Robert Louis Stevenson said, "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant." A prime example of this phrase is 11-year-old Ezra Acomb, a young gardener with an entrepreneurial spirit. His first selling adventure was at the recent Green Goddess Fair, which quickly made him one of the favorite locals selling their homegrown plants. Acomb introduced a modest number of plants along with his knowledge to the attendees that stopped by.
As a young man already propagating plants in his mind and the dirt, Acomb has an unusually mature interest in horticulture, by recognizing the value of seeds. Drawing from his own father's interest in backyard gardening, as well as his grandparents on both sides, Acomb leaped into the hobby of growing plants with a fascination beyond his average peers.
"My interest in growing from seeds was sparked in the second grade when my science project was designed around different soil applications. I experimented with different natural soil additives, even adding pebbles, just to see what would grow faster and stronger."
From that point on, Acomb said he was hooked on learning more about plants through various books, brochures, and seed catalogs. He used the internet to learn about native Nevada plants and began applying the proper climate zone when ordering seeds. Acomb's friend, John Duncan, soon joined in on his process of researching, and they began testing seeds in a makeshift, indoor greenhouse in the mudroom of his home, getting full permission from his parents first.
Acomb explained, "My first plant was Feverfew because I suffer with migraines and I found out this plant had many natural remedies, including headache relief. I decided to grow it and I make a small ball out of the leaves and eat it. Learning about eatable plants is a benefit when I select the seeds that I buy."
This young gardener has already begun networking with some locally established farm owners, such as his new friends, Jamie Sammons of Two Raven's Farm and Stacey Fisk from Fisk Farm Herbs, who both shared seeds, plants, and advice with Acomb. As Acomb shared, "Plant people like plant people and it's a benefit to live in an agricultural area that is full of people who share a love for their plants." Acomb admitted being fortunate enough to have his neighbor, Miss Michelle, to get additional gardening advice from her as she is an expert grower in her own right.
When asked about his favorite plants, Acomb admitted a love for herbs as he enjoyed eating fresh pesto and using fresh ingredients from the garden.
"I still like to experiment with cuttings and want to get into grafting plants someday. Learning about shady plants and ones that need bright sun has been necessary for success, as everything has its own particular patterns."
Acomb showed off a healthy asparagus plant that was visually quite happy, growing in a semi-shady location in his garden. He also introduced a planting technique using hay bales layered with dirt and seeded in some flowers for a unique planting box idea.
Acomb's final advice: "I never buy what I can't grow, so I would give that advice to any kid that is wanting to start growing plants. Check the zone on the seed packet and get a soil tester to create the correct growing conditions. Watering is a needed routine, so plan for those schedules too. And the containers are important because some plants will need lots of room to spread out, while others, like onions, just grow straight up."
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