Have you ever considered growing a Mason Jar Garden? You may have never considered it; but growing plants in mason jars is a quick and easy way to have a small amount of food for your family.
While growing garden plants in mason jars will not provide a lot of food for your family, it will provide herbs and other small plants to help you feed them. After all, what is a meal without the proper seasonings?
How Do I Grow Plants in Mason Jars?
Wide Mouth Jars Work Best
Before you plant your mason jar garden, you will want to make certain you have the supplies you need on hand. Wide mouth mason jars are a far better option than regular mouth. The wider mouth gives your plant the room it needs to spread out once it starts to bear fruit. You can use a regular mouth jar, but given the choice, opt for a wide mouth.
Pebbles or Stones Help with Drainage
You will also need to have small pebbles or stones on hand. These will allow you to fill the bottom of the mason jar slightly so you are able to raise the plant above the rim of the jar. To do this, fill each jar about ¼ of the way full with small pebbles. Aquarium pebbles are perfect layers of stones.
Good Soil Is Key
After you have added the stones, fill your jars to the bottom of the rim with potting soil. Since you are likely starting your mason jar garden from seed, it is recommended that you use seed starting soil specifically designed for that purpose.
Seed starting soil is often mixed with more nutrients than regular topsoil and can help your seeds get off to a good start. If you are using a compost mixture with your soil, be sure to mix it before adding it to the jar. You will not have room to do so once you’ve filled each jar.
Prep Before Planting
Once you have done all the prep work, it’s time to plant your seeds! It can be helpful to wet the soil down slightly before planting.
What Foods Can I Grow in a Mason Jar Garden?
There are quite a few foods that will grow well in mason jars, but if you’re looking to grow a mason jar garden that will do more than simply season your meals, the ideas below are a great place to start.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes may not have been your first thought when you were trying to figure out which foods would grow in mason jars, but yes, you can grow tomatoes in a mason jar! The key to a successful crop is the type of tomatoes you’re trying to grow. To grow tomatoes in a mason jar, you will need to grow varieties such as cherry, Tiny Tim or Green Grape. Bigger varieties like Roma or Beefsteak will grow too large for your jar to contain.
Growing Tomatoes At Home
Making and Using Tomato Powder
Leaf Lettuce
Leaf lettuce is great for salads, sandwiches and wraps. It’s also super easy to grow in mason jars! Even better is that leaf lettuce requires very little maintaining which means you will likely only have to water it occasionally. Check the soil every few days and water when it is dry. Be mindful though not to water it too much. You will drown the plant if you do. Consider planting a Mesclun Mix in your jars.
How to Grow Lettuce in Your Backyard
Chives
No baked potato is complete without chives and since they’re a super small growing plant. They’re perfect for growing in a mason jar. Chives are better off started in a seed starting peat pot rather than directly in the mason jar. This allows them to have a firm start before being transplanted.
To transplant them, remove enough potting soil from the jar, place the seedling then top off any soil to hold it covered and firmly in place.
Try growing Garlic Micogreen Chives
Growing Herbs in Jars
A mason jar herb garden is a wonderful way to grow your kitchen herbs. You’ll have fresh herbs for all your recipes!
Parsley
Parsley is a staple in most Italian recipes as well as being an amazing garnish and bad breath treatment. Since it grows well in mason jars, it just makes sense to include it in your mason jar garden. Plant it directly from seed or transplant it after it has grown into a seedling. It is a hardy plant that will tolerate being transplanted. When harvesting your fresh parsley, be sure not to take too much off the plant itself. You may just find it growing back and replenishing itself.
The 10 Easiest Herbs To Grow in a Pot
Green Onions
Green onions add a special flavor to your meals and they’re super easy to grow or regrow in a mason jar. To do so, you will need two mason jars; one with distilled or purified water and the other with the potting soil. Using green onions you already have, cut them down to just above the white bulb.
Next, place the green onion, root side down in the jar of mason jar. This will kickstart the green onion plant to begin growing again. Once the shoots are 4-5” long, plant them in the mason jar with soil. If you don’t plant them, the plant itself will weaken and die out, but if you keep it trimmed and watered in soil, you can regrow over and over again.
How to Grow Scallions in Your Backyard
Try growing Bunching Green Onions
Garlic
Finally, if you want to grow garlic at home, consider growing it in pint sized mason jars. Since it grows under the soil, you will need to layer soil on top of the rocks followed by your garlic clove followed by more soil. Garlic is a cold weather winter crop which means that you’ll want to keep your jars stored in a cool area away from direct heat.
Keep the soil moist and when it’s ready to harvest simply grab the green shoot and pull it up out of the soil. The mason jar method of growing garlic works well for someone who does not want to grow a large crop. On average, you will only be able to plant one clove in each mason jar, however, one clove will grow into one full bulb making it a perfect method for a single person or a couple who do not cook large meals.
All You Need to Know About Growing Garlic
Pickled Garlic Recipe
All Natural Homemade Garlic Powder
Grow a Mason Jar Garden
Just about any herb will do well in growing in mason jars if you follow these simple guidelines.
Growing a mason jar garden can be fun and great for beginning gardeners. Have you tried growing plants in mason jars? What has worked for you with gardening mason jars?