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ASK THE NUTRITIONIST: What are some low-maintenance veggies I can grow this spring?

In her regular column, Nonie De Long shares her list of 5 vegetables easy to grow in a patio container
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Dear readers, this week’s column comes from a question from Sherri, who wrote to ask if there are veggies she can grow on her patio this year that don’t require a lot of experience or fussing. I’m happy to say there are and we’ll look at my top five, what you’ll need, and some tips for each.

Supplies:

For container gardening you’re going to need large containers and good potting soil. You will need seed packets and a large watering can or a fine sprayer for your garden hose. You will also need sun exposure and a pair of garden gloves and pruning shears. You may also want some bamboo poles, stakes you can label, and cages or rubber coated ties for staking plants to support them. You can get most or all of these at a local dollar or hardware store. Opt for seeds that say things like heirloom, don’t need staking, container friendly, disease resistant, and ones that say they provide abundant harvests. We’ll look at the specifics below.

No. 6: Peas

Trust me when I say anybody can grow peas. And watching them tendril up around banisters and poles is also a pleasure. Children delight in picking them and they are delicious both cooked and fresh. If you get sweet peas you can pull them out of the pod to use in salads or soups and casseroles. They are unbelievably tolerant and require very little fuss. Peas are a great place to start if you only have a small space and want to enjoy a nice crop of something sweet and crisp. Get all the details here.

No. 5: Beans

Beans are similarly easy to grow, but bushier. They’re also quite prolific and it’s surprising how much you can get from a few plants! One thing you’ll notice about beans is how different they taste from the garden than they do from the store. Some varieties, like scarlett runners, are also very ornamental with beautiful flowers. These you can eat fresh or dry the beans to use much like lima beans, with a chestnut-like flavour. There are many varieties of beans you can grow on a patio or balcony, some of which are busy and some that require staking to give them support. If you’re new to growing, pick a variety that is resistant to rust. Learn more here from James Prigioni. He’s a prolific North American gardener with abundant information online.

No. 4: Peppers

Whether you like sweet or hot peppers, they are actually quite easy to grow in containers. Pepper plants typically don’t need much support, but often have a long growing season and don’t like frost, so need to be started now if you’re growing from seed and not purchasing plants from a nursery. You can start them in little pots or disposable cups you can get at a dollar store or recycle old cans like I do, but eventually they need to be transplanted to larger containers because their roots like to spread. They like good drainage and also like to be watered daily in the heat of summer, but most container plants do. Once they’re growing well you will enjoy a harvest from them all summer long. Learn all about growing peppers in containers here.

No. 3:  Kale

Kale is one of those crops that you can start sowing in early spring and keep sowing right into late summer so you have a consistent crop into the cold season. In fact, it becomes sweeter after the frost. It does well in containers but doesn’t like hot hot weather, so shelter it a bit from the sun in the hottest summer months and it will pick up after the sweltering days of summer pass. It’s also highly ornamental and you can get many different varieties. If you haven’t really grown to love kale, try chopping it and sauteeing it with a bit of sea salt, garlic, and olive oil. Yum! It also makes a super healthy chip alternative. For detailed growing directions, click here.

No. 2: Herbs

Growing herbs in pots is so easy you can even do it indoors, no expertise required! This includes thyme, oregano, rosemary, cilantro, mint, parsley, and lemon balm. They create incredible flavour in summer dishes and will take your salads to an entirely different level. They can even be frozen in ice cube trays for easy seasoning of meals next winter. Cilantro does not like full heat and will go to seed when it gets hot, but spring and fall are great times to grow it, so best to start now! To learn all about growing herbs in containers, go here and here.

No. 1: Tomatoes

Tomatoes are my absolute top veggie for containers because home grown tomatoes have so much flavour than store bought tomatoes. They’re not as simple as some of the other crops, but if you get a disease resistant variety and don’t let them dry out they will amaze you! If you’re nervous, try cherry tomatoes to start. Learn all about how to do it here.

If you’ve never tried your hand at container gardening, why not give it a go this year to make your summer dishes that much more exciting and learn something new?  It’s the perfect time to get started! Thank you to Sherri for writing in! 

Starting next week I’m running my 30 day Crash Course Keto Challenge. This is a super gentle way to try keto without all the drastic cravings and keto flu that come up when people try to do it unassisted. If you’ve ever wondered what all the rage is about and want to shed a few winter pounds, this might be just what you’re looking for! It’s a supportive, group program that gets you into keto one meal at a time. Readers can write to me for information on the program and to get their name on the list. As always, I welcome reader health and nutrition questions for the column. You can email me and can find me online. Happy Easter!

Namaste!
Nonie Nutritionista



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