Friday, October 2, 2020 by Mary Lynne Bartlett
Welcome to gardening with Baby Groot! As you know the Guardian of the Galaxy are always on the go, so today we are going to go through step by step how to begin gardening no matter where you are!
Choose your location
Community gardens around you:
- University of Waterloo Community Gardens
- Community Garden Counsil of Waterloo Region
- In your home-anywhere with lots of sunlight
- Outside-anywhere with lots of sunlight
What you'll need
- Pots and containers
- Plants don’t always like being in large pots. Find a pot that will give the plant just enough space to extend its roots. The diameter of the pot and plant leaves should be approximately the same.
- When looking for a pot consider how it will drain. Check at the bottom if it has a hole. Before adding soil, you can add rocks to build a better drainage system.
- Soil
- You can purchase soil from your local gardening store or sometimes the grocery store.
- Fertilizer
- Plants grown in containers can require more fertilizer than those grown outdoors.
- Maybe try building your own compost!
- Watering can and spray bottle
- For starter seeds, it is best to mist your plants. It will avoid over watering and possibly hurt your growing seed.
- Seeds or starter plants
- For seeds, you will need seed starting mix, starting containers and covers.
- Not everything needs to grow from seeds! Try planting potatoes in your soil!
How to grow...
Potatoes
When: plant early spring 2 to 4 weeks prior to the last frost date.
What potatoes need:
- 6-8hrs of sun, almost all day
- Light and loose soil - this can be achieved by turning your soil
- Fertiliser in the soil
Check for eyes on your potatoes. You need at least one or two eyes on your potatoes before planting them. If a potato has many eyes, cut the potato so each half has an eye and let it sit for a day before planting.
potatoes can grow in any space or container. Either a plastic bucket, a gardening pot, garden bed or straight in the ground will do! You can plant your potatoes indoors, just ensure 2.5-gallon capacity for maximum potatoes yield. Plant the potatoes with the eyes up, approximately 12 inches apart.
Basil
When: grow basil from seeds sown indoors four to eight weeks before the last frost date.
What you need if starting out with seeds:
- Basil seeds and starting container with dome
- Seed starting mix
- Spray mist
- Started pots
When adding the basil seeds into the starting mix, ensure to add a few more seeds as some won’t germinate. This will increase your odds of success! Once you’ve added your seeds, top it off with more soil and give your plants a gentle mist. Finally add a dome over your starter containers to contain humidity.
What basil needs:
- Warm temperatures and full morning sun and shade during the hottest hour of the day
- Water regularly ~ suggested in the morning
Seedlings need about 10 days to start germinating. You can now take off the dome and keep the soil moist with gentle misting. Next, when true leaves begin to show, you can transplant your little plants into starting pots. Whether you are planting basil in pots or in the ground, ensure 12 to 16 inches apart for better airflow and maximum sunlight! In addition, when planting in pots, ensure 8 inches of depth to allow strong root growth. Finally, slowly start transitioning your plants to the outdoors. You can begin by leaving your plant outside for a few hours a day.
-Kellie
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