Organic Indoor Garden: Potted Plants End of Week 2

Organically Grown Bloomsdale Spinach

    Whenever I talk about spinach, Popeye always comes up in the conversation without fail. People don't associate spinach and muscle growth for no reason. Spinach is one of the healthiest and most flavorful leafy green that everyone has the most access to. So far this has been a moderate rate of growth and the plant is keeping that keen green colour. During last spring my rate of growth was exponentially higher, I used more nitrogen outside which is what any breed of Spinach thrives off of. Here I'm using half as much nitrogen which is still a great growth rate but it could be a higher rate if I added more.

Organically Grown Flamingo Pink Swiss Chard

    This is the first time I have grown any form of Swiss Chard, I've heard and read loads of information on this. Swiss Chard is an alternative to Kale, yet with its' distinctive Collard Greens after taste. I chose Flamingo Pink just because I thought twas a fun and pretty colour to add to my garden. I planted these seeds a week later than every other plant in my Organic Indoor Garden. I actually received these seeds late from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I wouldn't recommend buying from them, my gardening schedule is completely off this year and it is going to be until my Organic Outdoor Fall Garden that this schedule gets fixed. I have only seen pictures of this plant fully matured and it looks amazing!

Organically Grown Lacinato "Dinosaur" Kale (Italian)

    I love eating kale and I love growing kale. I use it in soups, stews, as a garnish for steak, as a side dish, with the main course, for juicing, in a salad and dehydrate it as chips. It's a wonderful leafy green and extremely healthy for you. The leaf of this plant will turn Nero or black and have a scale-like texture on the leaf which is beautiful. Lacinato or Dinosaur Kale is a winter hardy crop, I am currently growing mine in my Outdoor Organic Winter Garden with some Red Russian Kale.

Organically Grown Tronchuda Kale (Portuguese) 

    My newest breed of Kale I am growing! I'm super excited for this one. I planted these a week late as well due to some rubbish of an excuse I was given, but it's a decent growth rate. I'm hoping these guys will catch up with the rest of my plants and be on schedule. This specific breed is known for being used the most in stews and soups, which is exactly what I am going to use it for first. Eventually I will try to bake a couple of the leaves with some spices to make a crisp out of it for a hiking snack.

Organically Grown Yellow Wonder Strawberry

    This is my first time trying to grow strawberries, so I thought why not and get something different. I have read that Yellow Wonder Strawberries are small, yellowish white in colour and pack quite a punch on your palette. Some people have said that the fruit has a hint of watermelon to it and is fairly sweet. If I grow enough I want to have some with fresh Angel Cake. That is my crack people! I will definitely post a recipe once I grow enough Yellow Wonder Strawberries.


  ¤  That is it for this update guys, I hope you've enjoyed the growth and progress each plant is taking. I thank you for sharing this grow-log with me and keep on the look out for my future updates. ¤

Until next time, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing!!

HyperSmash

Lettuce in a Pot: End of Week 2

    Nothing is better than a show in progress, that in itself is a righteous reward. I have to be honest and say that within this past week I have not been as attentive to my indoor garden as I should of been. None the less, here is my update on my potted indoor plants.

Organic Eros Escarole 

    Eros escarole is one of the most pungent of escarole I have ever grown. This growth is some-what slow considering how fast they grew when I planted them in one of my raised garden beds in spring. I am going to try the "cut and come again" technique for my escarole so I can see if the leaves it reproduces are actually high in nutritional value. (Certain leafy greens should not be used with the "cut and come again" technique. Look out for a future blog post on my list of "cut and come again" leafy greens.)

Organic Giant Caesar Lettuce

    Look at the growth, it's amazingly inspiring. Giant Caesar Lettuce has to be a leafy green that I recommend and use in almost all of the salad mixes I make and eat. It is that divine to me. I have also wanted to try using this specific leafy green as "lettuce wraps", the size and width of the leaf make it the perfect candidate for such uses. I would recommend this specific lettuce for someone who is first starting out gardening, it is extremely easy to take care of and can reproduce well with the "cut and come again" technique.

Organic Gourmet European Salad Mix (Mesclun)

    Such a fast starter and producer this Mesclun is, requires minimal grooming and is a great for beginners. Mesclun usually only takes between twenty to thirty days to fully mature, which is great for people whom enjoy fresh grown salads. This particular mix will only need salad dressing to accompany it no seasoning because of the different mild flavours each leafy green being grown produces, which is an amazing healthy feat. I will be enjoying these guys fairly soon with some home made salad dressing that I will definitely have a post on for you guys to spread the recipe!

I hope this inspires you to start your own grow-log or maybe into eating healthier. Spread the word and pass on this clean feat!

Until next time, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing.


HyperSmash

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Review!

 ¤ 2/10 ¤  Usually round this time of year is when I start looking and ordering new organic seeds for my garden. I heard mixed reviews about Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, some being that they are good and others being that they completely cannot handle shipping seeds.

   Lets go with the Pros of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds first:

The Good

   The great thing about Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is that they are using the "Safe Seed Pledge" which means no Genetically Engineered Seeds or Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). So all of their seeds are completely fine to use without worries of that rubbish. Second, they have quite the array of seeds to choose from and they are currently working with Wild Boar Farms, who have been creating new strains the normal way.

The Bad
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds does NOT send you any form of tracking. They stated in their email after my purchase that I would receive shipping information and I should receive my package within one week. I HAD to email Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds five separate times. First Email was to ask when I would receive shipping information, for that email I received a reply stating my items were shipped. Second Email was to ask why I haven't received my seed packets after a week, which is when I was told I would receive my seeds. Third Email was a complaint email stating I never received my seeds and asking yet again for Tracking Information, I didn't receive an email for tracking, all they did was send me an email stating everything was shipped again. Fourth Email was to ask why I was promised Tracking Information and never received any, Did NOT get a reply back. Fifth Email was given TWO weeks after initial order stating I didn't receive them yet. No reply still!

   I got my seed packets THREE WEEKS after my order, which is completely UNPROFESSIONAL. For all the great amazing products Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds had to offer, I would NEVER BUY FROM THEM AGAIN! I do NOT recommend this seed company to anyone, sure they took the safe seed pledge and are working with amazing farmers to gain more rare seeds for their collection. But it's not worth it, their employees whom handle shipping don't care about your gardening cycle or when you need to plant seeds. To me it seems they just want your money, then to hell with you if you don't receive your seeds or not. DO NOT support this company, there are many others that benefit gardeners and actually consider their gardening schedule, Bake Creek Heirloom Seeds does none of this.

   The seeds I bought were Yellow Strawberries, Tronchuda Kale, Pink Flamingo Swiss Chard, Wild Boar Farms Blue Beauty Tomato, Spinach and a Pepper seed packet. These seeds are okay but totally not worth the hassle Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Shipping Employees give. I give this company a 2 out of 10 because of their poor customer service and their poor shipping.





HyperSmash

Indoor Garden Solo Cup Update: Start of Week 2

    How amazing is all that growth?! Look at the vibrant green showing. It is just absolutely awe inspiring that with my little effort of help, has granted these plants the ability to produce healthy and fresh energy for me to consume. I water each one once every other day, which is about when the soil starts to dry out. That in itself takes only about 5 minutes of my time! I'm quite amazed with the progress, for me this show of growth is usually between week three and week four. I am going to grow everything in these Solo Cups until about 9 weeks so the roots will be super strong and healthy for when I transplant them outside into my outdoor garden. I will eventually thin out my tomatoes and peppers to their own individual Solo Cups, in order to let the plant mature properly.

    This is by far the cheapest way to go about getting your rare herbs for your signature dishes. You normally will pay $5.99 to $8.99 for an ounce of rare cooking herbs, but if you grow them it'll cost you around $1.00 to $1.50. Not only are you saving money, you are learning about the food you use and eventually can pass on your talent to other people so they can enjoy easy access to an item that costs quite a bit for what it's really worth at the Market.

    I cannot say enough how rewarding growing your own food can be, especially since it's started in a drink cup! Ever since I planted my first tomato plant, I started growing everything I could that is edible. I share this lifestyle with my family, friends, people I meet on the street and you my readers. I bought these cups at the dollar store, and they are completely efficient. The lights I am using is an one hundred watt fluorescent lights on a ballast. The cups are about a foot away from the lights right now to promote seed growth and to enhance the sprouting rate from the heat the light gives off. These plants should look really pretty around late January to early February.

    Nothings better than being able to share my life with you guys. It's awesome. I truly love gardening it is one of my greatest passions and it brings me peace to my life. A complete stress reliever. Try gardening sometime and may you sow your rewards to reap later! Until next time...

Keep it Green and Keep it Growing!







HyperSmash

Growing Healthy Organic Herbs For Your Cooking!

    I love the aroma of fresh garden herbs used in our kitchen. I would live in that smell if that was humanly possible. Everyone, everywhere uses herbs to cook and enhance the dish's flavour. I love using the harder to find strains of herbs because of the added effect they give to the dishes they are meant to be enhancing. I am currently propagating a few different breeds of herbs for my indoor garden. Everything you see is grown organically and I eventually will be making some seed packets to send out to any gardeners whom wish to grow these breeds. These herbs will be fully mature about late February to early March.

Christmas Basil - A Great Britain cross-bred Basil, mix of Thai and Genovese. Has a mulled-wine aroma which most people associate Christmas with, hence it's name.

German Thyme - I chose this specific breed because I can just not worry about it dying through Winter, for it is Winter hardy. My Lemon Thyme didn't make it this year so I am giving this breed a go.

Italian Oregano - The most popular Culinary Oregano because of the flavour not being over-powering to ones palette. A bit milder than Greek Oregano in my opinion.















    Nothing will ever beat fresh herbs, especially the smell of them. Potted herbs make great house decorations, just make sure to put it in a spot that gets enough fresh sunlight. When friends or relatives come over that pot of herbs will be a great conversation and maybe pass the idea of growing your own herbs to someone else.

Until next time, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing!

HyperSmash

Christmas Gift Ideas: Organic Tea

   I don't know about you, but I live for tea. I have to drink some everyday or it will throw my day off. Hot or cold, green or black, dried fruit or dried spices, I have a love for all flavours and aromas. My first memory with tea would have to be with my Nanna, and it was after playing long urging the day right before my nap. She would brew Darjeeling Black Tea and pour some cream into mine. That moment right then started me in my tea journey.

   After growing up and traveling the world, I found this store called "Teavana" online and they make specialty teas. These teas were so intricate that it opened a whole new universe of different flavours of tea for my disposal. At the store the minimum weight is 2 ounces of tea for a purchase. If you buy a pound of tea or more they will give you a percentage off of said purchase. Teavana also sells tea pots, tea cups, electric kettles, and tea sets. Which all make a tea lovers Christmas gift absolutely divine. Be prepared for giant tins of amazing healthy tea for the picking. The store also has a tea box which has different flavours of tea with canisters to keep your tea absolutely fresh and away from any form of light.

I recommend these

Pumpkin Spice Brûlée Oolong Tea

Monkey Picked Oolong Tea
Qi'Lan Fireside Oolong Tea
Toasted Nut Brûlée Oolong Tea
Six Summits Oolong Tea
Caramel Almond Amaretti Herbal Tea
Sweet Fruit Garden Herbal Tea
Golden Monkey Black Tea
English Breakfast Black Tea
Capital of Heaven Keemun Black Tea
Darjeeling de Triomphe Black Tea
Earl Grey Black Tea

I hope this list helps you narrow down which ones to look for, but always experiment with new teas. You'll find your next favourite palette pleaser this way.

Until next time, stay warm!

*Check out www.teavana.com for more tea products and information on specific blends.*

HyperSmash

Growing Healthy Food, Help Make This a Trend!

      Anyone can tell you that fresh fruits and vegetables taste so much better right from the source. It is only until you eat right from the source that you will realize the hype about it. For me, this is completely true. Once I started my gardens I haven't really shopped at the Market much other than for meats. Before I used to run a huge bill every time I went to get some groceries, as I imagine the majority of people who juice do.

       So why not take some space aside on your property for either a bed or potted garden and grow some of your favourite daily vegetables and fruits? It's cheaper in the long run, you get more crop for your money and it's a pretty addition for your landscape.

      You'll get more nutrition in your food than normal because you grew it and took the time and effort to research methods of doing so. If each and every family had their own produce garden, that would cut the cost of food around the world. It could possibly help towards fighting world hunger as well! As well as help giving the bees food throughout the year and promote their well being. If we lose our bees we as humans will be extinct in five years. Lets try to teach this way of living to younger generations and instill it in ourselves as well. Spread this cause!

Until next time, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing!


HyperSmash

The Right Kind Of Organic Soil For Seed Starting

    Everything we, as humans, need to survive on a daily basis can be grown from soil. Whilst the only way to truly grow a healthy nutritional-rich plant is from seed. Meaning that we will need some bags of soil. When you talk about soil for seed starting, you are going to have to make a checklist.

Seed Starting Soil
    ¤ Peat Moss (A compost of dead plant matter)
    ¤ Worm Castings (Nutritional Values)
    ¤ Vermiculite (Growing Medium)
    ¤ Steer Manure (Fertilizer)
    ¤ Dirt or Sand (Growing Medium)
 
   In your soil you are going to need amazing drainage, water retention, organic matter and nutrients for the best result. If you follow this checklist that should help better your outcome for your seeds and your future crop results. Remember if the top of your soil is damp, don't water! You can kill your seeds by over-watering and then you'll have no fruit from your labour! I hope this checklist helps you out, thanks for reading!!

Until next time,
Keep it Green and Keep it Growing!


HyperSmash

Radishes Organically Grown Indoors: Fast Healthy Organic Crop

Organic French Radish

    I started some French Radishes indoors a couple of days ago, and they already took off to a brilliant start. I decided on radishes for the fact of it only taking between twenty days to thirty-five days from seed to crop, and that it's loaded with nutrients. These sproutlings you see in the picture above are going to mature into a nice healthy-sized crop in no time at all. Right now they are in a coconut shell and manure mix with some vermiculite to act as an amazing growing medium.

   I'm so excited for these radishes! This is my fourth time planting this specific breed and it's one of my top favorites. I usually slice them to a half inch and pan fry it for a minute, then add them to my ramen mix. I've eaten them in a salad and roasted, which are both palate and visual eye-candy. I love just seeing the progress of my plants through my blog and I hope you enjoy this too.

Until next time, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing.

Ciao!

HyperSmash

Healthy Organic Onion Soup, Elegantly Home-made

When it's cold and dreary outside, for me, it means soup time. I just love having soup when its freezing. Letting it warm me up from the inside whilst I enjoy the delicious flavour. Nothing beats it. For today's soup my Fiancee and I decided it was best to make an Onion Soup. I never understood why everyone calls it a "French Onion Soup", there isn't anything French about it. This soup is made to be extremely rich.

First step is to get a stock pot, put some oil at the bottom, then drop your Oxtails filled with bone-marrow at the bottom to render. Only cook enough so the Oxtails turn slightly brown. 7-10 minutes on Medium Heat!

Whilst waiting for your Oxtails to brown, cut up some onions. They do not have to be uniformly cut, unless you want to do so like I did. I leave my onions roughly an inch thick. In total you will need 6-8 Medium Onions.

Once done cutting your Onions and once the Oxtails have indeed been browned, add your Onions to the stock pot to sweat. During this step, I add garlic and whatever seasonings to enhance the flavour. This time I added salt and pepper. About 20-30 minutes of sweating time.

After letting the onions sweat a bit, it's time to caramelize them.I add a couple bay leaves, some thyme, rosemary, and a portion of red wine. I prefer Cabernet Sauvignon over any particular red wines for this soup. It just works well with all the added components. Although I have tried using Port Beer, preferably a British Port, which also blends with the flavours quite nicely. Caramelize and Reduce Wine for as long as you want to. This is the stage where the flavour develops quite nicely.

This is what amazing caramelized onions look like. If yours looks like this, you're on the right path. Add about 12-14 Quarts of Stock, (2/3 Beef Stock-1/3 Vegetable Stock or 2/3 Beef Stock-1/3 Veal Stock) and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, bring down the heat to a simmer (tiny bubbles) and let the soup simmer for about a half hour before you eat.

Look at how delicious this is! I hope this helps you find a way to make a better more elegant onion soup for your family in this cold time of year. Thanks again and keep on the look out for more Healthy Organic Recipes!


HyperSmash

Growing Lettuce Indoors for Winter: Seeds Sprouting!

    I decided to start some salad greens indoors a couple of days ago, so I can have some fresh salad greens during the Winter season. I love the taste of a fresh salad, especially when I grew each leaf from seed. With growing your own greens you are in control of the actual flavor of the end product. To me, if I let my plant mature past the average harvest date, it develops a bitter note of taste. I grew some new salad greens I haven't had the chance to try to grow before. Here are some photos of my salad greens sprouting.

Organically Gourmet European Salad Mix 

I wanted to try this mix and see what all the fuss was about it being "gourmet". The mix contains; Arugula, Tres Fin Endive, Radicchio, New Red Fire, Galactic, Red Saladbowl and Forellenschluss. I'm hoping that this was a good choice to try a new mix on a whim.

Organic Giant Caesar Lettuce 

This lettuce is a favourite of mine and I just can't stop myself from constantly growing this specific variety. If you are a salad lover and a gardener, buy these seeds from any organic distributor immediately. You will thoroughly enjoy this lettuce, especially how it can withstand any salad dressing.

Organic Eros Escarole

Anyone can tell you that if you want to make your own salad it is going to cost you a little bit. All growing your own salad costs is good soil, water and some care. Nothing beats eating the freshest greens that are rich with healthy nutrients and vitamins. Try growing salad greens sometime and maybe you'll realize that. Until next time folks, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing! 

Stay tuned for future updates of my Winter Indoor Organic Salad Greens!

HyperSmash

Kale and You! Benefits and breeds of Healthy Leafy Greens!

Organic Nero di Toscana Kale

       Kale is known as one of the healthiest vegetables on our planet, and is categorized in the species Brassica oleracea. Which includes a variety of vegetables; broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussels sprouts. Kale even dates back to being consumed in the Middle Ages, that is right! Knights, Lords and Kings used to consume this nutrient rich vegetable constantly! The way majority of people identify different varieties are from the length of the stem, colour, and leaf shape. Each and every single Kale has a distinct taste, this I tell you through experience.

Organic Red Russian Kale

Cultivars

   Cultivar means that the plant or plants were Cultivated and are a Variety of said plant. That's how the term was made by Liberty Hyde Bailey. So don't get confused with the term! Here is a short list of different cultivars of Kale.

  ¤ Curly-leafed (Scots Kale)
  ¤ Straight-leafed
  ¤ Rape Kale**
  ¤ Leaf and Spear (Cross between Curly & Straight-leafed Kale)
  ¤ Cavolo Nero*
  ¤ Jersey Kale (Cow Cabbage)

(**Such a bad name for a Kale right?! There is a reason for it! They call it "Rape Kale" or "Hungry Gap" because they named it for the period after winter when barely any crop is harvested)

(*Also known as Black Cabbage, Tuscan Cabbage, Tuscan Kale, Lacinato and Dinosaur Kale)

Health Benefits

   Kale has a load of benefits most people don't even know about. Such as having a high count of beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Did you know that once you start chopping or mincing Kale you release sulforaphane? Sulforaphane is a chemical that contains potent anti-cancer properties. (Only bad thing about sulforaphane is it decreases in Kale when you boil it, but if you steam, microwave or stir-fry your Kale the loss of sulforaphane isn't as significant) Kale also is a source of indole-3-carbinol, which is a chemical that boosts DNA repair in cells and blocks the growth of cancer cells. The final thing I know about Kale is there is a group of resins known as bile acid sequestrants that have been known to lower cholesterol and decrease your bodies absorption of dietary fat. (Steaming your Kale increases the bile properties).

  That's it for today's vegetable information! Next I'll have the various ways and maybe even some recipes of how I consume this amazing crop!

Until next time folks! Keep it Green and Keep it Growing! Ciao!


HyperSmash

Winter Vegetables and YOU! My List of Seasonal Healthy Vegetables!

    Winter is here and planting outdoors is insanely amazing. Only certain types of vegetables will thrive in the harsh climate winter is. Sometimes you will have to be willing to go out in the cold, when all your pipes freeze over, to water your crop. So get your winter-wear and prepare for that moment, it's inevitable! I'm going to share with you list of winter vegetables I find easy to grow in the cold.


Leafy Greens
Belgium Endive, Escarole, Endive, Kale, Radicchio,

Root Vegetables
Carrots, Parsnip, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips

Bulb and Stem Vegetables
Celery, Fennel, Leeks, Onions, Shallots

(Also, certain breeds of Squash, including different breeds of Pumpkins and Zucchini.)

 ¤ All of these vegetables will grow in winter conditions, and worth doing so. Each and every single vegetable listed will have a distinct taste in the Winter. Compared to being grown in the Spring, Summer or Fall. Some of your crop may take a little longer to grow, but that is due to the fact of it being cold and there is less sunlight during this time of year. I hope you enjoy some of these veggies as much as I do especially at their right season! Until next time folks, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing. Ciao!!



HyperSmash

Time to start some Plants Indoors!!

           Tis' the season to be starting seedlings indoors! Why you ask? Well for two reasons, to have some crop indoors throughout winter and to have plants growing and ready for the transplanting stage in spring! Yes, I start my seedlings a little bit earlier than normal because I like them to start the flowering stage right before I transplant it back outside. The cold isn't good for most plants, some breeds of pumpkins and onions actually grow whilst it's still snowing.

Lighting                                                                                         

           I start off my babies underneath a 100 watt warm fluorescent bulb. They will stay under said bulb until the plant starts to outgrow its container, (I usually start my seedlings off in a "SOLO" plastic cups. One with holes poked through the bottom (about 5 or 6 holes) that contains the soil and seedling, and the other as the acting reservoir.

Soil                                                                                                  

          For all of my seed starting, I always use Black Gold by Sun Gro Horticulture. No if's, and's nor but's. This particular soil combination does the plant justice in my particular region outside, and also indoors it's supreme! After my seedlings reach the transplanting stage, I add to the mix Coco soil (any organic brand will do), Vermiculite, steer manure, and some organic compost (fruit peels, worm castings, dead plant matter, ect.).

Water                                                                                             

         Each Plant has a varied amount of water you need to give it. (Example: Herbs intake less water than fruits or vegetables) Just make sure to water enough that the soil on top is moist but not drenched. If you are growing indoors you only should water once a day or once every other day depending on the size of your plants. If you are outdoors, that's a different matter. You have to account for the sun, how much water is being evaporated throughout the day, if it's going to rain that day, or if you have a hot day which makes the plants more thirsty.

 ¤ Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting excited to start the indoor growing process yet again! I just love seeing life sprout before my eyes, providing me with my own form of the "Garden of Eden", except no serpent to tempt! Haha! But seriously, it's amazing to grow a plant but more eye-opening once you grow your own food. The taste and smells of your own grown food do not compare to the ones you buy at the market.

        Until next time fellow green-thumbs and garden enthusiasts, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing! Ciao!!

HyperSmash