Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I'm in grad school, in a tiny studio apartment. If it is allowed, I'd love to grow a plant -- better air quality, it's something green. Any tips on what kind of plant (including herbs I might cook with), or the best place to get one in NYC?

Thanks!

flag	asked Oct 3 2011 at 0:19 Caleb the Hobbit 4,506●5●24

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i love my aloe plant, snap off a piece when i need some! – Mallory Oct 3 2011 at 1:12

I have to give a big thunbs up on the aloe...my mother actually treated two of my burns with the plant she grew in the attic. Awesome plant. – JayJay Oct 3 2011 at 2:11

I agree with aloe. Looks great and damn handy. – Korion Oct 3 2011 at 13:29

bonus: aloe vera juice is also great for the digestive tract ^_^ – Allie Oct 3 2011 at 14:18

What may also be a good idea is garden cress. It grows extremely fast and is very nutritious. Nice taste too. – Korion Oct 3 2011 at 19:10

curious · Answer 1 · 2011-10-03 00:55:40Z UTC

Kitchen herbs grow beautifully inside. Try basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme...I used to have a windowbox in my apartment in Brooklyn, and they all did just fine, provided they were getting enough water and sun.

The farmer's markets (Union Square if you're in Manhattan, Grand Army Plaza if you're in Brooklyn) can sell you seedlings and young plants, but really, it's probably cheapest and barely more work to buy seed packets.

thhq · Answer 2 · 2011-10-03 00:37:51Z UTC

I've kept a basil going for 2 years, and it still produces good leaves for garnish, though not enough for making pesto. If it's warm in the summer it goes outside, and indoors it takes as much light as is available. Trader Joes was selling 1 gallon size last spring for $4.

Bread-Eating Beelzebub · Answer 3 · 2011-10-03 01:05:01Z UTC

This was in Brooklyn where sunlight is a little more common, but I had lemongrass, basil, thyme, rosemary, and a bunch of lettuce plants growing inside for quite some time until I moved and gave them away. You can get plants at the local farmer's markets, I think these were from UNion Square and Grand Army Plaza, but a lot of markets sell them. I got the pots at a local gardening store and the soil there too.

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Allie · Answer 4 · 2011-10-03 14:18:03Z UTC

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It was a kinda crazy idea ... but I googled 'how to grow herbs in my apartment' and found this blog post:

Shazam!

answered Oct 3 2011 at 14:18

Allie
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Dragonfly · Answer 5 · 2011-10-03 02:38:02Z UTC

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For clean air check this out:

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/houseplants.html

answered Oct 3 2011 at 2:38

Dragonfly
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That's awesome! – Korion Oct 3 2011 at 19:09

air_hadoken · Answer 6 · 2011-10-03 04:01:35Z UTC

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A friend of mine started growing avocado trees from pits in her home in Massachusetts, and I thought it was quite a cool idea. Stick some toothpicks in the pit and suspend it halfway into a glass of water. It's best to do this a few at a time; there's about a 40% chance that each one will sprout, and it will take a good 4-6 weeks. Once one sprouts a shoot, plant it into a pot, slightly exposed, for it to take root.

answered Oct 3 2011 at 4:01

air_hadoken
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	Every time I eat an avocado, my mother tries this out. This is the 4th time she tried and it still failed :D. Anything we might be doing wrong? – Korion Oct 3 2011 at 13:30
	How long are you waiting until you call it failed? Every resource I've read about it says it takes a month or more. – air_hadoken Oct 3 2011 at 15:27
	Also, I tried planting a few of them outside in a pot this summer, but the skunk that lives under my back porch dug and chewed them up within a week. Lesson learned. Definitely keep them indoors when trying to start them. – air_hadoken Oct 3 2011 at 15:36
	I think my mother throws it away after 3 weeks. I'll keep trying anyways :) – Korion Oct 3 2011 at 19:08

I want to grow a plant in my apartment in Manhattan

6 Answers