The Gift of Salad - Inexpensive Gift #7

You can give the gift of winter salads for just a few dollars! You can grow one salad every other day for two people. Just pinch off the leaves and watch it grow back. Make sure you check out my blog on Sowing Seeds at
http://growitfirst.blogspot.com/2012/02/grow-it-first-with-ck-worley-sowing.html
You don't have to buy expensive seed started kits to start seeds.



For this project I used a square plastic water bottle so it will not roll over.
I laid the empty bottle on it's side and cut the top off with a pair of scissors. I put some drainage holes into the bottom of it with a screw driver. Make sure the top is on tight before you fill the bottle with soil. I planted Buttercrunch and Endive lettuce in the bottle. I also put the top of a swiffer box on the bottom of my makeshift pot to catch any run off. This is the best and most economical way to plant and recycle.




I have seen people claim that they can grow celery from the cut off end of a celery stalk that you buy in the store. All you have to do is put it in a little water and it will happen. I was skeptical so I decided to do it myself.




At first the celery did grow and it was pretty impressive.
After 2 months it was obvious something else needed to happen for this plant to survive. It needed soil. So I took one of my old clay pots and painted it red with a black belt. I have a hole puncher and used that to punch out some dots from an old Avery label I had. (it’s sticky on one side) That is what I used to make the belt buckle holes on my pot. I put a coffee filter over the hole in the bottom of the pot so prevent the soil from leaking through then added some packing peanuts in the bottom before filling it with soil.


You can make an old pot look just like new with a little paint.
I used Espoma Garden Tone and some Soil Moist to mix with the soil and planted the celery. I love Espoma products and the Soil Moist will keep the plant watered even if you leave it for a while. I think this celery has a real chance now. If it does continue to grow, I’ll hang some ornaments on it and give it as a little Charlie Brown Christmas kind of tree.
I looked at some of the clay pots they have at Walmart and those ran around $2 plus you had to buy the little tray that goes underneath. That stuff probably won’t be around at Christmas time though so the water bottle idea is a good one.

Here is an update on the celery plant. Today is July 21st 2014 and it's still growing and almost ready to pick. I wonder if I had planted it in the garden earlier if it would have been ready sooner.



Remember - You can change or decide to stay the same - There are no rules in this life but those you place on yourself to limit your growth.