Do you know where your salad comes from? You can! Growing your own leafy greens is surprisingly easy, even if you don’t have a big backyard or traditional garden space. With just a few pots or a raised bed, you can grow your own greens and enjoy this delicious and healthy produce nearly year-round (depending on your planting zone).
Here’s why growing your own greens – lettuce, spinach, kale, and more – is worth the effort, and how you can get started, no matter your experience level.
Why grow your own greens?
1. You’ll know exactly where your food came from.
There’s something satisfying about harvesting food from your own backyard. There is no mystery about where it was grown, what it came in contact with, how fresh it is, or how long it sat in transit – just crisp, fresh greens grown by you.
2. You control what goes on your food.
Commercial crops are often treated with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. By growing your own, you can skip the chemicals entirely or choose safer, more natural alternatives.
3. You reduce your risk of foodborne illness.
When you grow your own, you dramatically cut the risk of contamination from pathogens like E. coli and Listeria. A clean harvest from your home garden is one of the safest ways to enjoy leafy greens.
4. Peak freshness means peak flavor.
Store-bought greens are harvested, washed, packaged, shipped, and shelved, often losing quality along the way. When you grow your own greens, you can clip your greens just moments before mealtime for the absolute best flavor.
5. You get maximum nutritional value.
Leafy greens are rich in essential vitamins and minerals, but those nutrients start to degrade quickly after harvest. Homegrown greens retain more of their nutritional punch because you’re eating them fresh from the soil. They’re packed with vitamins A, C, and K, as well as folate, iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. A single cup of raw spinach provides nearly 200% of your daily vitamin K, over 50% of your vitamin A, and a significant dose of vitamin C – all key nutrients that help maintain health and vitality, especially as we age.
6. Leafy greens support healthy aging.
For older adults, leafy greens do more than add color to the plate – they support multiple systems in the body that tend to need more care as we get older.
- Bone health: Vitamins K and calcium help preserve bone density and reduce the risk of fractures, a concern for postmenopausal women and for seniors in general. Collard greens, in particular, are excellent sources of calcium.
- Heart health: Greens are naturally rich in nitrates, which may help lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function. Fiber from greens also supports healthy cholesterol levels and blood sugar regulation.
- Cognitive support: Antioxidants like lutein, beta-carotene, and vitamin E – abundant in greens like kale and spinach – have been linked to slower cognitive decline in older adults. In fact, a 2018 study from Rush University found that seniors who ate one serving of leafy greens a day had brain function comparable to people 11 years younger.
- Eye health: Lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids found in leafy greens, are known to protect against age-related macular degeneration and support overall vision.
Digestive wellness: Fiber and magnesium promote regularity and a healthy gut, helping prevent constipation, which becomes more common with age.
7. You’ll save money.
Have you noticed how expensive organic greens have gotten? A single packet of seeds costs less than a box of baby spinach – and keeps producing for weeks. A $3 investment in seed can yield dozens of salads over the growing season.
8. You’ll reduce plastic waste.
Plastic salad tubs, clamshells, and produce bags are tough on the environment. Growing your own means skipping the packaging altogether. Just rinse and enjoy.
9. It’s a more sustainable way to eat.
When you grow food at home, you’re cutting out the fossil fuels needed for refrigeration, long-haul shipping, and commercial packaging. It’s a small act with a big impact – especially when done at scale in communities.
10. Gardening is good for the body and soul.
Tending to a garden offers gentle exercise, stress relief, and a sense of accomplishment. For seniors, gardening can provide a meaningful daily routine, promote mobility, and even reduce symptoms of anxiety or depression. It’s also a wonderful way to connect with family – kids and grandkids love helping in the garden, and sharing harvests builds bonds across generations.
6 Big Benefits of Gardening for Seniors
How to grow your own greens
- Start small. A few pots or a 3×3 raised bed is plenty.
- Pick easy crops. Try leaf lettuce, kale, spinach, arugula, or Swiss chard.
- Use good soil. Choose organic potting mix or compost-rich garden soil.
- Water consistently. Greens like evenly moist soil but not soggy roots.
- Harvest often. Clip outer leaves and leave the center to keep plants producing.
- Check your zone. Visit the United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map to see when to plant in your region.
Simple Recipe: Kari’s 5-Minute Backyard Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 cups mixed garden greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, or chard)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- Pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- Optional toppings: cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, sunflower seeds, goat cheese
Directions:
- Rinse and dry your greens. (I use a salad spinner, which doubles as storage in the fridge.)
- Toss with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Add your favorite toppings.
- Serve immediately and enjoy the taste of homegrown freshness!
