Organic Starter Plants!
This season, grow your very own Organic Vegetables! Thanks to Jon’s Organics, this year we are selling Organic Starter Plants! Jon has started from seed a variety of cool, early summer crops such as kale, head lettuce, beets, parsley, and more! Green thumb or no, growing vegetables is not too difficult and very rewarding. These plants offer nourishment throughout the season as well as adding color and texture to your landscape. Gardening can be dirty work but the mix of physical activity, fresh air, and mental challenge can relieve stress and be relaxing. That makes these organic veggies extra healthy!

Here are a few tips for growing your Organic Starter Plants:

• All plants have been “hardened off” which means that the plants have spent some time outside acclimating to the weather, so they are ready for transplant!
• Plants can be transplanted directly into soil or in pots.
• Lettuce plants need about 12 inches to mature into a head of lettuce. OR if you choose (or have less space) to plant them closer together, they will not get overly big in size but you will be able to harvest the “baby” leaves multiple times. Just don’t harvest them all at once! Any plant needs leaves to absorb sunlight!
• Kales should be planted about 12 inches apart. With the proper space, kale can get about 2-3′ tall. One plant can be harvested multiple times; take the lower leaves first leaving the new growth at the top to mature.  Much like the lettuce, planting them closer will reduce size of plant, but you will be able to harvest smaller, more tender leaves.
• Plant transplants in full to partial sun and water regularly.
• We are also offering some plants already in pots! All pots are biodegradable and can be left as is or  directly planted in the soil! The  4″x4″ pots can be put into the ground as is. For the 2 larger pots, if transplanting into the ground, cut the bottom off before planting. This will assist the plants root development.

A large part of gardening is experimenting, trying new things until you find what works best for you and your garden. You don’t need lots of space or professional gardening equipment. Working within your means adds value to your veggies and forces you to get creative! With very little effort you can have plants growing directly out of a bag of potting soil (just cut hole through bag and plant). Planting pots aren’t necessary, you can use old yogurt containers or milk jugs cut in half. Whatever your thinking of using, if it doesn’t already have drain holes, you can either make them or just put some stones in the bottom of the container. The rocks aid in proper drainage.

So try something new this season and grow some organic vegetables! Cut out all those middlemen and know exactly where your food came from! Good Growing!

Written by CB