If there’s anything good that came out of this pandemic, it’s the increasing love for home gardening. Whether you have a big backyard or a windowsill for space, growing your own is truly rewarding. It has taught countless people the value of fresh, nutritious and homegrown food. Moreover, it’s given the sense of calm and peace we all need during this time.

Even if you only have your kitchen to get started with, there’s plenty to learn about (and benefit from) kitchen gardening. Here are the basics.

1. Give it Thought

A thriving kitchen garden is one that serves its purpose fully. It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is growing or how people prepare the trendiest meals. However, that can also mean you’re not growing for you. That’s why giving your kitchen garden some thought is highly beneficial.

Another important reason why you must plan your kitchen garden carefully is the limited space you have. You may either have a windowsill or a countertop to work with so having a strategy lets you maximize what you have.

2. Do some Math

Another factor to consider in kitchen gardening is mathematics. Aimless growing may result to spoilage or your plants not yielding sufficiently. When you do the math, you will arrive at the best possible number of veggies, herbs and fruits you will need at home.

Open your refrigerator and check out your countertop. Consider how many of these you regularly consume. This will give you a better sense of how much of the crops you only need to make your kitchen garden work. Another trick is to keep a food diary so you can track your consumption and discover a pattern that will help determine what you eat most and how much of it is necessary.

3. Work with Light

If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with a lot of natural light seeping in, then use it to your advantage. Position your plants where it will receive as much sun as needed.

Don’t fret otherwise. The beauty of indoor gardening is artificial light that’s available in all different forms and sizes. Just remember that regular light won’t cut it. There are a lot of grow lights you can purchase that will best serve your crops.

4. Aim for Vitality

A big part of growing a kitchen garden is ensuring your plants are at their prime. That may mean mimicking rainfall through gentle spraying or spritzing or ensuring your soil is the best possible kind. Liquid fertilizer and indoor compost are also essential in keeping your soil as healthy as possible.

Take the time to discover what exactly your plants need. After all, growing different herbs, vegetables and fruits means understanding their individual needs.

5. Know What to Grow

You can use grow bags to start your kitchen garden so you can grow your own herbs and vegetables. Learning which plants are best grown in your kitchen garden is a good start. Here’s what we recommend: