Want to increase your garden harvest? This gardener will show you how.
The scoop
Rather than harvest the entire plant, carefully take only the largest leaves. This gives the smaller leaves more time to grow, allowing multiple, smaller harvests.
On TikTok, In My Patch Gardening (@in_my_patch) shared a simple way to get the most out of your garden.
@in_my_patch If you would like to learn to grow food, i can help - you can….👇 💚 sign up on my email list for free growing tips 💚 grab my ebooks- if you find gardening books confusing - then mjne are for you! 💚 jOIN my online program - it gets you growing food first go! #inmypatch #gardening #vegetablegarden #asiangreens #growingfood #beginnergardener #learntogrow #howtogrowfood #gardentok ♬ original sound - In My Patch gardening
"Rather than chopping an entire Asian green out of the ground, just choose a few of your biggest plants and steal a couple of the biggest leaves of each plant," she says.
"By leaving the plant in the ground, you're actually allowing these little baby leaves to grow bigger," she says.
How it's working
This harvesting method will help you maximize your garden's yield. By making smaller, more frequent harvests, you'll also cut down on food waste by picking only what you need.
Why grow your own food instead of buying it at the store? Home-grown produce typically tastes better and is more nutritious than store-bought produce, as you can harvest your fruits and veggies at peak ripeness and use them immediately.
The benefits of gardening extend beyond good food. Many studies show that gardening increases feelings of happiness and belonging and reduces levels of stress.
Spending time in the garden isn't just good for your mind. It's excellent for your physical health, too. Digging, planting, harvesting — gardening is a moderate-intensity exercise, according to the American Heart Association. Plus, aside from being physically fit, people who garden may have a lower risk for diseases like cancer and diabetes.
Beyond the health and environmental benefits, gardening can provide significant savings on your grocery bills.
Whether you're a gardening novice or a certified green thumb, TCD's guide to growing your own food is full of tips and tricks that make gardening easy and fun.
Here's another: have a basil plant at home? Rather than picking individual leaves, cutting off leaves above a node will kick-start its production, resulting in even more of the herb for you to enjoy.
What people are saying
TikTok users appreciated the simple trick, with one commenter calling it "genius."
"Your great advice is exactly what I do … Thanks for teaching new budding gardeners," one grateful user said.
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