Plant A Seed Day 2021: One Seed Can Offer Abundant Harvests
March 20th, 2021, isn’t just the first day of spring. It’s also the third annual Plant A Seed Day. Launched in 2019 by Big Green and Kimbal Musk, Plant A Seed Day is on a mission to educate children and adults alike, bringing the benefits and joys of gardening and growing food to as many people as possible.
Over the last two years, as they state on their website, “nearly half a million people have planted 1.6 million seeds in their homes, schools, and communities, a small reminder that together we can make a tremendous difference in the world around us.” And it all starts with the planting of just one seed. Which got me thinking… How much food can you get from only one seed? How much can one plant provide? The answer may surprise you.
Tomatoes
Depending on where you live growing tomatoes, could be a little more work (they love heat and sunshine). However, anyone who has ever tasted a fresh, homegrown tomato right off the vine knows how amazingly delicious they are. And a well-cared-for tomato plant rewards your hard work by providing upwards of 200 tomatoes per season.
Cucumbers
A simple tomato and cucumber salad is a wonderful, fresh, and clean side to any meal. And homegrown tomatoes and cukes take it to the next level. While you aren’t getting 200 cucumbers per plant, one healthy plant – from just one seed – can bring you up to 15 small or 10 large cucumbers during its three-week harvest period.
Potatoes
Are you looking for starch to go with that salad? How about homemade french fries using potatoes you grew yourself? In good conditions, you can expect to grab about 5-10 potatoes from just one plant. While that isn’t a ton, it is a nice yield from only one seed potato. And remember, you can grow potatoes from other potatoes.
Broccoli
Our kids might be a little less excited about this one, but maybe if they help plant the seed and watch it grow, it will make it more fun to eat. Broccoli will produce one central head that you can harvest (cut it with about 5 inches of stalk and at a small angle). But wait, there’s more. Once that main head is harvested, the plant will often produce several smaller side heads that you can also eat.
What seed are you going to plant this year?
Jesse Singer
Jesse grew up obsessed with movies and so it only makes sense that he graduated from McGill University with a degree in Political Science. He then put that degree to good use with a job at a video store. After that he spent months backpacking around Europe – a continent that he has been back to visit many times since. Jesse is super curious and loves to learn and explore new subjects. For the last 15+ years he has been writing online for a number of different sites and publications covering everything from film and television to website reviews, dating and culture, history, news and sports. He’s worn many hats – which is ironic because he actually loves wearing hats and he has many different ones.
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