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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Fall Crops, easy crops for beginners part 2 Pumpkins & Eggplant

Hello Friends!!

     It's the continuation of Fall Crops! In this post I will be talking about more beginner level vegetable/fruit crops that you can grow with minimal effort. So let's get started 😁

New England Pie Pumpkin, Harvest after 65-90 days from germination

     Whenever I think of any fall crop the first thing comes to my mind are pumpkins. Pumpkins are extremely versatile. You can store them up to 4 months and they will still be edible. You can turn them into home grown jack-o-lanterns and make it a new family tradition. Or you can just harvest them right away, make some pies or dredge them in tempura batter for a quick fry. Pumpkins are  high in vitamin A, fiber, antioxidants and potassium.

     When planting your pumpkins please make sure you have enough space for a huge vine to grow. I've grown over 20 different varieties of pumpkins and certain vines can grow from 15 feet ( 4,5 metres ) long to 35 feet ( 10,6 metres ) long. Sow 3-5 pumpkin seeds in your garden, and when the seeds have sprouted thin out your pumpkin seedlings to one plant. That way you can get the most nutritional value from your pumpkin harvest and also you will have an easier time maintaining one pumpkin vine instead of 3 growing from the same spot. A word of caution with pumpkins, you will have some squash bugs attack your vine!!  The best and most effective organic way to deal with squash bugs is by using diatomaceous earth, which is a powder. You can either sprinkle the powder all over your plant or use an accordion sprayer (a miniature bellows) to apply the powder all over the foliage of your vine, front and back of leaves.

Black Beauty Eggplant, harvest 55-80 days after germination

Plant can last up to 3 growing seasons

     Eggplants are the one crop that I always think I end up planting enough of but end up getting a ridiculous bounty from just 1 plant. The photo above is also a harvest from just 1 plant and the most amazing thing is your Eggplant bush can provide you with a harvest like this every 3 weeks. Eggplant is rich in antioxidants, helps lower cholesterol, high in fiber, and vitamins A, B & C.

     When looking for a spot to plant your Eggplant starters there are several factors that come into play. First, make sure to have enough space. Eggplants can grow to 4 feet ( ) in circumference. Second, make sure to have something to trellis the Eggplants on. For me being in a valley, the wind can rip through at high speeds. So it is best to secure the plant either by trellising it or by using poles to keep the stems of the plant from just lying on the ground. You do NOT want to have your crop lying on the soil because the portion of the crop that is sitting on the soil will start to mold. Third, make sure to have some thick gloves and be careful when you tend to this plant. Eggplants have thorns on the crop itself and on the plant. The only issues I have had with growing Eggplants are rust spots, which can be easily taken care of with a quick Calcium Magnesium solution. 

     I hope my research helps you all out with deciding what to plant and your concerns growing pumpkins and eggplants for fall. I find so much joy writing these guides for you all. I cannot thank you enough for living my passion with me. Again thank you all and please follow/subscribe to stay updated with all my posts and future videos. I post on Instagram daily, so follow me if you'd like. Mention that you found my blog and I will promote your Instagram! Till next time folks....

     Happy Gardening!!

Farmer Jeff <3

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Fall Crops, easy crops for beginners Part 1 Kohlrabi, Turnips & Cabbage

Hello Friends!!

     It's such a beautiful time of year. The weather starts to cool down, rain storms pass by every week which means it is the perfect time to start your fall garden to have a huge bounty throughout the season, especially for holiday events like Halloween or Thanksgiving. I figured, why not share my fall planting tips and what fall crop I plant with you all. So let's get started!

 Kohlrabi, grown for 55-75 days before harvesting

     Kohlrabi has a high nutritional value, high fiber content and low calorie count. The flavour is compared between a broccoli stem and cabbage, which I agree with but has a sweeter taste. Now when I plant this crop I always leave 8 inches of space (20 cm) in between each seed I plant so that the crop will have enough space to grow healthily, also so that the air in between the plants does not become stagnant. That is when serious bacteria can develop. When its harvest time I pull the whole crop out cut the stem off, clean it and freeze it. The stem is also edible but I use it for vegetable stock. Waste not want not!

Milan Purple Turnip, grown for 40-65 days depending on what size you want

     Turnips are super delicious and provide us with antioxidants, minerals vitamins and dietary fiber which our body needs to function at a healthy level. Only downside is that this crop, like kohlrabi, has a low calorie count as well. When I sow my turnip seeds I am not too worried about sowing too many at once, reason being turnips are super easy to thin and replant. The turnip will go into shock when you replant it, what I do is water the replanted turnip a bit extra for 3-4 days. After the turnips have started growing I thin the crop so that there is at least 3-4 inches (7-10 cm) of space in between each one. That way the turnip can grow to a decent globe form without impacting the vegetable growth itself.

Cabbage, 55-70 days from seed sowing. Some varieties take on faster.

     Cabbage is a versatile crop, you can cook it in almost any type of cuisine and it will taste brilliantly delicious. Cabbage is a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C, with a low calorie count and also low fat count. Great vegetable if you are into eating raw, vegan or vegetarian. When I sow my cabbage seeds I only sow 3-4 seeds at a time. Cabbage does not take well when thinning and replanting so I would rather not waste any of my organic seed just to make sure I get a cabbage crop. What I do is I start my baby cabbage inside for about 2 months, June-July for fall planting and October-November for spring planting. After that propagation period I bring my cabbage starters to the garden and plant them with 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) apart depending on how big of a cabbage crop I'd like. 

I'll be posting more Fall Crop blogs daily so keep a look out for them!

Happy Gardening!

Farmer Jeff

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Fall Planting!!

Hello Friends!

Artichoke Heart Blossom

     Yet again another growing season has passed and fall is upon us! Now is the time you should start planting any fall crop from seed, it is the perfect germination temperature for your seed. Now all that is left is to figure out what you should be planting!


     For me I always figure out what fall crops I will be planting by looking through various fall cooking recipes that my family uses on a consistent basis. Then I take it a step even further, I research the higher cost crops for my region and then decided which crops I should plant heavily or not based on the amount I need for the fall. And if I over grow some vegetables/fruit, I share the bounty with my neighbors, community and loved ones.

Haricot Vert Dinner Harvest

     So how does one determine when a seed should go into the ground? Well pay attention to your weather. For my region I plant a bit early compared to other gardeners in other areas. my area (Las Vegas) has high chances of dry heat with minimal humidity, which can cause huge bounties of crop or can dwarf the crop depending on how the plant is taking to the extreme weather patterns.

     I do everything from seed, and the way I plant my seed is only digging about half an inch into the soil and over sowing certain types of vegetables just so I can thin them out and replant in a different spot in my garden. If you have sown a bit too much and can't replant anywhere in your garden due to space, I recommend using that crop as a component in your compost. Turn that waste to garden soil!


     Go out there and get your hands dirty and bring a smile to your plate!

Farmer Jeff

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Beets, An easy and rewarding crop

BEET CRAZY!

Ruby Red Beet

(Sow 2-3 seeds every 6-8 inches)

Hello friends,

        It's been super hot the past couple of weeks, and I have been going at it non-stop! I had a chance to start planning my future crop for my fall garden. So I thought to myself, what should I grow that will store well in the pantry and what vegetable is on the higher price end of my market list. After a long deliberation with my fiancee debating which recipes we will be using during the fall, we narrowed down the list. We chose beets because of being able to use multiple parts of the crop, including the beet greens that just constantly keep regrowing after harvesting them above the beetroot.

       We started by planting a 3 foot by 3 foot garden, making rows every 6 inches (6 rows in total). Then we started planting 2-3 seeds every 6-8 inches apart, giving enough space to thin and replant any beetroots that need room to grow properly. Be prepared to see growth within a week, and in about a month you can enjoy the tender beet greens the beetroot will start to produce.

 
       I've always been asked, "How big can I grow my beet? If I grow it too big will it still be edible?" Personally I've grown some ridiculous sized beetroots (just to motivate the students I taught throughout the Clark County School District on how to garden) which you can see in the photo above. It is still edible, I would recommend to use it in a juice or reduction because of the woody texture from being grown a bit big. Children love pulling this crop out from the ground just because they only can see a portion of the beetroot and find it as a competition to pull the biggest one out.

       Beetroots are one of the easiest and least stressful plants to grow for the amateur or beginning gardener, or if you feel like growing them for your students/children. Again thank you for reading and please stay in touch with future blog posts, I post daily on Instagram!

Happy Gardening!

Farmer Jeff


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