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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Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Tomatoes!!

(Cherry Tomatoes, 11 Weeks from plant to Harvest)

     Everyone asks me when it comes to planting and caring for tomatoes, what are the best kind to do well in the desert. I always tell them, any variety you want can do well the trick is taking care of them and pruning the plant properly. I always prune the extra foliage, which was the technique passed down to me by my forefathers, in order to put the tomato plant into a form of stress. This stress will push the plant into producing more seed to ensure a future generation of crop will be available. When you do prune the plant, that specific site will be a future node for flowers to form. DO NOT throw away your foliage that is viable as a transplant. Simply shave a bit of the stem off and drop the plant in a bit of water so it can create fresh roots.

(Julietta and Caprese Tomatoes, 10 Weeks from plant to Harvest)

     Every single time I prune my vines that way I end up with an extremely healthy bountiful harvest, like in these photos. To ensure the plant continues its flowering and growth cycle I use another technique called "trench composting". What I do is find the main root mass in the earth and bury composting crops about 1-2 feet into the ground and bury it. This will ensure that the eggshells or rotting veggies with breakdown properly without any smell and that the plant will access these beneficial bacteria through their roots without having to stretch too far to find nutrients.

(Caprese Tomatoes, 10 weeks harvest from planting)

    I always say it is better to experiment with quantities of trench composting rather than not trying it at all. We all learn from mistakes and won't exceed our boundaries without a little experimentation and R&D. I hope this helped you with some information regarding how to care for tomatoes. Be on the lookout for plant care videos in the future. I promise I won't blast you with music this time :).

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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Microgreens are Fun and Easy!!

Hello again!

(Alto Leeks, 3 weeks of growth harvest by week 5)

      There is nothing better than watching your plants grow into a beautiful crop then devouring every tasty morsel right at the table. I've always been asked what are the easiest things to grow with a high return. Most people assume a root crop or flowers, which are easy but if you don't have even time to thin and replant after sowing seeds then you are honestly just wasting your precious seeds. 

     So what I recommend is to look through what herb or leafy green you constantly reach for whilst preparing your food, and choose that as your starter Microgreen. 

(Basil mix; Red Ruben, Thai, Lemon and Sweet Varieties)

     Here are some leeks and basil varieties that I have grown from seed in a mix of coconut coir and vermiculite. I used the flood and drain method (I'll go over in detail in another post) but what I suggest for beginners is to use a spray bottle with some nutrients in it and most the seeds and eventually the foliage when they develop. This will ensure great growth and a fool proof method to get some crop at the table, in about 15-25 days from when you have sown your seeds.

     Feel free to comment/message with questions regarding anything related to Microgreens or the nutrients needed. Again friends don't fear the garden. Engross yourself in it. 

Happy Gardening!

Farmer Jeff


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