Learning to grow microgreens

A microgreen is a green that is between a sprout and a full grown green or plant.  The tiny stalks are tender and full of nutrients.  Some say between 5 and 40 % more nutrients than a full grown plant or salad green.  With a sprout you eat the seed pod and the sprout.  With a microgreen you eat the stem and leaves.

I decided I wanted to learn to grow microgreens because where I live the season for growing greens is very short or they must be grown in the winter.  I like salads more in the summer than winter so I needed a way to get them without buying salad greens all summer.  I get plenty of tomatoes and cucumbers and so on but I needed a way to grow the greens.  I watched several you tube videos and read about growing microgreens online.  I decided the best approach was to start small, so I bought a few of these clear containers that go under potted plants at the Dollar Tree @ 4/$1.00.  I poked holes in the bottom and filled with organic potting soil.  I then  spread alfalfa seeds thickly over the soil and wet it down real good.  I then covered it with a damp cloth and kept it damp by misting it twice a day.  On day two when it looked like most of the seeds had sprouted I removed the cover which by this time I had been using a plate.  I put the greens in the window sill so they could get their chlorophyll or what ever it is called. 

This is day four.  I have a feeling that the alfalfa greens are going to be a smaller green.  They have the cotyledon leaves right now.  As soon as they get the first set of true leaves it will be ready to harvest.  I have ordered more seeds to try this with.  I have beet, pea dun, sunflower and kale seeds coming.  I will eventually try to have a variety of microgreens growing to make a more colorful salad. 

Tasty squash dish

Yesterday I made a really good squash dish.  I used zucchini and yellow squash and tomatoes.  I sliced the squash and quartered the tomatoes and spread them on a parchment paper lined pan.  I sprinkled minced garlic over and sprinkled seasoned salt and Italian seasoning over them.  I then squirted olive oil around on them.  I baked these at 350 for 15 minutes.  Then I sprinkled parmesan cheese over top and baked for another 15 minutes.  It sure was good.  

Non GMO, organic, heritage seeds and plants.

Seedsnow.com
They are having a sale right now 20% off.  Free shipping on orders over $30.00 and only $3.95 on orders less than $30.00

I placed an order today.  I have been hunting non GMO. organic, heritage/heirloom seeds and I believe I have found a source.  If they grow in my area I will be one happy girl.

Drip irrigation system for the raised bed and molasses tubs

For the last few years we have steadily added on to our raised bed gardens.  Some buckets, some molasses tubs and some cinder block raised beds.  Here in south Texas the gardens have to be watered daily.  We had been using soaker hoses on timers but it just wasn't working well.  The hoses further down the line didn't get enough water and the plants suffered.  This year we decided to install pvc pipe drip systems on timers. 

This is the front area.  Its very simple, with pretty much just straight runs.  We started with this to get the hang of it.  It was so simple to put together we went ahead and started on the back garden.  We had originally thought to use hose from spigot to the garden but I thought it would be better if we went pvc all the way.  No kinks.

When we got the front done, Sandy inspected it and said good job.

This is a shot of the back garden before we installed the drip system.

This is what it looks like at the spigot.  A few turns to get it going the right direction.

Another before shot.

The system is about 80% complete.  Since we didn't use hose for the beginning we ran out of PVC pipe.  I figure 3 or 4 more pipes and I can complete the system.

Each set of beds has a shut off valve.  I can adjust the flow of water here as well as at the spigot or turn a bed completely off.  I still have both raised beds to plant as well as 4 of the tubs so it worked out great for now.  I will get the system completed in the next few days and get the rest of the garden planted as well.  I plan to plant lots of tomatoes in the hopes of a good year and that I will have plenty to can.  I have had to buy store bought canned tomatoes. 

Working on the garden

We got the fence put back up around the raised bed garden and got it about 1/3 of the way planted.

I am going to plant extra tomatoes this year and pray I will get enough to can.  I am out of home canned tomatoes and there is just nothing like home canned tomatoes.

The peppers are coming on real nice

My green peppers and jalapenos are producing really nice right now.  We've made jalapeno poppers till we are tire of them for now.  But still cant keep up with them.  So I decided to dehydrate them.  That way I can use them later in soups and stews and the green peppers I can even use in fajitas.

                                        The tomatoes are just starting to produce but they sure look nice and are a good size.  I did have a bacon and tomato sandwich the other day and it was good.

 I am very thankful for the Lord's provision.

This is my back raised bed garden

We just harvested a bunch of lettuce, cilantro, green peppers, 3 tomatoes from last years plant plus quite a few jalapeños. Oh and some Brussels sprouts. Garden looks good this year.

Garden update

 

This is a tour of my little garden.  Its a smallish fenced area of patio that was not being used.  We bought an old dog pen that had a door and makeshift fenced the area.  About two years ago we built the two cinder block raised beds and filled them with rotted horse manure.  That was the extent of my garden until I bought a few of the black tubs from a rancher.

 

 

 Left to right in the pictures above and below.  3 jalapeno plants, 3 jalapeno plants, red onions in one tub, green onions in the next tub, then another tub of red onions followed by two tubs of garlic, one tub of cucumbers and two tubs of green pepper plants.

 In the background is a tomato plant, three Brussels sprouts and a swiss chard on the left.

 This bed has lettuce, cilantro, and spinach and a few tired looking green pepper plants.

 Three of these tubs have cabbage, one has zucchini and one has yellow squash.  The last one will have more cucumbers.  I haven't decided what to plant after I harvest the cabbage, probably more squash because we love it.  Or maybe bush beans.

This is the flower bed at the front of my house.  I never planted flowers there so I decided to use it to grow tomatoes.  I cut the bottom off the 5 gallon buckets and Hannah buried them about half way.  She then filled them with super dirt which we bought for $25.00 a pickup load from a town close by that makes it.  Its suppose to be 100% organic.  I've spoken to people who have used the super dirt and they have had great success.  Its certainly cheaper than a bunch of bags of potting soil or manure or what ever.  It looks like good stuff.  We just have about 2-3 black tubs worth of it left in the back of the pick up.  I'm hoping it does well.  I would like to plant about 6 more tomato plants out front so I can can up a bunch of tomatoes but I don't know if Hannah will go for burying any more 5 gallon buckets.  She said it was a hard job, much harder than hauling all that super dirt to the back yard and garden to put in the black tubs.  Go figure.  In any case I am pleased with my garden so far this year.  My goal is to expand a little each year.  I did that by adding 10 black tubs in the raised bed area and the 6 tomato buckets out front.  I will continue to expand as I am able and Hannah and Jeff will help me.  I like providing our family with food.  I know Hannah loves walking outside and picking vegetable that she needs for the recipes she is making.

Fall / Winter garden

We cleaned out the raised beds and added more soil a couple of weeks ago.  Now the fall garden is mostly planted.  I will have cabbage, green peppers, Brussels sprouts, tomato, zucchini and yellow squash.
Most everyone around here had failed gardens this summer.  I'm hoping the fall garden does better.
I really like the vegetables we planted.  If I could get my stuff grouped I could start all my seedlings.  I have a greenhouse after all.  Its a small one, about 8X10 but plenty big enough to start seedlings.  I am going to try harder to get things going for the spring garden so I don't have to buy plants.  It makes the garden so much more economical.

Pennies in the pond

A friend gave us some water hyacinths for our pond.  Sammy plucked them for us and I put them in our pond.
Then another friend said to put copper or copper pennies in the pond to help control the algae so Sammy sorted through some old pennies for pre 1980 pennies and then he put them in the pond. 
Also the pump went out today so we have a new one on order. 

Sammy found a tadpole.  Actually there are tons of them in the pond.

Garden update

Last fall we put in two cinder block raised beds.  We made them two blocks high.  Now I am reading that its bad to use cider blocks.  Too late.  I will use these until I can make wooden ones.  Its always something isn't it?
So far we have tomatoes, jalapenos, green peppers, lettuce, yellow squash and zucchini planted.  Everything is up and growing fine.  Today I got cucumber, green beans and kale to plant.
I also started about ten rose starts off our rose bush and the same amount of fig starts and they are all doing amazing.  Especially considering I really have no idea what I am doing.

This is my little garden area.  I will get a cattle panel to replace the chairs that are keeping the dogs out of that area.  Sandy likes to dig and I have to keep her out so my little plants can survive.
Miss you.

We like to camp

We enjoy camping.  We even went a few days after Christmas.  Here in south Texas winter and spring are the best times to camp because of the heat.
Recently we traded our fifth wheel for a smaller, pull behind camper.  It suits us better now that it's not our home but a weekend get away home.
We have decided to see how many state parks we can visit.  We take a picture by the entrance of each one to document where we have been.  So far we have been to four state parks.
There are quite a few around the San Antonio area.
I imagine we will at least try one time to camp on the beach.  Just for fun.

In other news I will be planting my garden in a couple of weeks.  Seems strange.

Winter garden

     A few weeks ago I got my winter garden in.  I am really hoping that it does better than my summer garden did which consisted on one tomato. 
     I planted cabbage, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, green peppers, jalapenos, and broccoli.  I will continue to plant through the winter as the time comes for each type of plant.  Its just real hard to get used to planting at the opposite time that I am used to.  Where I grew up the garden is almost done this time of year so its different to just be getting going on it.  I hope my tomatoes do better this winter so I can jar some up.

Pretty Pond flower

Several weeks ago I went to the nursery and asked about plants I could put in my pond.  The folks there gave me two large plants that we dug up from their drainage ditch.  I planted them and topped them with pebbles and stuck them in the pond.  They went through a stage where they looked like they were going to die but I cut one of them back and this one recently shoot this long stem up.  Well today God gave us this lovely bloom.
Thank you Lord.

My little pond

Ive been working on my little pond.  We have about a dozen gold fish in it and they like cold water so I knew I had to get some shade going before the weather really heats up.  I went to a nursery yesterday and the owner dug up some plants from the ditch that runs thru the nursery and sold them to me for only $5.00  I also found out I can plant an elephant ear in a pot and put it in the pond.  I also found out that bamboo like wet feet too and will work.  The people at walmart don't know much cause they had a huge bin of elephant ears and a whole table full of bamboo plants and they said they didn't have anything that could go in a pond.  Glad I went to the nursery.
This is what my little pond looks like right now.  I will continue to work on it and put more plants and such in it.

I am going to make a screen filter thing to sit the water fountain in to keep the fish from getting sucked up into it and place it in the middle of the pond.  That's where it was at first until we got the gold fish.  Then some got sucked up to the filter so I took it out.  I'm hoping that with it being on the shelf tucked in behind the plant for now that it wont suck any fish to the filter and kill them.
I have never had a pond before, this is kind of fun.

End of Feburary greenhouse report

 The beets look good, I will need to thin them soon.

 Looks like the green beans are coming on.

 The onions and garlic are going to town too.  There are two pans one of onions only and one with onions and garlic.

 The strawberries look like they need something.  I will have to search online to see what they need.

 I started a sweet potato in the window for slips.  Its organic so it should be good.  Should be showing signs of roots and slips soon.

The peppers and tomatoes look good too.  I will be planting the tomatoes elsewhere soon.

End of January 2013 greenhouse report

The transplanted tomatoes, green peppers and jalapenos look great.  This weekend we are going to get the bottom of the buckets cut off and the holes dug around the greenhouse in preparation of transplanting the tomatoes in about mid February.

The cut and come again lettuce also looks good and is ready to use.  I didn't take a picture but the cucumbers at the back of the other planted pan are looking great and will be needing to be trained on the trellis soon.  That's another thing we will do this weekend.  Install the trellis.  Jeff is also going to run the water to the greenhouse so I can just step outside to get water instead of carrying it.  It will be easier to water the tomatoes when I get them planted along the one side of the greenhouse as well.

This has been fun so far.  I am going to try to keep a diary of sorts of my greenhouse/garden project this year.  I have tried many different types of gardening and I love them all.  I have don't the Ruth Stout method, a greenhouse growing in the ground, growing in raised beds in a greenhouse, plain old in the yard gardens and now container gardening in and outside of the greenhouse.  There is merit in each method.

An answer for you.

A reader asked me where I got the pans for my greenhouse.  The answer is I got them at Lowes.  They are cement mixing pans and are about 2x3 feet.  I found some smaller ones but these are the ones I wanted.  I think they are at least ten inches deep. 
Thank you for the question.

If I remember right they cost around $13.00 each.  I am thinking I want to buy 6 more to put on the floor for another level of growing places.  I can put things down there that aren't harvested as often and just need a place to grow such as beets.

Waist high gardening

A few weeks ago we built shelves in my greenhouse using the shelves from the storage trailer which we are cleaning out in preparation of selling it.
I wanted to do the waist high gardening method in the hope that it wont hurt my back so much.  We gathered all the materials needed and now have two of the containers planted with carrots, cucumbers and lettuces and spinach.

I thought I would share what the greenhouse looks like right now.

Out of rooting hormone?

Out of rooting hormone? Open your kitchen cabinet and grab some cinnamon. Plant stems dipped in it will kill fungus and bacteria to help keep those new cuttings free of disease while rooting.