00:00Your best self is brought to you by Maybelline New York.
00:10Fresh herbs for your seasoning, tomatoes picked straight from the vine, or sweet peppers growing just outside your kitchen door?
00:17It may sound like a dream for seasoned gardeners, but Marcus Maiku, founder and managing director of Marfa's Limited, says
00:25almost anyone can grow their own food, whether they have a large backyard, a few pots on the porch, or
00:32even a sunny apartment balcony.
00:34And with grocery prices continuing to climb, a kitchen garden could be one of the smartest investments for your health
00:41and your wallet.
00:42In the context of more affordable food, a kitchen garden historically has been for that need.
00:51And I think more and more as the cost of food is becoming higher, and in one sense unavailable, I
00:58think we have to go back to our backyard or kitchen gardens.
01:02But before you start digging, Maiku says success begins with one simple decision, choosing a healthy seedling.
01:10He says many first-time gardeners focus on what they want to grow, but not the quality of the plant
01:16they are buying.
01:17Whether it be three plants or whether it be a thousand plants in an acre, the foundation of a crop
01:23starts primarily with the quality of the seedling.
01:26So what exactly makes a good seedling?
01:29According to Maiku, healthy roots are the secret.
01:32A strong root system gives the plant a better chance of adapting to its new home and of producing a
01:38healthy harvest.
01:39But here we're seeing a seedling that has the characteristics we want.
01:44Early, vigorous rooting, a plant grows from the roots up.
01:50When you transplant, the roots have to catch and then grow up.
01:53So we must have good rooting.
01:55But notice that the plant is stiff, green, and very young.
02:02That's a total change to what we are accustomed to.
02:04This is what we usually look for.
02:07Six weeks old, it could be eight weeks old and we're good with it.
02:10If we plant this seedling, and there's a way to do it, and there are contacts to do that,
02:16this crop will come in in six to seven weeks.
02:19That's the norm.
02:21This one will come in in three months.
02:24If you're wondering where to begin, don't overcomplicate it.
02:27Some crops are naturally more forgiving and ideal for beginners learning the basic of gardening.
02:33Fairly easier crops to grow.
02:37Hot pepper, pimento, melon gin, sweet pepper, tomato.
02:46These are normally the fruiting crops.
02:50Most people shy away from cabbage and so on and cauliflower.
02:54Once your seedlings are in the ground, the next challenge is caring for them.
02:59And surprisingly, one of the most common mistakes isn't forgetting to water.
03:04It's watering too much.
03:07All plants utilize the roots to take up food and water or nutrients and water.
03:13So when you transplant at that time, they're moving to a new home.
03:18They haven't started to function yet.
03:21But many people just at that time will put a lot of water then to make sure that the seedling
03:29could survive.
03:30You're actually drowning the seedling.
03:31And that's a big reason why a lot of people lose their seedlings.
03:35A thriving garden doesn't always require expensive products either.
03:40Many of the nutritions your plants need may already be in your kitchen.
03:43How scraps and peelings and purple skin and all that, eggshells and all that does contribute,
03:50but not in the form that it is.
03:52It must rot, must become composted before the plant will get it as a nutrient.
03:58And when it's time to fertilize where you place, it matters.
04:02Applying fertilizer too close to the stem or leaving it on the surface means
04:06the plant may never absorb the nutrition it needs.
04:09Most of the time they put it on the top of the soil and actually right next to the stem.
04:16Well, the feeding roots for the plant is actually out here where they drip.
04:21You know, there's what you call a drip circle.
04:23The foliage is here, rain falls and then it drops and makes a circle on the soil.
04:29That is closest to where the feeding roots are.
04:32So whether your garden starts with one tomato plant or an entire row of vegetables,
04:37every harvest begins with a single seedling and a little patience.
04:42The rewards go beyond saving money.
04:45Gardening can improve your diet, reduce food waste, provide a little exercise,
04:50and offer the satisfaction of enjoying food you've grown yourself.
04:54Until next time, I am Charlotte Kista reminding you to be your best self.
05:06Your best self was brought to you by Maybelline New York.
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