Grow Your Own Food
Homegrown food not only tastes better, it’s more nutritious and sustainable, too. And you can do it anywhere — even if you don’t have your own yard.
Your Impact
Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
Growing your own food creates access to fresh food, which is a key aspect of resilience. Food grown in apartments, community gardens and backyards provides an accessible, local, low cost and high quality food source that you share with neighbors — and can help you and your whole community stay resilient and healthy.
Gardening is also a great way to connect with nature. It’s rewarding to watch something bloom and grow that you nurtured with your own hands. And those fresh, just-picked-from-the-vine veggies just TASTE better!
1Step 1: Choose your space
Outdoor garden spaces: A good spot for a vegetable garden is relatively flat, with good soil that drains well. If you don’t have an ideal space to grow directly in the ground, you can also consider planter boxes where you can add good quality soil and place them almost anywhere.
Sunlight: Ideally look for a space that gets at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. If you have a large space, pay attention to the direction of the sun and shadows to learn where you get more and less sunlight. Plants that grow best in lots of full sunlight include tomatoes, squash, peppers, melons, eggplant, corn and cucumbers.
If you don’t have that much sunlight, that’s okay, too. Plenty of edible plants grow well in more shady environments. Look for spots that get two or more hours of direct sunlight a day. Root veggies like carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, kohlrabi and potatoes all do well in partial shade. Leafy vegetables like arugula, spinach, watercress, kale and lettuce are most tolerant of shade. They also have a much shorter growing season, which means you can harvest them in a shorter time after planting.
Smaller spaces: Many herbs and vegetables grow very well in pots or small planter boxes. Most herbs, lettuce, microgreens and sprouts also do well growing inside. They’ll brighten up any kitchen window, and they’re far less expensive than store-bought herbs and greens!
If you have a small yard or porch or balcony, you can make the most of it by growing plants that can climb up wires or trellises, like cherry tomatoes, peas and pole beans. Even squash, melons and cucumbers can be trained to climb upward! Vertical gardening is all about taking advantage of every inch you have as a gardener — and it’s also a smart way to be water efficient!
Community spaces: If you don’t have room at home, you can get creative with your location options! Check to see if there are any community garden spaces locally and also consider rooftops and balconies, or even public spaces like alleyways, sidewalks or the center of a roundabout. For public spaces, check with your local city offices to see if you need a permit. Gardening in limited space or city centers is a growing trend called urban gardening, and it can bring greenery and fresh bounty to even the most densely populated urban centers.
2Step 2: Choose what to grow
Herbs, fruits and veggies are just as diverse as people are. They grow at different times of the year and require different amounts of water and sunlight. Some need more care and attention, while others do well in a wide range of environments!
Know your zone: Different plants thrive in different conditions based on the climate where you live — mostly local temperature and rainfall patterns. So the best plants to grow locally and the growing season varies by region. Farmers and gardeners determine the best plants to grow and the growing season based on the “plant hardiness zone” map. You can find your location’s zone and its recommended plants and planting schedule on this planting schedule map.
Think about your time and preferences: Gardening can be an amazingly fruitful experience, but it does take time! Think about how much time you will have during the growing season (or who you can share the work and the bounty with!) The bigger you go the more time you’ll need, but also, some plants need more loving care than others. For example, bush beans and radishes will grow prolifically almost by themselves. Onions, garlic, root veggies (carrots, beets, parsnips), tubers (potatoes especially), spinach and herbs tend to be low maintenance. However, tomatoes will only thrive with ongoing care and pruning. Don't forget to plant food you love the most!
Here’s a great list of vegetable varieties for beginner gardeners:
-
Herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley dill, chives)
-
Lettuce
-
Chard, spinach or kale
-
Green beans
-
Peas
-
Radishes
-
Beets
-
Tomatoes (bush variety or cherry are easiest)
-
Summer squash (aka zucchini!)
-
Peppers
-
Carrots
Once you get started and there’s so much more you can grow! You can add fruit trees (depending on your region), delicious staples like onions, potatoes, and garlic — basically any food you can think of!
Plant from seed or not from seed? Another choice to make is whether to grow your plants from seeds or to buy seedlings. Seeds are less expensive, but will need to be started earlier in the year (some people will start them indoors and transplant outside.) With seedlings, you’re paying a little more for someone else to have started the plant. Seedlings can be a great way to get started for beginners! Either way it’s great if you can choose organic seeds or seedlings if you have a choice. Even better — buy local varieties, often called “heirloom” or native plants.
3Step 3: Get prepared and start planting!
Now that you know what you are planting and when, finalize your planting calendar, make a map, get supplies and then get planting!
Make a calendar & planting schedule
-
Are you choosing plants that start at many different times? Make a calendar to keep everything on track! Use the planting schedule from Step 2 above and also take into account your typical first and last frost date, which you can find here.
-
Why do frost dates matter? Certain hardy plants like potatoes, garlic, kale, beets and broccoli can be planted well before the last frost. For warm season crops, like tomatoes and peppers, you’ll want to wait until any danger of frost is over.
-
You may have two growing seasons where you live, check the planting schedule to learn more. If this seems complicated, start off small with a few plants and expand next season!
Make a map
Now that you have a calendar, make a map! It can be helpful to map out your garden based on seed distances, conditions, and natural pest control. Big picture principles are:
-
Plant the tallest plants (corn, vine plants, tomatoes) on the north side to minimize shading from one plant to another.
-
Map out sunlight levels on your plot and arrange the high sun to shade tolerant plants accordingly.
-
Space plants apart. A good rule of thumb is to plant seeds/seedlings at least 2 feet from others if the plant grows as a bush (peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, etc.) and at least 6 inches apart if the plant grows a single stalk (root vegetables, corn, certain herbs like cilantro, parsley, etc.). It often feels like too much space to start, but overcrowding will decrease your harvest.
Consider Companion Planting
One great option many home gardeners do is companion planting or permaculture practices where certain plants grow close to or with each other, maximizing space, deterring pests, and improving flavor and yield for your garden. Explore this comprehensive companion planting chart here.
Get Supplies
Ask your local nursery what supplies you need for your growing location and plant choices. Some common supplies:
-
Planting soil, a trowel, pruning shears and tomato cages or trellises to support vine plants.
-
For indoor, small space or balcony gardens, add pots and drainage plates to catch the water, hanging baskets and a watering can.
-
For outdoor or larger gardens add a shovel, garden hose or irrigation. Also consider raised beds and installing drip irrigation.
-
Some supplies, such as tomato cages, can be expensive depending on your area and how many you need. Never fear: You can find cheap,
-
DIY ways to support any plant with a quick online search.
-
If you use fertilizers, choose natural ones like Bone Meal and Fish Fertilizer. Skip chemical fertilizers and pesticides unless absolutely necessary! To learn what soil amendments you need, ask your local nursery for advice. You can also test your soil to learn more about your local soil type.
Plant!
Before you plant, remove any weeds and add fertilizers or other soil amendments (see below.) Then plan your first plants based on your planting schedule and map! Now it’s the hard part — being patient while they sprout into something wonderful!
4Step 4: Care for your garden!
Once you’ve planted your garden, the fun begins! Maintaining a garden is fairly easy — you’ll just want to water regularly, weed unwanted plants and prune and tend to your plants. If pests appear, you can manage them with natural remedies.
Watering:
Make sure you water your plants enough so they can maximize growth, especially in regions with high heat, but not so much that you’re drowning them. A great rule of thumb is to stick a thumb in the soil before watering. If it feels dry, that means you should water it long and well. If it is damp, you may want to wait a day to water again. Watering in the early morning or evening uses water more efficiently, and it can be a relaxing task to start or end the day. Take extra care to provide enough water when you are first starting your garden, and focus on watering your plants at the roots, not the leaves whenever possible.
Consider a drip irrigation system and timer! You can have a lush garden with just a hose and some daily watering, but you can get much more efficient with water and time by building a drip irrigation system and adding a timer. Installing a drip system is actually really easy to do. Check out the Install Efficient Irrigation action to learn more!
Weeding:
Preventing weeds from establishing means your edible plants have more room to grow and won’t be competing for nutrients. The earlier you catch an unwanted plant and pull it out, the easier it will be and the less likely it will multiply.
Natural pest control:
You may experience pests in your garden. That is a natural part of a garden. First, identify what the pest is, and learn about the best natural remedies. Here is a one-stop shop to find out what that pesky bug is on your plant and how to get rid of it. Pesticides harm bees and many other animal and insect species, pollute our waterways and even contribute to climate change. Use natural remedies whenever possible!
Trimming & tending to your plants:
Some plants require little to no maintenance, while others thrive best with ongoing care. Tomatoes, for example, should be trimmed so none of the leaves touch each other or the ground. This will prevent common leaf rot, and tells the plant to devote its energy to growing fruit instead of growing vines. Leafy greens will grow many more leaves if you harvest their bigger leaves from the bottom every one to three days. Some plants, such as okra, need to be harvested early (for taste and texture) and will fruit for months if picked regularly. When certain plants (like cilantro, spinach and root vegetables) shift their energy to seed production, their edible parts can lose flavor, minerals and texture. This is known as bolting. You can prolong it for quite some time by regularly snapping off flowers or budding seed-pods. If you “thin” out plants that are too close (especially root vegetables), you will actually see a bigger harvest in the end!
Before you plant, read up on how to best take care of your plants. If you have questions, ask your local nursery, master gardeners, neighbors or look online.
5Step 5: Harvest, prepare or share your food & protect your soil for next year!
Harvest your bounty!
Now the fun begins! For most plants, you will know when things look ready to pick and eat. Be patient and let them fully ripen on the vine.
Prepare your food to last, or share it!
One joy in home gardening is the bounty you can create with your own hands — but sometimes it’s more than you can handle! If you are picking a bowl of fresh tomatoes every day, you could think about preparing the food to last by canning, making sauces or salsa, or, if there’s simply too much, you can always give them away to friends or neighbors.
Between seasons:
The first frost of the fall will mean the end of certain vulnerable plants like tomatoes or peppers. Consider planting cover crops at the end of the growing season to help with soil health (see Step #3 above).
As a general rule, soil should be covered whenever possible. You can use the leftovers from last season or your cover crops and compost directly in your beds — just bury the plant material 6-12 inches and cover them with soil. If you don’t plant a cover crop, cover your beds with organic mulch. Raking leaves or mowing them up? Spread the leaves over the soil. This not only adds nitrogen to the soil, but it keeps the soil and its microorganisms happier and healthier. Happy gardening!