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Rachel is a green building consultant and she wants to make greener choices in the kitchen by growing some of her own foods. In a recent episode of Emeril Green, Chef Emeril enlisted the help of Food Garden Expert Linna Ferguson. Linna explained to Rachel that you can grow a lot more than just herbs inside. In fact, you can grow a good amount of produce inside using three different methods:
The Square Foot Gardening Method
Using simply a box and about 6 inches of soil you can grow a wide variety of produce inside on raised beds. With the square foot gardening method as well as the grow light method, using compost is extremely important. Americans throw away an average of 1.3 pounds of food daily. Rather than throwing away food scraps, use them in your indoor garden in the form of organic compost. You can also mix microbes in your composter to help convert your food scraps into effective fertilizer.
Sprouting Seeds
You don't need any soil or light to sprout seeds. Fill up a jar with your seeds and soak in water overnight. The seeds will begin to sprout in two to three days. Remember to keep the seeds well aerated and rinse them twice daily. Check out Planet Green's guide to sprouting seeds.
Use a Grow Light
When you grow plants inside they tend to be smaller than those grown outside. The grow light is a great tool to keep your plants healthy. All you need is a fluorescent light. Since fluorescent grow lights put out little heat, you can keep the tops of the plants 1 to 4 inches from the bulbs at all times. Even if they touch the bulbs there will be little damage.
*All these methods help you to eat locally which is incredibly important considering that the average product in a grocery store travels 1,500 miles to get to your table. This has a huge impact on your personal carbon footprint. Even if you don't grow your own foods, remember to buy locally at the farmers' market or choose local products at the grocery store.
More on Emeril:
View and Vote : Emeril Recipes
Vote for Emeril Grilling Recipes
Emeril Recipes Appetizers
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
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