance that they will survive and helps them produce more food for you. If you don’t want to start your own seeds indoors you can purchase seedlings from local nurseries. Starting seeds indoors can take some special equipment and practice, but trying is a great way to learn. Watch the videos below to learn more about starting seeds Starting Seeds – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJHiYC-Im9Y Recommended Materials – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5o6LR81o_s Common Mistakes – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6uGsTmTUks Plants that need to be started indoors: Basil Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Celery Eggplants Oregano Peppers (hot) Peppers (sweet) Rosemary Sage Sweet Potatoes Thyme Tomatoes Plants that can be directly sowed OR started indoors depending on the time of year Cucumbers: Start indoors in the spring. Plant outside in late July. Kohlrabi: Start indoors in the spring. Plant outside in early September. Lettuce: You can start indoors in the spring so your plants produce leaves that you can eat more quickly. Plant outside in mid-September. Melons (cantaloupe, watermelon): Start indoors in the spring Pumpkins: Start indoors in the spring. Plan outside in mid-June. Planting Seedlings Seedlings are small plants. They can be purchased from a nursery or you can start your own. Make sure to harden them off, which means gradually get them used to the sunlight outside. If you buy seedlings, ask if they have been hardened off. Once your seedlings have been hardened off, they are ready to be planted in your container or raised bed. See page 13 to make sure that you have the right size container for your plant. Helpful Videos Harden off seedlings – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myj9knApS0w Planting Seedlings – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg793GpJboI Instructions – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOo9ZIR2SxI Printable Instructions
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