How do you know which plants will be the right ones for YOU to grow?
Many folks dream of growing their favorite plants and fungi but feel intimidated by the available options. It’s been called the “Paradox of Choice”: we can become overwhelmed, even paralyzed into inaction by the feeling that we could make a ‘bad’ selection, which we’ll later regret.
Once, you probably thought regular garden plants, the ‘run-of-the-mill’ veggies like carrots and peas, were straightforward. And even though they can be, once you start growing your own, you come to appreciate that among numerous heritage, heirlooms, and hybrids are even more subtypes that will grow bigger, or taller, or take longer to mature.
Shifting into a cultivator’s perspective can often bring gratitude for experiences of simple choices and blissful naiveté one might have as a consumer. Besides those you’ve sampled from others’ gardens, how do you know which will be the right ones for YOU to grow? Finding the right match is very individual; it can be a bit like dating or making new friends. You might test out a few (or many) different garden partners, trying to learn more about your needs, likes and dislikes, discovering surprising attractions and uncovering important dealbreakers along the way.
Most of all, you want assurance that the time and care you invest in growing will be returned to you in kind. In this article, we’ll go over ways to narrow your search and make choosing where to start less daunting.
Know Thyself
Start with an honest self-evaluation of your budget, commitment, ideal (and attainable) growing conditions, and abilities. Have no shame in your game if this rules out some shiny selections for now. You never know what the future holds!
Cut Down The Initial Investment
The sense of risk can be compounded by the perceived investments required to succeed. What you can spend on growing, including crop selection, can range from frugal to frivolous.
Random, free seeds or starting cultures may fall into your lap, but you will have little idea what the living organism will be like. If you’re prepared to go on a “mystery date” with no expectations, this can be the ticket to testing your skills and set-up without worrying that you’ll be on the hook for an expensive initial purchase.
If the costs of cultivation are already a concern, it may be worth measuring the price of plants or starter cultures in relation to feeling a greater sense of safety in your investment. Going with something familiar, grown commonly by many people, may not be as thrilling as seeking a unique experience. Still, the upside is there will be more of a community to turn to for advice. If you can access a nursery or know someone with more experience who can set you up with seedlings or spawn, much of the most delicate and time-sensitive work will have been done for you — even better!
Are you All In, or is this a Casual Thing?
This can be a nuanced discussion, but you should have it with yourself. Some varieties are very adaptable, while others are pretty particular. If you’re new to cultivation, it can help to start with plants and mushrooms that have reputations for being distress-tolerant. If you make minor errors, your growing partners will hopefully be forgiving. If you’re willing and able to cope with frustration, feel ready to put your convenience on the backburner sometimes for the good of the grow.
Do They Want To Live Where You Want To Live?
The selection of plants and fungi can also be narrowed by the environment you will share.
If you’re an outdoor cat and don’t mind the bugs, dirt, hot sun, and other vagaries of the uncontrolled setting, consider whether the plants you would like to grow are likely to thrive in your local climate conditions. Seed and strain descriptions are fun to read, but when it comes to parsing which ones to pick, temperatures (starting/sowing, running/fruiting), feeding requirements, and days to maturity are as or more relevant than how tasty and pretty something looks. You can usually find something with comparable qualities that will do better than that big-name prizewinner from another region.
If you’d rather stay indoors, consider the plant’s expected space and temperature needs. These will restrict the size and number of growing/fruiting containers and the bulk of your overall yields. You might make up for that by choosing types known for higher potency.
What Excites You?
It’s totally fine to base your choice on reasons others might find silly or weird. You think the name is funny? Love the color? It might be “wrong” to someone else, but right for you. Getting jazzed about one option among many might be the best guiding factor; this passion can drive you to explore the boundaries of your ambition, keep your focus, and make sacrifices that feel worth the journey.
Don’t Believe the Hype
Remember that promotional images show the peak performance of the plant or mushroom you’re growing. If the source of the photos shares their methods and conditions, you can compare your situation and attempt to replicate their approach. Experience and many other factors (some of which could be beyond your reach or part of the grower’s own “secret sauce”) contributed to that optimal result.
Matchmaker, Matchmaker
If you’re still overwhelmed and are open but uncertain about what to grow, ask around! Someone in your network may be abundant with wisdom or have sharable starting materials that they understand intimately and can advise you about. People can get very excited about spreading the joy of growing (I know I do!), so try not to be shy about seeking help in making selections.
There’s a Key (or More Than One) for Every Lock
Ultimately, the solution to reducing anxiety is to remind yourself that even if you experience some disappointment, there is almost always an opportunity to learn. It is not a measure of your worth, competency, or capability if you can’t get a chosen varietal to work. You might need to “fail better” a few times or try something different before you find your groove.
