(If)Youre looking to start growing some food in your space, or to add to your collection in your balcony, front or back garden or even by your kitchen window, but youre not sure where or what to start from. To help, i recommend growing leafy greens, which should be your best and easiest place to start. Greens(leaves) are arguably the best part of a plant. They are very nutritious, always available and very abundant. The vegetation of our land is rich with leafy green vegetables and so much more which are so easy to grow and include in our diets but it seems very few of these leafy greens are routinely included in our diets and grown in homes. This is due to insufficient, not widespread, adequate knowledge of dietary and medicinal use of some of these plants, as well as growing know how.
There are many green leaf vegetables to choose from but the few i will recommend are common and Native/indigenous to Nigeria and Nigerians which we add to our soups and stews mostly. They are very easy to grow, resilient and drought resistant especially when well established. They can be grown in pots, plastic containers, sacks and other things depending on the amount you want to grow. They can be grown all year round, They are beautiful plants as well and most importantly, theyre packed with super nutrients, which should keep you healthy and keep away illness. Growing your greens will definately encourage you and others around you to eat more greens. You can also guarantee natural and organically grown vegetables. Greens(vegetables) are very important in our diet. There is a need for knowledge and education on the available vegetables around us and how to grow them, which can serve as herbal medicine and sources of micro and macro nutrients to keep us from unnecessary ailments and trips to the doctor and to live a healthier life.
waterleaf
Waterleaf is a herbaceous perennial native to most tropical areas which grows wildly as a weed and is also cultivated . Its a good idea to grow this in your home/space so you can have it really fresh straight from your garden and have all the nutrients intact and not lost through refridgeration or your trip from the market. It is great as bedding and ground cover because of how it grows and can spread. it propagates easily from fallen seeds and cutting very easily and abundantly especially in the rainy season or if well irrigated. They take about 8- 12 weeks to harvest and will always keep coming back because it is a perennial. They are not really fussy about soil type, but a fairly good, well drained, balanced soil should do you well as with other vegetables here.
Waterleaf is rich in vitamin c, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A and much more. It can strengthen and brain muscles and tissues, improving brain functioning, It can improve blood levels against anaemia, helps with good eye vision/health, repairs body tissues and strengthens bones, regulates blood sugar, and is rich in fibre, aiding digestion and weight loss. They can be eaten raw, streamed or slightly boiled or blanched.
amaranth greens (tete)
Amaranth greens are herbaceous short lived annuals that make excellent boiled vegetables with soft texture, mild flavour and no trace of bitterness for a few minutes of cooking. A shade loving crop,They are easy and quite fast to grow. First harvest can be as early as three weeks and you can have many more harvests. They can create huge yields in small spaces. Best grown in bunches and clusters. They can reach 60cm to 200cm high. propagation is mostly by seed but can also by by stem. To prolong leaf production, constant, repeated pruning or harvesting is required, or it will naturally go to flower and seed. It can last for 3- 5months and possibly longer. Growth is rapid with sufficient rainfall or watering.
They are high in protein, iron and calcium and many more against all nutritional deficiencies. They are among the finest potherbs for nutrition. Dont forget to let some plants go to seed for next time.
Celosia(soko)
Good taste, good nutritional value, cheap and simple, this crop lifts, not only perking up the surrounding s with its beautiful reddish to pink to purple fluffy flowers and leaves which are used ornamentally all over the world, but it perks its consumers with healthy, nourishing food especially here in Africa, Nigeria to be precise. It is used like the leaf amaranth in cooking and harvest styles and has various medicinal benefits like it.
Celosia has high tolerance to both dry and wet conditions though they would appreciate moisture and some shade too. They are usually unaffected by pests, or soil type, propagate easily and reseeds itself, requires little care. They are among the easiest and most promising greens for the new grower.
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