Growing my own food.....but how
@revellanotvanella (4033)
United States
April 11, 2009 8:11pm CST
I started buying this "Herb Salad" from the local Co-Op and I just fell in love with this stuff---regular salad has nothing against this mix! I also noticed that it makes me feel spectacular so spectacular that it nearly replaced 90% of my food. I kinda consider myself a vegetarian already but now Im to the point where processed foods are not all that appealing and I want to grow my own food--
does anyone know the easiest way to start growing veggies from seeds?
I dont want to buy some fancy sprouter or other device and want to
know if I can use a used carton or strawberry tray to start them?
What is the most essential factor to get those seedlings growing?
Do I have to keep them inside up to a certain point?
And lastly, can I plant my avocado seeds--i would just love that. Intermediate?
2 people like this
6 responses
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
12 Apr 09
Avocado are finicky critters, and simply will not tolerate frost, unless perhaps you could find some new hybrid designed for cooler regions. They also require a male and female plant to germinate, and they are quite large trees, so you need lots of space.
Herbs will grow well in window boxes as long as they get plenty of sun.
Lash
2 people like this
@doulaworks (1079)
• United States
12 Apr 09
we live in sunny south florida so avacodo grow well as do our mangos and orange and grapefruit trees. we also grow tomatoes, strawberrys, orka, cantalope, water meleon, egg plant, bell peppers, and tons of flowers. my husban and I enjoy gardening together. we grow celantro, basail, parsely and rosmary. most we started from seed while others we bough starter plants
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
12 Apr 09
I absolutely love grapefruit (especially ruby red) so you can imagine how ecstatic I was the past summer when my boyfriend came back from Florida with four bags of nice plump grapefruit! OMG, don't you know I ate every single one of them with the exception of only a couple that were smashed---a girl can dream.
Now that you mention it GL, I do remember hearing that avocados got rather big and at the time I didnt understand the whole male female thing, care explaining? Do you plant a male and female together--wonder if thats how neighbors end up getting other peoples plants growing in their yards..
@doulaworks (1079)
• United States
12 Apr 09
I grow herbs from seeds. I used a thing with littl pods in dirt that have a lit that creats a green hoes effect. you wet the dirt, then add seeds and cover, that is about it. in just days my parsley came up and now I have trans planted them to a small pot in a week or two I will put some in fround and other in sbigger pots tp have for gift and one inside. I got the pod tray (they come in smaioller sizes too) at walmart for $6.00 for 72 pods. I also have cleranto, basil, rosmart. you can also grow others as well as cool types of lettuce like baby greens etc. Best wishes. avacodo trees take years to grow and bear fruit. so keep that in mind too. we live in fl so they grow well. we have a wonderful avacodo tree as well as two types of mangos and grapfruit and oranges.
2 people like this
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
12 Apr 09
avocados are just wonderful source of nutrients so I always include those in my salads, here for a pack of just two organic avocados it cost $4 and for non-organic its 3/5.00. Phew, it adds up. I still intend to have one once I master the art of growing my veggies.
could you tell me where you got your light? Is it florescent?
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
12 Apr 09
Herb Salad that sounds very interesting....I haven't had much luck with growing things from seeds in pots, the only thing i seem to have luck with is the little tomatoes...I am not too much will grow good unless they have a lot of sunshine but i sure do hope it works for you.
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
12 Apr 09
my goodness i have never felt so eager for sunshine, lol, i started with my veggies three weeks ago so im a bit early but i just decided i wanted them and that was that but now were finally getting some sunshine. the only thing is the apartment building connected to us to the left kind of blocks out the full sunshine and it has to be at just the right angle to reach my plants so i have literally been moving them around to follow the sun to get my little seedlings. I do have a cherry tomato plant my daughter picked out and thats good to hear the news you sent, i looked forward to them. Herb salad it like spring mix but theres also parsely and other herbs that give it a little kick, especially when you put red,green and avocados into the mix. Wild organics makes it and i know our grocery store has them, its an Acme.
@fiazio (734)
• India
12 Apr 09
One of the first steps that you can take to become self-sufficient is to start a vegetable garden. In doing so, will not only practice self-sufficiency, but you will also eat healthier. The key is to start small. Don't overwhelm yourself by planting a huge garden. There's a learning curve here, so don't try to do everything in one year. Take your time with it and get a good understanding of what it takes to grow a vegetable garden.
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
12 Apr 09
Thanks for snapping me out of my stupor, lol, because thats exactly what i was thinking im so excited--crazily, its Easter and it feels like Winter here! I went outside and its breezy and the temperature is 44 but wind chill making more brisk.
I just want to get started but Im a little hesistant of bringing my veggies inside because of my two curious daughters who are having just as much fun with the gardening. Im working on designating my bookselfs to my plants and moving my books off to goodwill or the library (clutters not good energy anyways).
@dorisday1971 (5657)
• Philippines
12 Apr 09
Seeds thrown in your background grow faster than those done with fancy sprouter. Just throw the seeds and re plant those in your garden.
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
13 Apr 09
High Five! Thats exactly what I was thinking one day, lol. I have a bean growing in my tree I have in my apartment, its so cute--I have no idea how but beans must be hearty plants, I actually brought that tree outside one day and we got like 30 mph winds and it fell over twice and had to scoop all the soil back in, I forgot I even put the seed in there.
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
13 Apr 09
i would say it gets very little sun (at least for a little seedling)
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
7 May 09
You are a person after my own heart! 
I have an avocado plant that I grew from a seed and it is almost 5 feet tall. I grew it inside as I live up north. Take the seed stick a toothpick on each side and support it on a glass with the flat side at the bottot immersed in water. Should work, but be patient.
I eat 98% of my food fresh. I rarely ever cook anything.
I'm looking forward to one day having a garden, then an orchard, then....!
I have an avocado plant that I grew from a seed and it is almost 5 feet tall. I grew it inside as I live up north. Take the seed stick a toothpick on each side and support it on a glass with the flat side at the bottot immersed in water. Should work, but be patient.
I eat 98% of my food fresh. I rarely ever cook anything.
I'm looking forward to one day having a garden, then an orchard, then....! 
