“Container gardening is a great way to start gardening if you have never done it before,” Haugen said. “It’s great when you don’t have a great space or you just want to do something and are not willing to dig into the yard. Get the right container that’s big enough, try a couple vegetables and see what you think.”

Haugen tells us that vegetables you grow on your own are nutritionally the same as those you purchase in the store or farmers market. She explains that there are multiple benefits to growing your own vegetables.

“The benefits for gardening in general are not only related to the health benefits of easy access to fruits and vegetables you are growing, but also your mental health,” Haugen said. “It’s a great way to connect with your family. Everybody is learning and everybody is working together. The garden kind of teaches you that it’s okay to slow down and nourish the things you want to grow and pull the weeds out of your life. We tend to it, we grow it, we are able to harvest it and prepare it as a family.”

Haugen tells us that you can grow many kinds vegetables in a container, but it’s important to think about how the vegetable grows first. She encourages gardeners to start root vegetables (such as carrots, radishes or potatoes) from a seed in the container. Other vegetables (such as tomatoes or peppers) will grow better by transplanting a seedling into the container.

“All of your root vegetables you would want to start from seed in the container because disrupting the growth of a root vegetable can be detrimental,” Haugen said. “For example, a carrot is securing itself into the soil to allow for the growth of a straight carrot. If you remove that, you could get some really funky looking carrots because the structure has been disrupted.”

Choosing the right container for the type of plant you want to grow is important to a plentiful container garden.

“You want to match the container to whatever you are growing,” Haugen said. “If you are planting something that will grow above ground, like lettuce or tomatoes, you need to match up the size with the container. Tomatoes can get very large. Lettuce is not super large, but it needs a little extra space. If you’re thinking about planting vegetables that grow beneath the ground, you need to also have the depth.”

If you go to the store, you will find many kinds of containers in the garden section – clay, plastic, ceramic, wooden. So how do you know what to choose? Haugen says that the type of container you choose can affect how quickly the soil dries out.

“If you choose clay pots, they can work well, but you have to remember they are porous,” Haugen said. “They tend to dry out really, really fast, especially in really hot weather. Ceramic, glazed pots will actually hold a little bit better moisture because they are not porous.”

Haugen also tells us to be sure the container has great drainage. It should at least have one big hole or several smaller holes on the bottom, otherwise nothing will grow well.

“The key to container gardening is really, really good watering, consistency, ensuring there is really good drainage and making sure the pot is big enough for whatever you want to grow,” Haugen said.

Haugen also tells us that vegetables you grow on your own are nutritionally the same as those you purchase in the store or farmers market. She explains that there are multiple benefits to growing your own vegetables.

“The benefits for gardening in general are not only related to the health benefits of easy access to fruits and vegetables you are growing, but also your mental health,” Haugen said. “It’s a great way to connect with your family. Everybody is learning and everybody is working together. The garden kind of teaches you that it’s okay to slow down and nourish the things you want to grow and pull the weeds out of your life. We tend to it, we grow it, we are able to harvest it and prepare it as a family.”

With a proper container, good soil, tiny seed, adequate watering and sunlight, plus a little family time, you can be growing your own vegetables in whatever space you have available. That’s the great thing about container gardening – it’s an accessible way to produce your own food, on a large or small scale.

Check out our Pinterest board filled with multiple tips for growing your own vegetables in containers!

The post Growing Your Own Vegetables in Small Spaces appeared first on Best Food Facts.

What are some of the health benefits of eating tomatoes?

Alice Henneman, MS, RD: “Tomatoes are one of the richest sources of dietary lycopene. Lycopene may help prevent such cancers as prostate, colorectal and stomach cancer as well as help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Cooked and canned tomatoes are higher in lycopene than raw tomatoes. Heating tomatoes during cooking, processing or canning increases the absorption of lycopene.

“Tomatoes are a source of potassium, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Served plain, they are saturated fat- and cholesterol-free, very low in sodium and low in calories.”

What are the different ways to eat tomatoes?

Henneman: “Americans consume three-fourths of their tomatoes in processed form according to USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS).”

The ERS estimates that the largest processed use of tomatoes goes as follows:

• Sauces (35 percent)
• Paste (18 percent)
• Canned whole tomato products (17 percent)
• Ketchup (15 percent)
• Juice (15 percent)
• ERS estimates suggest that about one-third of processed-tomato products are purchased away from home at various foodservice outlets (pizza parlors, for example).

Do homegrown tomatoes have different nutritional value than store bought?

Henneman: “The best answer I have seen to this question is a quote by dietitian Elizabeth Pivonka, former president and CEO of the nonprofit Produce for Better Health Foundation: ‘Still, home-grown produce may have only a slight nutritional advantage over the store-bought kind. What really matters,’ says Pivonka, ‘is that you eat more.’”

Many people think homegrown tomatoes taste better. Why is that?

Henneman: “Homegrown tomatoes are more likely to be picked and eaten at the peak of ripeness.”

If you want to try growing some yourself, here are some words of encouragement. “Start small. Grow what you like. Ask friends and neighbors for hints,” said Dr. Aldwinckle.

What are the best kind of tomatoes to grow yourself?

Dr. Aldwinckle: “There are many, many varieties, but they can be grouped into a few kinds.

Determinate (bush type, after a while plants stop growing more shoots and ripen the tomatoes they’re bearing) and indeterminate (keep growing and producing fruit until frost or diseases take them out). The size of fruit is grape, cherry, small, medium, large. There are also modern and heirloom varieties. I’ve been disappointed with heirlooms, their flavor and texture is no better, usually worse, than modern varieties. [Heirloom] rot quickly, and tend to be less resistant to diseases.”

Why do some tomatoes grow better than others?

Dr. Aldwinckle: “[There are] regular or disease resistant.  Most modern varieties have some resistance, but if you run into serious disease problems, try some of those varieties specifically labeled ‘disease-resistant.’ These types of tomatoes can be easy or hard to get good fruit from, depending largely on the climate, the weather, the genetics of the variety, and the gardener’s skill, probably in that order.”

Do you have any tips or tricks for growing healthy tomatoes?

Dr. Aldwinckle: “Choose healthy well growing plants.  Not too big, about 6 inches high. If possible, select a site where tomatoes have not been grown for 2-3 years.Tthis reduces carry-over of disease. Plant them in a loamy soil with plenty of (dark) organic matter. Space the plants so there will be space between them when mature, so that there can be airflow. Set the plants in the soil so the bottom part of the stem is buried (new roots will sprout and help support the plant.  Water well, and fertilize them with one of those blue soluble fertilizers.  Don’t let them dry out and wilt, keep watering regularly if it’s dry.

“Once the plants are 9 to 12 inches high, use twist-ties to attach them  to a strong cane, or stake, or a length of metal conduit (easy to bash in the ground). Tie them loose enough to allow for growth. The staking will hold the fruit off the soil, where they can pick up disease, stay wet, and rot.  It also makes picking a lot easier.”

Now that we know how to grow them, how do we keep our tomato plants healthy?

Dr. Aldwinckle: “Staking to keep fruit off the ground, and spacing to allow airflow to dry out the leaves and fruit after rain and dew will also help reduce diseases.  I never spray.  By the time you think you’ve got a big problem and wonder what to spray, it’s usually too late for any spray to have any useful effect.  And who wants chemicals on their tomatoes anyway?”

We’re ready to see your picture-worthy tomato plants turn into even better recipes. To help you find inspiration for your tomato-based meals, we created a Pinterest board for you.

The post Health and How-Tos of Homegrown Tomatoes appeared first on Best Food Facts.