I'm Back! Get Ready for More Content!!

Hello Fellow Greenthumbs!!

 (Heirloom Nantes Carrots, grown from seed)

     It has been quite a long time since I have posted anything, but that will change! I have more free time and that means more time to write.

     I was busy with setting up several public school vegetable gardens throughout the Las Vegas valley, which to be quite frank was absolutely amazing and rewarding in itself! I taught students from grade kindergarten to seniors in high-school how to cultivate and harvest their own vegetables/fruit. I also helped several culinary students and chefs with vegetable grows for dinners, I'll post photos of that sometime in the near future! These past two years have been quite the journey for me. I learned various ways how to get anyone involved in the future of agriculture and I also turned some individuals into absolute foodies, which is an amazing feat I believe.

(Heirloom Rainbow Radish Mix, grown from seed)

     Please keep in touch with my blog for future updates, also follow me on Instagram @DesertOrganicFarmer for constant and delicious photos, don't worry I'll follow back ;). Again friends, stay tuned for more content!

Happy Gardening!

Farmer Jeff

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

Healthy Living : Tomatoes and You

     Anyone can tell you to eat right, that you should choose better ingredients for your meals, or that you should start a new eating routine and forget about your old one. Well they are right, you only have been blessed with one body! The easiest and best way to instill this lifestyle EASILY into your life is to cultivate your own foods. The majority of produce from your local markets can be grown in your specific region. All you need is good soil content, a steady flow of water, and the patience to do said deeds.

(Organically Grown Bloody Butcher Tomato)

¤ First, we will start off talking about the benefits of growing tomatoes! ¤

     Tomatoes are known all over the world as been a highly rich antioxidant fruit, it's also known to lower one's cholesterol and can help battle Prostate and/or Breast Cancer. I want to live a long and healthy life and I'm fairly certain that you would too. The rich supply of antioxidants provided by the tomato can help postmenopausal women with their bone health. And as been used in research to help reduce risk of some neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.

 **Most people with gastrointestinal complications most likely should NOT eat tomatoes frequent, because it can cause more stomach irritation and heart burn to occur more often.**

(Organically Grown Tomato from Rome, Italy)

¤ Reasons for growing your own Tomatoes ¤

    Each person has their specific favourite type of tomato they long for on their sandwich, burger, salad, pasta or pizza. And each breed of tomato has a different price. The higher end of cost are your heirlooms, which have been passed down from generation to generation. So if you are going to grow your own tomatoes, research which type of tomato you like (i.e. beefmaster, roma, cherry). Then research the different breeds of the type you have chosen. There could be the most amazing tomato you ever had out there in seed, waiting for you to give your own "green thumb" a go.

    Tomatoes are one of the easier crops I have grown, they take less time and nurturing than beans or potatoes in my opinion. I use organic manure; steer, cow, pig, horse, or fowl. Dead plant matter with some compost (fruit and veggie scraps, porous soil, and worm casting) and finally some dirt. I prune and clean up, around the base of the plant, about every third or fourth day. My average fully matured tomato plant, about five foot high/one and a half metres, gets about two cups/a pint of water throughout the day.

   Well Friends! You heard what I think about tomatoes and their brilliant qualities. Now it's time to ask yourself if you're going to take a fun risk and try to grow some, or just shop for better quality tomatoes. Whatever you choose, have fun with your food and try to make some of it healthy. Until next time guys....Keep it Green and Keep it Growing! Ciao!! 

HyperSmash

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

Garden Summer Update!!!

              Hey guys! I'm giving you a glimpse into my place of peace, my Desert Garden! I haven't done an update for a while and I felt like I needed to show you what has been thriving!! First off I'd like to say it's awesome to grow my own food. I get the tastiest, freshest food....about 15 feet from my kitchen backdoor! Who could resist that?! Anyways here's some shots of what is doing amazing in this crazy 104 F + heat!

¤ These are my Chocolate Cherry Peppers. They are sweet and I cook them up completely whole. They are completely addictive and delicious.

¤ These are Fajita Bell Peppers, and yes they have a slight kick to them!

¤ Here are my Heirloom Italian Roma Tomatoes. These tomatoes taste like no Roma tomato I've bought at any market. Completely sweet and not that acidic.

¤ Yea that's right! I'm starting my Winter squash run...in July! Why you ask? Well Winter Squash do extremely well with the heat but not with the sun. SO... I decided to try out a theory of giving my winter squash complete shade and seeing if it still produces as much as it would grown the normal way.

¤ Of course I had to show you guys some beautiful flowers! Specifically my watermelon flowers. So you guys know watermelons LOVE the heat. You have more of a chance of getting fruit in a place that has heat for about 2 months or so.

Man oh Man!! I'm so excited to cut into this watermelon. Unfortunately, one of my fruits cracked due to the constant sun so I gave them more shade than before. But, I got to smell the inside of the cracked fruit and WOW! It's so sweet and actually made my mouth water. lol

Well, that's it for this mini update guys! I hope you like whats growing cause I know it's all looking pretty! Thanks for watching and reading my channels, blogs and vlogs. As always, grow some food for yourself! It's super rewarding and satisfying! Until next time guys!

Keep it Green and Keep it Growing!

¤ BYE!! ¤

HyperSmash

First Garden Update!

Hey guys!
I'm gonna show you some of the stuff I was growing in direct sun! I got several fruit and veggies, some greens and even herbs that just love the sun up until the end of June beginning of July. First I'll show you a mini video tour of my garden. Then, I'll list what I'm growing in no particular order.


¤ Here's a list of what I'm growing organically ¤
-Lemon Thyme (Herb)
-Sage (Herb)
-Tuscon Rosemary (Herb)
-Thai Basil (Herb)
-Sweet Marjoram (Herb)
-Sweet Basil (Herb)
-Lemon Basil (Herb)
-Greek Oregano (Herb)
-Sugar Baby (Watermelon)
-Honeydew
-Cantaloupe
-Italian Torpedo (Onion)
-Cippolina (Onion)
-Rocket (Arugula)
-Roman Wild (Arugula)
-Black Seeded Simpson (Greens)
-Caesar Romaine (Greens)
-Carrots
-Spinach
-Red Russian (Kale)
-Vivian (Greens)
-Yellow Bell (Pepper)
-Green Bell (Pepper)
-Red Bell (Pepper)
-Sweet Banana (Pepper)
-Pimento (Pepper)
-Cubanelle (Pepper)
-Hungarian Wax (Pepper)
-Santa Fe (Pepper)
-Roma (Tomato)
-Brandywine (Tomato)
-Hawaiian (Tomato)
-German (Tomato)
-Yellow Pear (Tomato)
-Purple Cherokee (Tomato)
-Green Zebra (Tomato)
-Beefmaster (Tomato)
-Super Sweet 100 (Tomato)
-Italian Heirloom (Tomato)
-Heirloom (Tomato)

Thanks for watching and reading again guys! Remember we can change everything if we just each grow one plant or start a small garden anywhere! We can change people! Until next time.... Keep it Green and Keep it Growing!


¤ BYE!! ¤


HyperSmash

Harvesting Micro-Nutrient Rich Leafy Greens!

     Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, I'm back! This video's all about leafy greens, mainly Vivian Romaine Lettuce and Escarole. Anyone and everyone should be eating some type of green everyday! It's one of the healthiest things for you! I love these two greens because of the distinct flavor they have for my salads. They pair well together with most vinaigrette. They also do well in smoothie combinations. Well.......Here's the video! ☻


¤ About the Tip ¤
      The reason you cut 1 in - 2 in above the stalk of the greens is to promote the plant to regrow. Usually when you use this method, the greens will have several heads form. Around 2-4 from my experience.

This just goes to show, you can grow some amazing things in the desert. Remember guys, it's our choice and chance to change how we look at food. "Great things come to those who wait." I don't know about you, but I'm willing to wait for some delicious, nutritious, healthy food. Thanks for stopping by and remember....Keep it Green and Keep it Growing!
--The Desert Gardener


HyperSmash

Implementing Shade in your Desert Garden!

♥ Hey guys! My last post I mentioned something about needing shade in the desert garden. Well... I did it! I went the money saving route and chose 1/2" PVC pipe (the thick walled pipe), got some brackets to screw it into my raised garden bed, and finally had some burlap bags laying around in my garage. I unfolded the burlap so that its just one layer covering my plants. I then zip-tied the burlap to my PVC pipe structure that's screwed into my raised beds. Now, where I live the winds get up to 50 miles an hour and the structure is still sound.

 ¤ This is my biggest box. In here I have; Sugar Baby Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce, Caesar Romaine Lettuce, Escarole, French Classic Endive, Roma Arugula, Heirloom Kaleidoscope Carrots, Danver Carrots. 

  As always it's better to grow your food than buy it. It's fun, and rewarding. You can make it a family event and teach the next generation what it means to eat healthy. Until next time friends.....Keep it Green, and Keep it Growing! Bye! ☻

HyperSmash

Update on the Garden, Mini Harvest July 9th 2013

      Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of update on here. I'm going to be working harder on updating more. I had to deal with a little heat wave in my area that pretty much killed the majority of plants I had in pots growing in the garden. The main thing I forgot, SHADE! I'll talk about that in another blog or video. Anyways, I wanted to show you some of the crop I was able to save before the plants completely died :(.

Here's some photos:

My Super Sweet 100 Tomatoes.

Black Cherry Tomatoes

Heirloom Tomatoes

Purple Cherokee Tomatoes

Hungarian Yellow Wax Peppers

Follow me on Instagram (http://instagram.com/ourdesertgarden) for more daily pictures from the garden! Remember, always try to grow new things! Even different types of foods you already know! Be adventurous! Take a bite out of something grown yourself. Until next time, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing! 

HyperSmash

First (mini) Garden Update!

Hey Guys!! ☻

This is my first post, and I just wanted to share with you some pictures of my THRIVING DESERT GARDEN ♥ !!

Better Boy Tomatoes:

 I chose this breed of tomato to show you because its a juicy, red, beef master tomato that tastes amazing. This plant is only a couple of months old and should be ready for harvest around late summer, if I'm lucky it'll be earlier.

Black Cherry Tomatoes:

This breed caught my eye because of the fact that if you put them in the fridge for a while, it changes the taste of the tomato completely. Again this plant is still maturing, I will update once I get some delicious fruit. Maybe even make a video on it ☻

Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach:

 I love spinach, but I live in the desert and found that most spinach breeds don't take to heat well. Except this one! It's been growing like no tomorrow and is about 35 days into the average 55-60 day growing cycle. I plan on growing this breed continually. 

Eight Ball Zucchini Squash:

 This is another heat resistant breed. I chose this breed because the crop is quite compact and comes in multiples. Yes, I didn't show any crop. And that's because I'll show you how to harvest these in a video. So be on the look out on my YouTube Channel! Subscribe even ☻♥!!

Lemon Basil:

 I love my basil, and I love lemons. So this was a done deal. This herb is extremely fragrant with that special hint of lemon citrus, and thrives well in the heat.

Sugar Baby Watermelon:

 This is another heat tolerant crop. I love watermelons, especially naturally sweet ones. These melons will get about 8-10 lbs. and are completely black except for one yellow spot. I cannot wait to show you guys the inside of this fruit!

Vivian Lettuce:

Heat Resistant is the key to any lettuce in the desert!! I love this breed not only for the taste, but just look at it. It's beautiful! I grew up with the notion, that you should eat with your eyes first. And wow! This takes the cake over the standard Romaine Lettuce.

That's it for the update guys! Thanks for stopping by!! Subscribe to my blog and check out my other channels! I update Instagram Daily!

Until Next Time,

Keep It Green and Keep It Growing!! ♥

HyperSmash