By Darion Newkirk, 18, Youth Farm Participant
As I was researching vegetables that are easy to grow in Florida, three stood out to me. Broccoli, cabbage, and collards can grow with very little effort.
Broccoli is an easy-to-grow plant that takes around 80 to 100 days. It doesn’t need much attention at all; you only need one to one and a half inches of water per week if it doesn’t rain.
It is a good food to eat with a ton of nutrients. Broccoli is a good source of fiber and protein, and contains iron, potassium, calcium, selenium and magnesium as well as the vitamins A, C, E, and K.
Cabbage is another excellent and easy plant to grow. It is rich in nutrients and an excellent source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. It also has vitamin K, which is important for the health of your bones and the formation of blood clots after injury.
It takes about 85 to 110 days when planted from a seed, and you only have to water one to one and a half inches, the same as the broccoli. It’s great to add to things like salads, stews, soups, and coleslaw.
Lastly, collards are some of my favorite things to grow. They taste great and are even better for your body. Collard greens are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium; they are a rich source of vitamin K and a good source of iron, vitamin B-6, and magnesium.
Collards only need about 80 days to mature from seed to harvest. They don’t take very long to grow, and they are delicious. You must water them one to one and a half inches a week if it’s not raining (similar to cabbage and broccoli). You can’t ask for anything better.
If you and your kids grow these vegetables together, they might even eat them since they put time and effort into it. You can even eat these vegetables raw if that’s what you’d prefer.
Growing Tips
- It’s best if you have good soil for your plants as they will be all the better for it.
- If your soil starts looking dry you should water the plants.
- You can measure the amount of rainfall with a rain gauge left in the garden.
- Be sure to pluck any weeds you see as they steal the nutrients from your plants.
