A Beginner’s Guide to Mason Jar Gardening

A Beginner’s Guide to Mason Jar Gardening

Did you know that you can grow herbs or vegetables in your kitchen using mason jars? Mason jar gardening is a great way to enjoy delicious herbs or vegetables when you don’t have the space to plant outdoors or don’t want to deal with outdoor gardening. You can also grow herbs or vegetables indoors no matter what time of year it is. As long as your plants get enough sunshine throughout the day, you’re good to go. Let’s take a closer look at mason jar gardening. I planted green pepper seeds.

What You’ll Need

The supplies needed for mason jar gardening are very simple and can actually be found in many discount stores. You’ll need quarter-sized mason jars, small rocks, potting mix, seeds, and labels. You’ll want to invest in the best seeds you can. The reason being is that cheap seeds can sometimes be old and won’t sprout. This can be a waste of time and resources. If you have trouble finding good seeds in your area, go online.

• Gravel
• A mason jar
• Peat Moss Organic ( You can also use potting mix)
• Potting Soil
• Pepper or herb Seeds

How to Plant Your Seeds

First things first. Thoroughly wash and rinse your jars. You never know what may be on these jars from the factory. Next, fill the bottoms of the jars with 2 inches of gravel. Add enough Peat Moss to reach 2/3 mark of the jar and top with organic potting soil. Follow the instructions on your seed package for planting the seeds. The last step is to label each jar with the name of the herb or vegetable.

Instructions

1. Cut seeds out of a pepper and allow to dry for several days or purchase pepper seeds.

2. Place several inches of gravel into the bottom of a mason jar.

3. Fill the jar to the 2/3 mark with Peat Moss.

4. Top with organic potting soil.

5. Get the soil damp.

6. Keep the soil damp until the seed begins to sprout, it takes several days.

7. Place a pepper seed into the mason jar.

8. Water and keep in a window or outdoors in an area that gets several hours of sunlight a day!

Keeping Your Herbs Or Vegetables Alive

You won’t believe how easy it is to grow and keep your plants alive. All you need to remember is that your plants need 6 hours of sunlight each day and that they need water. Be careful not to overwater. If your herbs or stems start to turn yellow, they may be getting too much water. As your herbs or vegetable grow, use scissors to clip off what you need. If your herbs grow too large, you can transfer some of the plant to another mason jar.

Preserving Herbs

If you find that you have an overabundance of herbs, you can preserve them for later use. Herbs can be dried in a dehydrator and stored in spice jar containers. You can also freeze your herbs in ice cube trays. One method is to fill a tray halfway with water and then add a tablespoon of chopped herbs to each cube. Freeze overnight and then fill the rest of the way with water. You can also mix 1/3 cup of olive oil with 2-cups of chopped herbs and pour into ice cube trays to freeze overnight. With both methods, once the cubes are completely frozen, you can pop them out and place them in zip top bags for storage.

Mason jar gardening is a wonderful way to enjoy the flavour of fresh herbs and delicious vegetables without breaking the bank. Fresh herbs and vegetables can be very expensive in the grocery store. When you’re growing your own herbs or vegetables, you also control how they are grown. You don’t have to worry about pesticides. You can even purchase organic, non-GMO seeds. This allows you to get the best herbs or vegetables possible.

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Category: Home and Garden, Living