Fall Crops, easy crops for beginners part 3 Escarole, Romaine, Bibb, Red Leaf Lettuce & Bok Choy

FALL CROPS BLOG SERIES PART 3

      We are back with the third entry in our "Fall Crops" Blog Series for beginner gardeners! In this post we will be covering more Fall Crops that are super easy to maintain and have high return on harvest and nutritional value. Let's get started!

Escarole, Romaine Lettuce , Red Leaf Lettuce and Bibb Lettuce

harvest 25-50 days after seeds are sown

     Whenever anyone thinks of Fall Crops, they barely mention lettuce. Lettuce or Salad Greens are almost always associated with Spring, but they can grow year round if you know how to manipulate your garden into having a series of different micro-climates. Most Lettuce or Salad Greens contain solid amounts of Vitamin A & K, which aides various organs in our body. (The heart, lungs and kidneys). 

     As you can see in the photo I mixed my Salad Greens together, they are not grown in individual rows. I did this for aesthetic reasons not because of some grand scheme. You can plant one variety in rows if you'd prefer. When I sow my Salad Greens I plant extra, reason being is that when you thin Salad Greens, they can just go right into a salad bowl as a micro or baby version of your fully grown crop. When I thin I leave at least 2-4 inches ( 5-10 cm ) of space in between each head of lettuce. 

Bok Choy, 

harvest 30-55 days after seeds sprouted

     I've always grown Bok Choy in spring and fall. So for me it's a must have! Super hardy plant, little disease and infestation issues. An extremely easy crop to grow for first time gardeners! Whenever I went to the lower level public schools and the students who have never been in a garden before come to see what is growing, I have them plant their own Bok Choy seed. Just by doing that gesture the student was more involved and wanted to actually see their seed grow. I have always had success with this method and that's why I recommend it as a beginner crop. If a 5 year old can do it, you can too. 😁

     Bok Choy has high traces of Vitamin A, Fiber, B-complex Vitamins, Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Manganese and Iron. Making it a well sought out vegetable for people whom are doing RAW diets and are Vegan or Vegetarian.

     In the photo above, you can see the Bok Choy is fully mature. I planted the seed about 35 days ago, and that is the result of growth. When I planted the seed I made sure to have enough space, about 10-12 inches ( 25-30 cm ) of space in between each seed. I gave it that much space just so that the airflow in between each crop won't be stagnant, if it is stagnant it can lead to a whole slew of bacteria issues that you can just avoid by planting at proper lengths. I planted 4 seeds in each hole, thinning out as they sprouted leaving the best looking plant left so it can grow into the beauty you see above. 

     Remember folks, all we have is time! Why not pass the time with a beautiful vegetable garden that you can reap the benefits from and share its bounty with your loved ones. Or if you are just a health nut then why don't you start a garden for your own well being. Freshest most nutritional food comes straight from the garden, not from the market were it takes time from shipping and handling to then being put on display in the market. Which usually takes about two weeks! So imagine all those nutrients that are dieing off because of the way our food is handled. 

Until next Episode....

Happy Gardening

Farmer Jeff😍

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Peppers, A guide to cultivation.

Peppers, Peppers, Peppers!!

     Hello again friends, another beautiful summer day and all I can think about are peppers. Here in the high desert, during June and July I always cover my crop to lower the ambient temperature as much as possible whilst also preventing sun burns on my potential crop. This time-frame is particularly important for any plant because if you don't watch the stress levels they are under outside in the hot sun it will totally result in a poor harvest the following seasons, which isn't worth the wasted effort in my opinion.

 (Chocolate Jalapeno Peppers, 8 weeks from plant to harvest)

     To get a bountiful harvest like you see here, takes a lot of patience and not so much pruning. So key thing for plants during the summer here is to NOT prune anything. Reason being that the extra foliage will protect your potential crop from the sun. Trust me you want the extra foliage, it'll save you the hassle and stress over freaking out about the state of the plant.

 (Poblano Peppers, 9 weeks from plant to harvest)

     As you can see in this photo, some of the plants were not covered during those hot months. Leaves quite the ugly burn on your crop which isn't a great thing especially if you are planning on sharing/selling your crop to friends and local foodies. Not only did the burn cause cosmetic damage to the crop but it also added more stress to the plant and the result was a less bountiful crop than what was projected. I could of gotten more peppers from the plant if I just provided it with some shade. Most vegetable plants will stop fruiting at about 95 F/ 35 C just because it is too hot for the plant to produce viable flowers that will hold above that temperature.

(Pepper Mix; Cayenne, Pepperoncini, Thai Dragon, Green Habanero)

     These pepper plants were covered, and I had an extremely bountiful harvest. 5 full bags of peppers that had to be given away in the long run. But that's the point of gardening, to bring joy to you and those around you with an organic crop that you couldn't get at your everyday market. So, please to save yourself the trouble and to reward yourself with a more bountiful crop to keep the gardening alive in your soul, treat your plants with the utmost respect and positivity. Your plants will recognize it and provide you with more than you need. 

     Again friends, feel free to contact me with any questions and concerns regarding anything for plants, and I will of course reply. Till next time...

Happy Gardening!

Farmer Jeff

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Your Garden and Bees!

     Every garden needs some bees. Why you ask? Well, without bees the majority of organic plants and veggies would not be able to flower at all! Bees help pollinate and cross-pollinate every single flower on your plants, making new genetics such as hybrid plants.

      Just like Albert Einstein stated ," If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe than man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."

     So it is very imperative that if you are trying to start your own organic garden or trying to live a healthy choice life (like me) and want to grow whatever crops of your choosing, you need to have these amazing bugs around your garden constantly!

    There are some key things you should know about attracting these life giving bugs to your garden!

 ¤ Nectar and Pollen!
 Every single flower gives off a sweet aroma to these bees and that aroma comes from the nectar and pollen. It's completely irresistible to these bugs. Some gardeners I know put geraniums and peonies on the border of their gardens, just for extra re-assurance that bees will definitely visit their abundant gardens.

 ¤ Having crop plants that attract frequent bees!
 These plants include melons, squash, fruit and certain varieties of leafy greens. Most of these plants have bright yellow flowers. Some varieties include flowers with white and yellow stripes, some leafy greens also produce purple flowers.

 ¤ Not using any form of Pesticide or Germicide!
I do NOT recommend any form of pesticide nor germicide for this main reason. It can harm the bees and stop their production completely. Plus it can harm your crop from getting the full natural nutritional value. If you have a bug problem check out my post on Neem Oil.

 ¤ Have a form of windbreak with sunshine!
Bees love pollinating in the sun, so plan your garden to be in a good spot for the sun. I recommend a spot that gets at least nine to eleven hours of sun during spring/summer, and seven to ten hours of sun during fall/winter seasons. Alas, if you live in the desert like I, you'll suffer with high-winds quite frequent. I pass this completely by planting my crops a little closer than the recommended space in-between. Which causes a natural wind break and gives the bees an easier time to pollinate rather than fighting their way to the much desired nectar hidden in their delicious flowers.

Dearest Readers and Gardening Enthusiasts, we all have a job to do. That job is to keep the world alive and healthy! Do so by planting flowers or your own food garden to keep the bees busy and happy! We are nothing without these wonderful bugs. They keep us fed and we keep them happy!

Thanks for keeping interest and until next time, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing!
Ciao!


HyperSmash

Organic Bug Spray (Neem Oil)

Hey guys!
Had another crazy weather week! First it was way too hot, then it became rainy and windy! It was literally insanity! Bugs came and left due to the weather being so daft. I decided why not make a video on my version of Neem Oil spray. This spray helps my plants fight off bugs and infection. Some states do not consider Neem Oil a true organic spray, but it actually is. It's not your average insecticide to where you spray it over and over and it alters the crops and plants genetic make up essentially. All this does it put a little clear coat over said plants and crop to make all the nasties just not interested in the plant or crop at all. I use this spray once a week unless I have a rainstorm or more bugs than normal. If you got a BIG problem with bugs its best to use it consecutively for 7 days in a row. My method is fairly simple. I use a 28 oz spray bottle not a gallon so its more potent than what the instructions say. Then I add 5 ml of neem oil and between 2-3 times more of organic dish soap (10-15 ml). Now the dish soap WILL wash off your crop and wont give it any nasty taste or residue from the soap. This will usually do the job in my particular desert garden. Let me know if it works for your gardens or if you need help finding alternatives to this recipe. Everything dealing with the garden takes time. So be forewarned, bugs will NOT leave overnight. You have to be dilligent with continually spraying or it's all for naught. As I stated earlier feel free to ask questions about anything! I'm here to help you. Here's my newest video on my Neem Oil Recipe. Leave me some comments and love people! Thanks and Keep it Green and Keep it Growing! Happy gardening!


HyperSmash