We're big fans of green smoothies! These quick, drinkable snacks are a delicious and refreshing way to make sure you get your daily dose of veggies. With a few supplies and a little bit of care, you can grow many of the best vegetables for smoothie making!
Here are some tips for growing the five best vegetables to toss into your blender!
Kale
The beautifully ruffly leaves of kale have been touted as a superfood, and they're wildly popular for adding nutrition to smoothies and juices. There are many varieties of kale you can grow, so why not try a few different types to find your favorite?
Kale plants continually grow new leaves, and picking the leaves encourages even more growth, so start harvesting once the leaves are about the size of your hand. For best results, harvest your kale twice a week.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are excellent for smoothies because they contain lots of water, and are high in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin K. There are also many varieties of cucumbers available, so you can choose a variety that suits you best.
You can buy cucumbers as bedding plants, but they're also really easy to start from seed. Train these fast-growers to climb a ladder or trellis to keep your cukes off the soil and easy to harvest.
Carrots
Carrots are also an excellent addition to smoothies. Carrots are loaded with lots of beta-carotene, biotin, potassium, and vitamin B6. These powerhouse veggies are quite easy to grow from seed. You can grow them in deep pots or garden beds with good, loamy soil.
Three weeks before the last frost, you can sprinkle your carrot seeds onto the soil. Gently rake the soil surface with your fingers to disperse the seeds evenly, cover with another half an inch of soil, and water. Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate. Once the leaves are about 2 inches tall, pluck out smaller seedlings until you're left with about an inch of space between the strongest plants.
Spinach
Spinach might be one of the most popular green smoothie ingredients. It's packed with iron, fiber, and other nutrients, and it's also super easy to grow. However, spinach is a cool-weather crop, and it's at risk of bolting (going to seed) during hot weather. There are several different varieties of spinach available, and some do better in warmer temperatures. If you'd like to keep growing it all summer, pick a cool-season variety for spring and fall, and a warm-season variety for summer.
Spinach doesn't need much; it'll grow in shallow containers with just a few inches of soil. To guarantee a steady harvest all season, plant a new row of seeds every 2-3 weeks.
Celery
Like cucumbers, celery is an excellent addition to smoothies because it is high in water. Celery also offers lots of folate, potassium, and vitamins A and K. Homegrown celery also has a way better flavor than the store-bought stuff! Celery is also a cool-season crop and requires a relatively long growing season. It's easy enough to grow, but it does need to be started indoors early—10-12 weeks before the last frost date. Before you plant them, soak celery seeds in room temperature water overnight to help speed up the germination process.
Because of its high water content, celery does require consistently moist soil, so a drip irrigation system or soaker hose can be helpful. As your celery grows, you may want to tie the plants so that the stalks grow straight up and stay close together.
If you're ready to start growing some of your own green smoothie ingredients, stop by one of our garden center locations on your next grocery trip! If you'd like, you can order online, or you can call and order over the phone. We'll get your smoothie garden supplies ready for curbside pickup or local delivery.
