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Urban farming to grow vegetables using recycled containers

grow vegetables using recycled containers

Urban farming does not require too much space for growing vegetables and with right conditions; you can grow crops of your own all season. Regarding micro-greens, it can be said that these can be grown quite easily and within less time in different recycled containers and pie plates. Let us go through the techniques to use these recycled containers and grow our own vegetables.

Using Recycled Containers

To start with, you will have to select the container that can be a plastic box or a pie plate made out of tin. Instead of tin plates you can also use aluminum ones but since tin plates tend to be heavier, first preference should be these only.

Similarly, you can make use of take-out dishes that are made of plastic and Styrofoam containers can also be used. After selecting the container, make good number of small holes at the bottom to allow proper drainage.

Planting the Seeds 

Next, moisten the soil to be filled in the container and then put the soil in and press it lightly. After that sprinkle the seeds over the soil and cover it with a film of vermiculite, which has been moistened. Some of the seeds that you may try out are basil, celery, mustard, radish, arugula and others.

Now you need to keep the container covered with a plastic lid and keep it close to a window but avoid direct sunlight. You can use different types of grow lights as well as plant heating mats to speed up the germination process. You can get more vertical space by stacking the container one over another.

Prevent Diseases

For prevention against diseases such as damping-off, you will have to spray all the containers using Chamomile tea daily. Ensure that the containers do not become over-saturated with the spray and the Chamomile tea is of room temperature before it is sprayed.

Harvest the greens

After seeds sprout and second set of leaves form, you will need to harvest them. Ideally, you should harvest your micro-greens at about two weeks from the time they are planted or after first set of leaves form. To harvest just cut the plants above the soil level.

The next set of micro-greens can be planted right over the previous one by just cleaning up the vermiculite from the containers and spreading the new seeds. The old roots need not be removed since those will decompose and make the soil more fertile.

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