A LIST OF PLANT-IN-A-POT GROW KITS FOR GARDENING NEWBIES
I INTRODUCED MY SON to the basics of farming at the age of seven. My immediate supervisor gave me samples of the grow kits that were given to him by one of the companies who introduced the kit as a gift suggestion in time for Christmas.
The fruits have been rewarding ever since – my little boy appreciated the value of growing and eating the right kinds of fruits and vegetables, as well as giving importance to the hands that grow them, since, as he says, “it feels good and refreshing seeing the fruits of your hard work and ensuring that what is put on the plate is healthy and nutritious.”
Now that school days have been suspended until April 12 to help contain the spread of COVID-19, one of the activities we could suggest to our kids (and a good bonding moment) who are quarantined at home is gardening.
There are available grow kits locally which, aside from seeds, already come with fertilizer, plastic pot, and saucer, as well as planting media to ensure the plant’s growth, development, and harvest.
If kids have questions, there’s a plethora of online resources they can check out, with a trusted adult’s supervision, of course.
Some of the local companies that sell grow kits which can be sourced from local grocery stores, markets, as well as online are:
Ramgo’s Growkit – Kits come in variants of basil, chives, Italian parsley, pechay, rocket, arugula, stevia, and mongo (mung bean). Check it out at http:// ramgoseeds.com/
MNLGrowKits’ Sow & Gro – It is a grow kit which also includes coconut husk starter pot and plant marker. Plant varieties include sunflower, tomato, lettuce, marigold, hot pepper, ampalaya, patola, and others. Price range is around PhP180. Check it out at https://www.mnlgrowkits.com/
Qubo’s DIY Garden Kit – This garden kit which could be personalized by Urban Harvestry, Inc. is ideal for birthday, wedding, or event giveaways. Herb varieties include Genovese basil and sage, among others. This limited edition kit also comes with pebbles and organic fertilizer. Check it out at https://quboph. com
DownToEarth’s Grow Kit – Advocating vertical tower gardening, DownToEarth offers grow kits on purple corn, okra, striped eggplant, and cherry tomato to start with. It comes with a recycled egg tray as a pot and the seeds are open pollinated. Check it out at http://www.downtoearth.ph/urban-garden/
Other seed companies like East-West, Known You, and Allied Botanical, among others, although not in the form of grow kits, also offer a complete agricultural product line up which could teach and inspire newbie gardeners fun and exciting gardening activity, especially now that food is of the essence.