An urban gardener showed the internet a peculiar gardening method that can work even in the city.
They posted a brief video of potatoes grown in a bucket in the Reddit community r/gardening, which now boasts 5.6 million members.
"3 week update on my potatoes growing in buckets. We've struck gold!" the Redditor wrote.
Growing your own food can be challenging, but it can also be extremely rewarding. For one, knowing that you are consuming foods that you produced yourself can save you money and bring about a sense of accomplishment and pride at the idea of your newfound self-sufficiency.
But the benefits go beyond personal emotions and finances.
For one, potatoes bought at the store are often wrapped in plastic, a material that is inundating our oceans, harming marine wildlife, and even ending up in our bodies, which has health officials concerned.
Unfortunately, only about 5% of plastic waste in the U.S. is recycled.
Also, studies have shown that canned and packaged foods can have a range of chemical contaminants, including metals, that can affect our health as they may stick to the food they were meant to protect from outside contaminants.
By growing your food, you are preventing the production and disposal of all these single-use coverings that are detrimental to the environment, while also protecting your health.
Commenters had plenty to say.
"The third bucket will get harvested in another two weeks to see if we can get even more potatoes. Little bit of urban farming trial & error!" the original poster wrote.
Another chimed in by telling those concerned about the season, "Definitely not too late to plant. Get 'em in!"
"Well this is awesome. I didn't know it was a thing," another expressed.
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