How to Easily Grow Organic Superfoods at Home Without a Garden

A special report by Nate Lemmon and Backyard-Ideas.org

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Copyright 2012 by Backyard-Ideas.org. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

Introduction: What This Special Book Is and Why You Should Read It

Hi, this is Nate Lemmon.

What you’ll find in this short book is the exact information you need to know to start growing healthy, delicious, and organic superfoods at home, even without a garden.

The fact is, most gardening books make the process way too complicated, and they include way too much information on all kinds of plants that you either don’t care about or are too hard to take care of.

Notice #1: This Isn’t the Most comprehensive Gardening Book that Exists... Not Even Close

What I’ve done in this book is chosen the most healthy superfoods that are the easiest to grow, even if you can’t take care of a goldfish.

I made this book short for a reason: I want to take away every excuse you have for not growing your own organic superfoods.

Notice #2: If You Haven’t Added Superfoods to Your Daily Diet Yet, You Need to Start ASAP!

(this book will get you started)

People are getting so unhealthy and our regular diet is so atrocious that we should all at least be eating some nutrient-packed superfoods each day.

When you can step out onto your deck or walk to your windowsill and pick some organic vegetables or greens, it becomes easy to start eating healthier... not only because it’s so convenient, but also because home-grown food is a completely different experience than produce you buy at the store.

Here are a few of the things you’ll learn in this book:

Why organic gardening is actually much easier in small spaces using containers

The pros and cons of starting from seed versus seedlings

The best source for true organic seeds

The most effective methods for germinating your seeds

A simple trick to make your seedlings resilient and strong

How to make your own planters at home, and what requirements they need to have

Several container repurposing ideas so you don’t have to buy new containers

The difference between regular houseplant soil and soil for organic container gardening

The best place to find the cheapest and most effective compost

The different types of organic fertilizers and what each type is best for

Sunlight requirements

The best type of day to plant on, and what to do if the weather isn’t ideal

The best material to use to aid in soil drainage

The exact container size, spacing, planting depth, and other growing requirements for each specific superfood

A simple trick to keep the majority of pest away without using chemicals or pesticides

The type of flower to put next to your greens that will prevent larvae from eating your greens

The plant that is catnip for caterpillars, which will keep them busy instead of them eating your vegetables

A simple trick to know exactly when your veggies are ready to harvest

The telltale signs of different greens when they’re ripe, and what to watch out for

If you enjoy this book- which you will- please take a few minutes when you’re finished to return to the Amazon.com page for this book and leave a review. Reviews are what drive sales on the Kindle store.

You can go directly there through this link:

http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Superfoods-Without-Backyard-Ideas-org-ebook/dp/B008LQ9BXW

OR, just go to Amazon.com and search “grow organic superfoods” and this book will come up.

Thank you so much! Enjoy the book.

Table of Contents

Introduction

What are Superfoods and Why Should You Grow Them Organically?

The Basics of Organic Container Gardening

Seeds: Where to Get Them and How to Get Started

Containers: What to Look for and How to Use Them

Preparing Your Soil, Compost, and Mix

Using Water and Organic Fertilizers

Sunlight Guidelines

Container Gardening Practices and Instructions

Preparing to Plant

Basic Container Planting Instructions

Planting Depths and Spacing

Planting Tomatoes

Planting Kale, Spinach, and Collard Greens

Planting Beets

Planting Cucumbers

Planting Peppers

The Keys to Successful Organic Container Gardening

Harvesting the Fruits of Your Labors

Harvesting Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Peppers

Harvesting Beets

Harvesting Kale

Harvesting Spinach

Harvesting Collard Greens

Getting the Most Out of Your Harvest

The Many Benefits of Growing Your Own Organic Superfoods

Introduction

Organically growing your own vegetables can provide a number of benefits to your health including total control of their contents. If you are the one growing them, you know exactly what is – or more importantly, what isn’t – being sprayed on them, how they are being treated, and how long they have been on the shelf.

If you can literally walk to your backyard and return with enough vegetables, picked directly from the vine, to comprise an entire meal, you know you are getting the most nutrients that vegetable has to offer, without the additives, waxes, long truck rides, or refrigerated treatments in between.

What’s grown from concern for the environment and our overall health, more and more people are harvesting their own foods, which is a perfect way to add a healthy element to your entire home. It is also a sure fire way to insure what goes into your body is healthy, without having to consult a label.

In addition to the overall health benefits, gardening is cathartic, and provides some of the best stress relief available, all for the minimal price it costs to go settle on your hands and knees in the yard, while sliding on gardening gloves.

Everything about the organic gardening process is beneficial, and with the addition of planting and growing superfoods, the benefits swell beyond comparison to the standard gardened items.

What’s more, a number of these divine treats, with incomparable health advantages, can be grown in and around your home in containers, which is great news for apartment dwellers, people who live in condominiums and even those who rent their homes. When space is at a premium, organic container gardening can help anyone – even those who have run out of traditional gardening space – cultivate superfoods effortlessly.

What are Superfoods & Why Should You Grow Them Organically?

Although the term “Superfood” is certainly seems faddish and buzz worthy these days, with mentions everywhere from morning talk shows to cooking programs, the fact is it has held its place in history for quite some time. The Oxford English Dictionary has included citations for the same chic expression since 1915, and its meaning has held forth since: “A food considered especially nutritious or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being.”

In standard gardening terms, those superfood vegetables include tomatoes, kale, spinach, collard greens, beets, cucumbers and peppers. Of course there are a number of others, including avocado, black beans and blueberries, but our primary focus is to expand gardens in and around the home to include the growth of superfoods in containers, so everyone can reap their benefits, whether they have a small yard, or simply a patio or rooftop to produce the delights from.

Growing superfoods will not only allow you to become the talk of your neighborhood dinner parties, thanks to the fresh and delicious displays of food you are serving, but they will also provide healthy alternatives for you and your family to enjoy.

Superfoods are chock full of antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients, most of which are hard to find through any other foods that are readily available, which is why people settle for supplements instead of the real thing. However, when these superfoods are grown organically there is absolutely nothing standing in the way of those healthful advantages from entering your body, and kicking out the uglier components that provide zero improvement to your well-being.

Although these foods are super, they certainly are not magic, so before using their super powers to replace any vitamins or supplements specified by a physician, check with him or her first.

Adding more through the consumption of these foods will not hurt your diet or your health, but this guide is intended to serve as an addition to healthy lifestyles, not a replacement component.

The Basics of Organic Container Gardening

Organic gardening is based on growing vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers without the use of chemical pesticides or harmful fertilizers. With potted plants it’s a little easier to provide this hearty growth opportunity, especially if you are using a balcony, roof or sunroom to grow vegetables.

Inside, naturally, there will be very little – if any – insects destroying your plants. Balconies, roofs, porches and yards will all still have their share of intruders, but they are a little easier to control than larger, plotted gardens that have to contend with squirrels, chipmunks and birds day and night.

First things first, organic gardening in containers will call for several components to be collected before you even start the process. Insuring you have everything you need before you begin the actual gardening stage will help streamline the process.

Seeds: Where to Get Them and How to Get Started

Organic gardening allows you – the gardener, and later the consumer – to be in control of the entire process, insuring that the beautiful bounty from your container garden is completely chemical free. This method can only begin with seeds, which means you’ll have to work your green thumb from the inception of the gardens, which is even more fun than picking up seedlings from your local market.

Purchase your seeds from an organic gardener, instead of big box retailers. A lot of gardeners are looking for quick results, and the larger outlets provide them with that opportunity through genetically altered seeds.

That is not to say that all larger outlets lack the ability to carry organic seeds, but you may have to weed through the others to get to them. Check local greenhouses and gardening shops in your community for organic seeds, and talk with others at these establishments about their organic gardening methods.

It is great to hear how others develop their gardens, and people with a passion for organically grown foods are typically not shy about describing their experiences – good and bad.

Another great place to find organic seeds is at farmer’s markets. These venues cater to gardeners with a wealth of knowledge in planting and harvesting organically, so don’t be afraid to mix it up with the gardening community.

Check your local newspaper or online forums for dates and times, so you will be ready for the next occasion. Organic seeds can also be purchased online, but buying locally is certainly a better practice, especially in this arena, and will give you a chance to enjoy the company of others who do the same.

Once you have purchased the seeds, you will need to germinate them in smaller containers, using a separate one for each vegetable, before transferring them to the larger container that they will fully develop in.

Purchasing small, window sill-style pots is a great way to insure uniformity in your kitchen, but do not be afraid to step outside of the box, so to speak, and use mugs, decorative bowls or anything that you will certainly use again after the germination process is complete. If you can repurpose the items in your home to grow your seedlings, it will provide a creative bounce to the project, and will certainly become a conversation piece for visitors.

Be sure to label each seeded container properly, so you know exactly how to plant them once they have developed into seedlings.

A smart idea we encountered was to plant the seeds in different styles of containers, one in a coffee mug, one in a water glass, one in a gravy boat, and one in an old vase, while transferring their contents to a sheet of paper that read the style of the container and its contents. We then hung the piece of paper on the refrigerator until it was time to transfer them into their final growing containers.

This ensured two things:

1) That we would never have to keep track of small identifying tags again and 2) That we could place the seedlings around our house as decorative pieces as they grew.

Although each of the superfood’s seeds we are recommending for container growth will germinate in their own time, as some are stubborn and some are fast, the standard timing for each vegetable’s seed germination will vary.

The rule of thumb is that when it is approximately six to ten inches tall, it can be transferred. Those heights depend on how deep the seedlings will need to be planted, which is revealed below in the instructions segment of the book.

Once the seedlings germinate, and are making their way to the ideal size of transplantation, slowly start exposing them to the outdoors, as you will want to begin sowing them completely inside your home. They will need to get used to the elements and the sunlight gradually, so take it slow.

Do not take them outside and leave them to sit out in the sun a couple of days prior to transplanting them. Be careful with your seedlings, giving them a designated amount of time outside each day, for approximately two weeks prior to making the transition to the containers. This process is called “hardening” and will only help your seedlings become more resilient, insuring your garden grows with success.

If your patience does not allow for seed germination, and you are more of a plant it and grow it sort of person, there are organic seed varieties that can be planted directly into warm soil that is already in their maturing containers.

Please talk with the person or retailer you purchase the seeds from to insure their variety before planting them directly into soil. When seeds fail, people tend to get turned off by the gardening experience, which lessens their organic cultivating benefits going forward.

Germinating the seeds first will help eliminate frustration from the onset of the process, so you will know that they are already growing before you transfer them as seedlings into their larger containers. It simply provides peace of mind, and gives your garden a better chance of survival from the elements in the long run.

Containers: What to Look for and How to Use Them

Consider the space you are designating for an organic vegetable garden, while remembering that although the seedlings are small, they are going to get much, much bigger! The larger the container the better, as it will give the vegetables room to grow and spread, maximizing their output.

As with the seeds, you can purchase large planters if you would like, but if you have items around the home that can be repurposed for planting and growing, use them!

The containers simply need to be able to hold the plants and soil, and must have a drainage mechanism. The latter is very important otherwise you will drown your plants. Unlike the seeds, planting in large bowls, unless they have a hole in the bottom, is not a great idea.

If you are willing to part with a large bowl, in an effort to make it useful, you can drill a hole into the bottom of it, and it will immediately be transformed into a planting container. Although, it would have to be a pretty large bowl to produce a properly growing vegetable, but this idea would be perfect for herbs or spices.

A great example is transforming baskets of all sizes into planters. If you are using your deck, porch, rooftop or patio for gardening, baskets are a great way to add creativity to the process. Simply line the bottom with newspaper to avoid soil spillage before adding the necessary components.

This process will still allow water to escape, but will provide a protective barrier so the plant itself stays in place. The largest concern in container gardening is overcrowding, so using smaller baskets may not be the best tactic.

Your containers should provide plenty of room for healthy root growth, which will allow the plants to flourish above the soil. Simply put, if you look at a container and think it’s too small, it probably is, and you should move on to something bigger.

Other repurposing ideas are building containers using wood planks, or recycled wooden crates. Old tires, five gallon buckets, and even plastic storage containers will work beautifully as well!

When considering these options, avoid treated lumber, or containers that will crack and fall apart under extreme temperatures.

Again, with all of these options, it is very important that they are well ventilated so the water can escape, insuring your plants do not drown.

Keep in mind that wherever you place these containers, they will AND SHOULD leak water. This water is going to contain compost, mix or soil that can stain an area rather easily, so protect your property, and that of those around you, by picking a space that cannot be harmed by the containers output.

If you are renting, use common sense when it comes to where to place the container, so no obvious damage remains when your lease it up.

Soil, Compost & Mix

Container gardening soil is going to be very different than the soil you would use for ordinary house plants. If you are able to compost your own soil, this will not be an issue, but most people who garden in containers do so because of space constraints, which means they would not have a place to compost to begin with.

This is not always the case, but if it is, here are a few tips on soils:

Avoid garden soils you would buy at a nursery. They will hold entirely too much water.

Look for organic soil-less mixes. You can find a number of varieties anywhere plants are sold, and the name brand is completely up to you. This mix creates a nutritional hold, while allowing for excellent drainage.

Buy compost where it is available. There are commercial composts available, but they may be harder to find depending on your geographical location.

This is a great time to revisit your farmer’s markets, where practically everyone in attendance will have a source for compost.

You may have to travel to someone’s home, farm, nursery or garden to purchase it, so think ahead about how you will transport the compost back to your gardening area.

Water & Organic Fertilizers

Many people believe that the point of organic gardening is to avoid the use of fertilizers altogether, but that simply is not true. The point is to avoid harmful fertilizers that damage the environment and the plants and vegetables they are administered to.

There are a number of organic fertilizers including fish fertilizer, liquid sea kelp, and compost teas that can be added to water, doubling its duty as moisture and fertilizer.

It is important to wait a full ten days after transplanting the seedlings to fertilize them. Although everything inside of you will want you to fertilize these delicate plants immediately, the wait is imperative to their success. After the ten day period new roots will emerge from the seedlings, and their optimal growing stage will begin. This stage creates the perfect conditions for fertilization.

If you subscribe to the ideology that fertilizer is not a necessary component of gardening, you are certainly free to forgo any fertilization techniques altogether. Your results may prove just as fruitful without the addition, and the practice is completely up to each individual gardener. 

Wherever your container garden is, be sure that water is readily available, as the plants are going to require more and more of it as they grow.

Vegetable plants do not have the luxury of living through dry soil, so they will need a considerable amount of water as they continue to mature. This detail will become incredibly important if you are gardening on a rooftop, so plan accordingly.

This location provides the perfect opportunity to use rain catchers, which are simply receptacles that will preserve the rain within until you are able to use them, instead of traipsing up and down stairs, bucket by bucket.

Sunlight

Your container gardens are going to require a minimum of five hours of sunlight per day. This is a very important component when gardening, so plan accordingly.

Before you get started, monitor the area you where you plan to set up your containers to insure it receives an ample amount of sunlight to help your garden grow to its maximum potential.

If the area is only receiving one or two hours of sunlight per day, you will want to find a different area.

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Organic Container Gardening: Practices & Instructions

Now that you have transformed your seeds to seedlings, and have a bunch of fun, roomy containers, with your compost or mix at the ready, it is time to put your container garden together!

Getting Prepared to Plant

Aside from the obvious instruction that you should not plant your garden in the middle of winter, there are a few tips to prepare for planting successfully:

              Wait until after the final freeze of the season.

              Plant on an overcast day, or at the very least in the evening so the seedlings you have worked so hard to germinate are not baking in the sun. If you are planting in the full sun, keep the seedlings in the shade until it is their turn to be planted.

              Water the seedlings well the day before you transfer them to their new containers.

              Flip the seedlings upside down to remove them from their containers. This helps avoid damaging the plant during the transition, and insures that you are not removing it from its container until it is ready to plant.

              Plant at the depths listed in the instructions below.

              Do not compact the soil, compost or mix too tightly around the plant once it is in the larger container.

              Water the entire container thoroughly once the transplanting is complete.

Basic Container Planting Instructions

Before we get into individual vegetables, and how they should be planted in their respective containers, there are a few basic instructions that need to be upheld in the process where the containers are concerned:

              Do NOT put rocks, gravel or pebbles in the bottom of your containers. If you are worried about soil draining with the water, use newspaper or mesh to line the bottom of the container.

              Work the compost or mix thoroughly with water prior to planting the vegetable seedlings.

              Do NOT compact the compost or mix into the container. Leave it loosely placed in the containers.

              Leave at least one inch of space at the top of the container, so the mix or compost does not meet the top of the container.

              Place the containers near one another, creating a humidity zone effect, which allows the plants to retain water, while promoting growth.

Planting Depths & Spacing

Before you begin cramming plants into containers, it is important to place them at their ideal depths, with the appropriate pot volume and spacing in between to obtain optimal results.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes require approximately four to five gallons of pot volume, and can be planted at a depth of eight to twelve inches.

Space the actual plants at least six inches apart, using your planting container as a guide for how many plants will fit within its confines.

Be sure to leave at least one to two inches in between the plants and the sides of the container.

Tomato plants will grow tall once they mature, and will require a sturdy instrument to insure they are upright at all times. This could be something as simple as gardening sticks, old yard sticks, or old fencing slats.

As long as it is durable enough to withstand the plants growth, it can be anything you desire. Also, depending on how talk the plants get, it may be necessary to loosely tie them to their support system, using yarn or rope.

Tomatoes will require six to eight hours of sunlight each day, and will crave water, especially in the hot, Summer months. Check on the plants daily to insure they are not drying out.

Kale, Spinach and Collard Greens

Leafy greens do not require as much depth or volume as tomatoes, but they will require a good sized surface area to grow above the soil. Kale, spinach and collard greens have shallow roots, which are durable and fibrous, allowing them to grow in a shallower area than most vegetables.

Plant the kale, spinach and collard green seedlings at a depth of four to six inches, in a one to three gallon volume container, taking care to use a separate container for each type of leafy green.

Although you will be able to tell the difference between them rather easily when they are maturing, they will each need to take advantage of their own space.

Allow six inches of space between the leafy delights when planting, taking care to reserve one to two inches of space on the sides of containers to insure plenty of room for maturation.

Beets

Container gardeners often overlook beets, assuming they are a root vegetable that requires more space than they can provide in a smaller setting. However, beets are part of the chard family, which means their planting necessity is the same as other leafy greens.

Beets should be planted in four to sixes inches of mix or compost, in a one to three gallon volume container. Allow four inches in between the plants for growth space, again taking care to reserve an inch or two around the container’s edge. 

Beets grow quickly, and should be monitored regularly for their maturity. The top, leafy portion of the beets can be trimmed at any time, and should be trimmed regularly to thin out the containers. These greens can be used in salads, on sandwiches or however you see fit. They are perfectly safe to eat, and are quite delicious!

Cucumbers

Cucumbers share similar gardening characteristics with tomato plants, in that they require eight to twelve inches of depth when planted, and four to five gallons of volume container space.

Allow four to six inches of space in between plants, so the actual cucumbers have room to get bigger, without sitting on top of each other. An inch or two of free space around the container is also welcomed by the cucumber plant.

Cucumbers will begin growing rapidly upward, affording the vegetable something to hang from, so reserve a few of the yard sticks you plan to use for the tomato plants to help harness the cucumber’s vine-like growth.

Ideally, you will just want to keep them off the ground, so the actual cucumber has room to mature. Twine, yarn and rope may come in handy for these sprawling vegetables as well.

Peppers

Peppers are some of the easiest and most fruitful vegetables you can plant. Insuring that they are planted in an eight to twelve foot depth, they only require one to three gallons of container volume to flourish. 

Jalapenos, cayenne and banana pepper plants can yield scores of peppers per plant, and although they need to be watered regularly, they do not dry out as easily as the other plants in container gardens.

You will only need to allow two to three inches of space between the pepper plants, as they sprout vegetables in their contained area. The plants will get taller and wider, but unlike the cucumber and tomato plants, they typically do not sprawl up or out high enough to interact with the other plants around them.

The Keys to Successful Organic Container Gardening

Now that your garden is in full swing, it will not take long before things start happening, which is a great relief to any gardener. You should see new growth and progress within the first few days to a week.

Your seedlings will only need water if the top inch of the soil is dry, so do not overwater them. It certainly will not help their cause, and may lead to drowning.

In addition, check around the stalk of the seedlings to insure the soil, compost or mix is hugging the plant. Although it should not be tightly packed, it should not have a cracked appearance.

If it does, manipulate the soil so the seedling is completely covered, otherwise you will run the risk of the roots drying out.

The newly transplanted garden, depending on the weather in your area, will be vulnerable to heavy winds and strong sun, so consider a backup plan for protecting them from damage if necessary by covering them with a sheet or article of clothing until the conditions pass.

New gardens and weather reports go hand and hand, so do not be afraid to flip over to the weather channel from time to time to insure your defenseless garden will survive under the elements.

Once the plants have matured, they will be able to take care of themselves during inclement weather.

Now the nurturing process begins! Since you are gardening in containers you are cutting down on the tremendous amount of weeds that ground gardeners have to deal with throughout their vegetables’ growth cycles, but you will not be free of them completely.

Any weeds you do encounter will probably come from a failed pollination process, or bird and insect refuse. Simply remove the weed when it appears by pulling it from the root.

Likewise, you will not be completely free of insects and pests, but you will be able to control their damage a little easier. If you see bird droppings or sticky residue from another insect on the leaves of your plants, simply wash it off. Allowing the menacing additions to fester will only promote more of the same from their brethren.

A great way to rid your container gardens of insects is by planting plants or flowers in containers nearby that will advance the attraction of their predators, or detract them altogether.

For instance, marigolds attract larvae laying insects, which would typically go straight for your leafy greens, ruining the batch. If you plant and place a pot of marigolds on each side of the greens, it will attract the flies and insects away from your vegetables.

Nasturtium is a perfect attraction for caterpillars, which will eat any leave in your garden, whether it is on your tomatoes, cucumbers or beets. Plant this flowery miracle in containers around your gardens and allow the insects to complete their cycle of life within them, instead of your gardened plants.

Do not be afraid to move your plants around if they do not seem to be doing well where they are. This is an incredible benefit to container gardening over ground gardening.

If the vegetable is getting too much sun, or simply is not doing well in the space it is occupying, give it a chance somewhere else. That is not to say you should start moving items around after a week’s growth.

Be patient with your container gardens, and allow them to take hold of their space and develop. A weeping plant, whose growth appears to be stunted after two weeks or so can be moved to a different spot without a problem.

Water your container gardens as often as possible, especially if they are not in a position to benefit from rainfall, or if there simply has not been any rainfall at all in your area.

As the plants start to grow, so will their thirst for hydration. Be sure to coat the leaves and vegetation as you water the soil, compost or mix as well. This will help provide a healthy appearance, while hydrating the vegetables together.

Check the containers regularly to make sure they are draining properly. If you have a drainage issue, the container may be too heavy to pick up and clear, so consider creating a hole in the side of the container, close to the bottom.

This will allow a release of any stored water that may be damaging the roots of the plant, impeding its growth.

It is absolutely okay to prune your vegetable gardens from time to time, ridding the plants of dead vegetation, so a healthier replacement can begin to grow. Pruning is absolutely recommended for plants that are diseased to keep it from spreading the others. 

The most important component in gardening is caring about the plants you are raising. Keep an eye on their progress, and treat them as living and breathing things.

Plants will tell you what they need, whether it is through drooping when they are thirsty or in need of a stake for stability when they are lying on the ground. If something does not seem right about your plants, check into it.

Numerous gardening tips can be found through online forums, farmer’s markets and nurseries. Do not be afraid to ask for advice, or to experiment with your plants rotation from year to year.

Gardening is about more than the therapeutic value it brings, it is also about the enjoyment you get from providing the perfect superfoods to your family directly from your own gardens, increasing their beneficial intake ten-fold.

Harvesting the Fruits of Your Labors

Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Peppers

Well, in this case it is the vegetables of your labor, but you get the idea. The greatest part of gardening is the long awaited results of fresh food. It is inevitable that the minute your tomatoes start to turn from green to red that you will be itching to rip them from the vine. Although it is incredibly tempting, we caution you against premature harvesting at all costs.

There will always be extenuating circumstances that lead to early harvesting, and most of them are out of your control. If a tomato falls from the vine prematurely, you should certainly pick it up and take it inside.

Customarily, for whatever reason, people tend to place fallen vegetables in their window sills to help them mature. This process only ripens the outside of the vegetables, not the inside. In this case, place the tomato on your counter, and let it works its own magic.

When it is time to harvest, the vegetables will be incredibly easy to pull from their source. Simply put, if you have to tug at your vegetables, they are not ready.

This applies to tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers alike. If they slide off into your hand, smile and take them inside.

Tomatoes will be a shiny red color, but not overly firm in texture. Although you will want them to soften a little, be cautioned that waiting too long may allow them to rot on the vine, which is a terrible waste of time, energy and delicious food! Cucumbers will be firm and green. Peppers will vary in color, but should also be firm.

Harvesting Beets

When it comes to harvesting the nutritional beet, it can be enjoyed in two different ways. The first can happen at any time during growth by trimming the green tops from time to time to thin out the area as they grow. These tops can be used in salads or on top of sandwiches as you see fit. The actual beet will be ready to pull when the shoulder of the vegetable starts nudging through the soil.

Harvesting Kale

Kale can be harvested at any time during its growth process, as long as it has met its maturity. Characteristics of ripe and ready kale are a deep green color, and a sturdy texture. If yours has met these two descriptions, take a bit of it down, wash it and taste it. If it is too bitter for your liking, let it grow a bit longer as the color will grow darker, and may suit your tastes more.

Harvesting Spinach

Spinach is one of the few vegetables that have an incredible sign that it is ready to cut down. When spinach is ready to harvest, a stalk of a completely different nature will begin to emerge from it.

You do not want to wait until that flowery stalk outgrows the spinach. Keep an eye out for it – it is very recognizable next to the spinach’s texture – and chop the spinach at the soil line to remove the whole lot of it before the stalk has a chance to grow.

Harvesting Collard Greens

Collard greens can be harvested in two ways. The first is allowing the entire plant to grow to six to ten inches, and cutting the entire plant at the soil line at once.

The second is by harvesting the taller leaves, as some can get as tall as twelve inches, while leaving the younger leaves to grow longer.

The latter may only net enough greens for a quick pot of side vegetable for dinner, but it would be better than wasting the entire plant by harvesting the smaller leaves that are not yet ready to be chopped down.

Getting the Most from Your Harvest

When we said earlier that harvesting the vegetables was the best part of gardening, we lied. Eating your harvest is what makes it all worthwhile!

Vegetables are at their most nutritious the moment they leave the garden, whether you are pulling it from a vine or chopping it at its source. So, ideally, you would want to use the items as soon as they are harvested.

Often times we do not have the luxury of taking it all in at once, so if you cannot set the items aside until you are ready to use them. DO NOT wash the vegetables until it is time to use them. Allow them to sit in their natural state until you plan to prepare them.

Once you are ready to use them, give each vegetable – especially the leafy greens – a good scrub with cold water, running your hands over their surfaces to insure their cleanliness before consumption.

The items you will grow in your container gardens, tomatoes, kale, spinach, collard greens, beets, cucumbers, and peppers can be used in tandem in salads, or separately in delectable side dishes during a dinner party.

They can be eaten raw or cooked, in salsas or even pickled where the beets and cucumbers are concerned. You can store your tomatoes through a canning process for future meals, or simply slice them open and enjoy them on a plate.

The possibilities of these brilliant foods are endless, but the most beneficial portion of each of their benefits is the superfood value they bring to your dinner table.

All vegetables are most nutritious the earlier they are consumed once they are picked. The same lies true for each of these foods, but they all bring something spectacular to the table, literally!

Tomatoes provide a tremendous dose of lycopene to each person who consumes them, which is an incredible antioxidant that can help lower cholesterol.

In addition to being a low calorie snack, tomatoes are rich in vitamins C, A E & K. Beta Carotene and potassium are also found in these wondrous red vegetables.

All of these components combined have been researched to improve the conditions cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, prostate cancer and male infertility.

Kale, in addition to it brimming with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory enzymes, contains fiber, calcium, Vitamins A, K, C & B6. Each of these mineral factors combines to boost the repair DNA cells, while blocking the growth of cancer cells.

Spinach not only ranks highly on the suggestive scale for weight loss foods, but is high in protein, and contains a great source of vitamins K, A, C, E, B2 & B6. It also contains potassium, calcium, iron and folate. Its complete make-up provides an extremely rich antioxidant delivery to all who enjoy it.

Collard Greens, in addition to tasting spectacular, contains active antioxidant enzymes and calcium. They are also a perfectly natural form of fiber. Studies are currently underway to determine the antiviral and antibacterial benefit of collard greens, and the results are incredibly promising.

Beets contain nutrients called betalains which are natural forms of antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and detoxification enzymes. Beets are also an excellent source for folate, manganese, fiber, potassium and vitamin C.

Cucumbers are consumed worldwide, and are the four most popularly cultivated vegetable on the planet. That is great news for everyone, as cucumbers contain three types of lignans, which are enzymes that being study feverishly lately, thanks to their historical link to reducing cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers including ovarian, breast, uterine and prostrate. 

Peppers have an incredible nutritional value, ranking high in vitamins A, E, C & B6, while distributing zero calories as a result. Talk about super. They can also function as an anti-inflammatory, and natural pain reliever. Best of all, for sinus sufferers, they can clear a congested head in no time.

The Many Benefits of Growing Your Own Organic Superfoods

The short answer is that superfoods can provide all of us with an incredible amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants with each bite we take.

Serving these delicious foods to your family will only increase their healthful capacity, allowing smoother working joints and healthier hearts as each day goes by.

Not only do the benefits abound from these vegetables, but they also combat the not so healthy alternatives we all sometimes eat.

Since we cannot all eat at our best all the time, it is nice to know that superfoods exist to help flush out the bad, while adding nutritious vitamins and minerals as replacements. That is exactly why these superfoods are used by those who diet in an effort to lose weight.

Superfoods are not only delicious, while providing an incredible amount of nutrients, but they are fat free and almost completely consumed without any caloric intake at all!

If you begin consuming one superfood per meal, your vitamin intake will increase tremendously. But imagine, through organic superfood container gardening, how many of these exquisitely nutrient rich foods you could consume with EACH meal.

Producing your own foods through gardening practices provides you with the incredible luxury of eating them whenever the craving is upon you.

If you have eaten your previous bounty, depending on where you are in the season, there could always be more to satiate your superfood cravings.

Growing these items in and around your own home allows for an abundance of them to be consumed, without paying the inflated supermarkets prices each time you make dinner.

Studies may come and go, but the health benefits of superfoods cannot be denied, thanks to the bountiful vitamins in each serving.

Make time to cultivate a garden with the foods you like most on the list, if all of them do not apply, and start reaping the benefits of these superfoods at home.

Organic container gardening is a great opportunity for the entire family, as it allows children to learn the benefits of growing their own food at an early age, while learning about responsibility and care taking.

You can garden together, with each person being responsible for a portion of the garden’s growth, or by administering chores, including planting, watering, or picking vegetables when they are ready.

Teach your family how to clean the vegetables properly, and how to enjoy them raw, cooked, mixed and alone. This practice just might inspire them to grow other vegetables, fruits, herbs or spices to include with your superfoods, making trips to the grocery store obsolete – at least where your produce is concerned.

You will be the envy of your friends and neighbors, and will feel healthier with each meal you prepare using the fruits – or vegetables – of your labor. So what are you waiting for? Start looking around the house or garage for old containers or wooden boxes that have been sitting around, unused for way too long.

Although the final result is to consume more healthful, beneficial superfoods, the entire process can be one that involves repurposing existing items, while growing vegetables around your home naturally.

The best part is, once you have developed a taste for container gardening, you can share your secrets with friends, family and the folks at the farmer’s markets. The more people we have growing their own superfoods, the healthier they will be.

And that is exactly the type of people we want to surround ourselves with; those that promote a healthy, friendly and tolerant lifestyle. 

Not only will you feel better, but you can help the ones you love feel better too by providing them with the tools to decrease their cardiovascular risks, cancer growth or by introducing natural anti-inflammatory components to their diet, so they can decrease their consumption of over the counter medications.

Keep in mind, too, that one of the crucial benefits of organic gardening is not that you will no longer have to buy those same foods from your grocery store; it is that you know exactly what you are eating.

Grocery stores, especially the larger chains, buy their vegetables in bulk, and unless they are buying them from local farmers, chances are they have been treated with a chemical compound that will keep them fresh from their origin to your grocery store.

This is exactly what organic gardening allows you to avoid.

Sure, you can get these superfoods just about anywhere, but at what cost?

Are they still as healthy?

Is the environment left in disarray because of it?

You will no longer need the answers to those questions because you have raised your vegetables from organic seeds, and have monitored their growth and appearance since.

And when it was time to pick them, they went directly from your garden, to your counter, into your sink, onto your plate, and into your body to work their nutrient rich magic on your internal structure.

Sure, your friends may be eating the same foods, but if they are not growing them organically, like you are, they are not receiving the same benefits, and are being shortchanged by the transportation and storage of the vegetables natural abilities, stymying their full mineral capabilities.

Encourage your friends and family to get on board with organic container gardening. This method leaves no excuses for space constraints, and is a perfect way to start monitoring exactly what you put into your body, with no labels necessary.

Besides, the actual superfoods you can produce are some of the tastiest on the market, and are the perfect addition to an already healthy diet. You can never eat too much kale, or tomatoes, or beets, so grow them until you cannot grow them anymore, and enjoy every, single bite that results in their harvest.

Table of Contents

Introduction

What are Superfoods and Why Should You Grow Them Organically?

The Basics of Organic Container Gardening

Seeds: Where to Get Them and How to Get Started

Containers: What to Look for and How to Use Them

Preparing Your Soil, Compost, and Mix

Using Water and Organic Fertilizers

Sunlight Guidelines

Container Gardening Practices and Instructions

Preparing to Plant

Basic Container Planting Instructions

Planting Depths and Spacing

Planting Tomatoes

Planting Kale, Spinach, and Collard Greens

Planting Beets

Planting Cucumbers

Planting Peppers

The Keys to Successful Organic Container Gardening

Harvesting the Fruits of Your Labors

Harvesting Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Peppers

Harvesting Beets

Harvesting Kale

Harvesting Spinach

Harvesting Collard Greens

Getting the Most Out of Your Harvest

The Many Benefits of Growing Your Own Organic Superfoods