7 Easy Things You Can Grow In Pots

Growing some of what you eat has never been more important. If you live in Ghana then you know firsthand how insane the cost of food is right now. The prices keep rocketing as each day goes by. It seems like we are headed into even tougher times. Our currency barely has any value and our water bodies are steadily being destroyed by state sponsored galamsey. And I say state sponsored because there is no way the response to watching lands being destroyed, water bodies being obliterated, and whole villages being torn apart is more press conferences and nothing actionable. Majority of the tomatoes in Accra is imported from Burkina Faso and with the coup threatening the lives of Burkinabés, I reckon the tomato prices may go up. That is if they don’t go scarce first. It seems like just existing is expensive.

Whether we like it or not, we spend a bulk of our money on food. Food is sustenance and everyone needs to eat. However, not everyone has the space to grow their food or even the money to buy the seeds. I’ve listed a few vegetables and herbs you can grow at home, in a pot or directly in the ground.

Tomatoes.

They are probably the easiest things to grow. They will grow everywhere and don’t require much time or effort. Remove the seeds and spread them directly on loose soil. Sprinkle a tiny bit of soil over them and just wait for nature to do its thing. If it’s too dry where you live, poke tiny holes in the cover of a water bottle and gently spray the water over the seeds. You can also scoop the water with your hands and just pour it over the seeds every morning. You don’t want to carry an entire gallon of water and just dump it over the seeds. You want to be gentle so you don’t displace them or push them further in the ground.

Pepper/ chillies

Same principle as tomatoes. Remove the seeds and follow the spteps listed above. Plant as many seeds as you can to give yourself a chance. I try to buy different varieties of chilli to give myself variations when I plant the seeds.

Garden eggs

Same principle as the tomatoes. To give yourself a chance, plant as many seeds in the pot. You can always remove some to create space or even transplant.

Lemon grass.

Now this is an interesting one. Lemon grass grows everywhere. A lot of people use the leafs itself for tea. It makes a delicious cup of tea. However, you can use the thick stalk, the side closest to the roots for cooking. You just need to remove a bit of the fibrous skin, chop it up and blend together with your usual aromatics. It’s absolutely delicious with chicken or fish. Now, because lemon grass grows everywhere and is really easy to propagate, it has become one of my favourite things to grow. You just need one or two or maybe three but you get me. Cut the stalk, preferably with the roots intact. You can plant it directly. If some of your cuttings don’t have roots, place them in a cup of water for a few days so they grow roots before planting. Ask owner for permission before doing this. Mostly they don’t care but just ask.

Akok) b3sa

This is one of my absolute favourite herbs. It is absolutely fabulous in soups and stews. You can also use them for salads to add a bit of freshness. Their vibrant citrusy flavour also makes them great for cocktails or flavoured simple syrups. If you love basil then you’ll love this too. An interesting thing with akok) b3sa is that the seeds can be found on top of the plant itself. It’s usually a stalk that looks very different from the leafs . To give yourself the best chance at propagating, you’d want to use the really dried seeds. So check carefully. The drier they are, the darker they look. Remove the seeds from the covering and plant like you would tomatoes, as listed above.

Nunum

This is also in the basil family. It smells like a cross between lime and basil. I adore it. Just like akok) b3sa, the seeds are on top. Follow same steps and you will have yourself a healthy plant. Remember to cut the seeds off from the top as they grow. They have a tendency to spread and to avoid that, just cut the seed part off when it grows.

Lettuce

Lettuce is sold here with the roots intact. Cut the leafy part off and plant directly in soil. Alternatively, you can place in water for a few days to develop roots before planting. When harvesting, just cut off the leafy greens and leave the root intact. It’ll keep growing and you’ll always have fresh lettuce at home.