TAMPA, Fla. — The cost of food is expensive right now, but there are ways your family can cut costs.
One way is growing your own fruits and vegetables at home. ABC Action News spoke with Desiree’ Sims, the owner of Peas and Love, an edible gardening company.
She said her biggest piece of advice is to make sure it is the right season for what you are planting and invest in your soil. Fall is the prime planting season for central Florida. Sims said this is the perfect time to plant produce like tomatoes, leafy greens, broccoli, and beans.
“Leafy green will produce a ton of food and will continue to grow and produce. For instance, collard plants,” explained Sims. “The collard greens will start very small, and it will continue to grow, and you just harvest as it continues to grow.”
If you don’t have a lot of space for a garden, Sims said vertical planters are perfect for people who live in an apartment or condo.
“You’ll be able to fit up to 56 plants within two feet of growing space. It is also great because you don’t have to bend over,” said Sims.
She also said smaller plants work well in these. She suggests leafy greens, lettuce, herbs, and strawberries.
If you want to get the kids involved, Sims said they usually enjoy things like carrots and sweet potatoes. She said that sweet potatoes are almost like a treasure hunt for kids because they dig in the dirt to harvest them, and it's always a surprise as to what size potato they are going to find.
