Wendell Berry is an agrarian philosopher and will go down as one of the best writers and thinkers the US has produced. He’s a poet, a novelist, an essayist, and a national treasure. I recommend reading whatever you can get your hands on of his, but if it was only one, I suggest his book of agrarian essays – The Art of Commonplace. (8/24)
Gene Logsdon is the grandfather I never had. He wrote in a way that makes you laugh and sometimes blush. He was a farmer and a writer. A critic of the “get big or get out” ethic that infected agriculture during his young adult years. He was a philosopher in his own right, but more than that, he practical guy that loved farming. And happened to write about it. Like Wendell Berry, I recommend reading all of Gene’s books. But if you only read one – read The Contrary Farmer. (8/24)
The Four Season Harvest and The New Organic Grower by Elliot Coleman – Elliot Coleman is one of the market farming OGs. His book The Four Season Harvest is a must read if you want to grow vegetables year-round. Like many great writers, his work will be read long after he is gone and the content is dated. While his works are technical, there is a thread of wisdom throughout his writings that can only come from a life dedicated to one’s craft. (8/24)
The Market Gardener by Jean Martin Fortier – This is an excellent book for anyone interested in market gardening or growing a lot of vegetables efficiently. This is considered by most market gardeners a “must-have”. (8/24)
The Small-Scale Poultry Flock by Harvey Ussery – If you have a small chicken flock, you need this book. Harvey covers all of the topics, from breeding to growing your own feed. He also shares inspiring and creative pictures of his home flock. (8/24)
Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques by Suzanne Ashworth – If you are interested in saving seeds from the vegetables you grow, then this book has to be in your library. It also has straightforward growing advice as well. If I have a specific question about a certain crop, this is a book I will often turn to first. (8/24)
Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques by Suzanne Ashworth – If you are interested in saving seeds from the vegetables you grow, then this book has to be in your library. It also has straightforward growing advice as well. If I have a specific question about a certain crop, this is a book I will often turn to first. (8/24)
USDA Woody Plant Seed Manual – This resource contains excellent information on collecting, preserving, and growing out woody plant (trees) seeds. It also contains a lot more. It is truly an incredible resource and many folks don’t know about it. Find it here. (8/24)
YouTube
No-Till Growers – I often end up on this channel when I’m looking to educate myself on no-till growing methods. A wealth of information on the topic and growing market produce in general. (8/24)
Living Web Farms – Excellent videos from the OGs of regenerative agriculture. They were doing it way before it was trendy. The video that put me on to them was this one on making biochar. (8/24)
The Elliott Homestead – Morgan loves this channel. It’s a great channel for homesteading inspiration. There is a lot to like here. (8/24)
Websites
Microbeorganics.com– This website has no frills. But it is full of quality substance. If you can, read the whole thing. If you can’t, start on the section titled “Organic Growing from a Microbial Perspective.” It is the best explanation of how the soil food web works that I have found. (8/24)
The Contrary Farmer Memorial Blog Site – The blog site of Gene Logsdon. Part philosophy, part satire, part advice. Too many good articles to only choose one. But if I had to choose only one, I’d start with this one. (8/24)
Magazines
Farming Magazine – It’s great for both technical advice and slow living encouragement. Quarterly Publication. (8/24)
Growing for Market – The title says it all. This is a great magazine for anyone interested in growing for a market. But it is also great for folks who just want to take their produce or flower growing to the next level. (8/24)
The Stockman Grass Farmer – This publication focuses on managing livestock on pasture. It is full of excellent advice and tips for managing such systems. Highly recommend. (8/24)
Before we jump in, I’d like to make sure we are on the same page with some terms.
When I say transplant, I’m speaking of a plant that was started from seed, inside and grown until it is ready to be transplanted into the garden. The seed sprouts and grows in a protected environment until it is large enough to be transplanted outside.
When I say seedling, I’m speaking of a plant that has just emerged from the soil and is still in the very early stages of growth. Seedlings aren’t always transplants. You can have a seedling in the garden. However, transplants always start as seedlings.
When I mention direct seeding, I am referring to planting seeds directly into your garden.
Also, I go solo on the pod and talk about all of this. If listening is more your style, check it out.
To have a garden at home, you don’t have to start seeds indoors or in a greenhouse. Local feed and seed stores, farmers co-ops, plant nurseries, and big box stores will all have young garden plants (transplants) that you can purchase and plant in your garden space. In these stores you will usually find lettuces, broccoli, cabbage, different types of herbs, a few varieties of tomatoes, and some peppers. If you add these transplants with the crops you can direct seed into your garden – crops like beans, squash, peas, greens, radishes, carrots, potatoes – then you can understand why I said you don’t have to grow your own transplants. In fact, I’d wager that most home gardeners do not start their own seed indoors nor do they need to.
However, there are good reasons that a home gardener might choose to grow their own transplants. We choose to grow our own because almost all of the varieties we prefer to grow are unavailable in our local stores. If I want to grow a “Striped German” tomato, or “Lacinato” kale, I have to buy the seed and start it myself. The other reason we choose to grow our own transplants is that if we were to purchase them, it would be really cost prohibitive. A single vegetable transplant purchased at a store can cost between $3 – $6. I can grow 40+ transplants for that price.
What Needs Transplanting?
There are some plants that can be direct seeded into your garden, others need to be grown as transplants, and then there are some that it just depends.
Generally speaking, all root crops are direct seeded into the garden. This includes radishes, carrots, beets, and parsnips. Crops with large seeds are also usually direct seeded into the garden. These include corn, okra, peas, and beans. Crops that have long growing periods before reaching maturity are usually transplanted. This includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, brocolli, Brussel sprouts, and cabbage. Herbs are generally either/or.
Generally speaking, here are the crops you can direct seed into your garden: radishes, carrots, arugula, peas, beans, corn, okra, potatoes, squash, cucumbers, turnips, collards, spinach, leaf lettuce, melons.
And, here are some crops you will need to transplant into your garden: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cabbage, kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower.
Benefits of Starting Seeds Inside
There are two primary benefits of starting seeds indoors as opposed to starting them outside in the garden. Seedlings are very vulnerable. Weather, bugs, rodents, and disease are all intent on preventing your precious seedlings from growing in the garden. When starting indoors, you don’t have to worry about these problems until much later, when your seedlings have matured are are much less vulnerable.
Also, when starting seeds indoors, you can start much earlier than what your climate normally allows. For example, if I waited until the soil was warm enough to direct seed tomatoes into the garden, I would be putting the first seed in the ground in May and wouldn’t be harvesting tomatoes until August at the very earliest. But if I start indoors, I can have my transplants in the ground in mid April and start harvesting tomatoes by June. That’s two extra months of BLTs with my ‘maters in them.
How we start our seeds:
(Before I share how we start our seeds, I want to let readers know that I do think using soil blocks is an excellent way to start seeds indoors. I have never done it this way because of limited space and the fact that the method below works well enough for us. However, from what I read and have learned, soil blocking is an excellent option to consider. If you use soil blocking, we’d all love to hear about your experience and if you recommend it!
Also, I don’t use heating mats because I start my seeds in a climate controlled room. If you are starting seeds in a garage, basement, greenhouse, or in an area where temperatures regularly drop below 60 degrees, heating mats then become necessary.)
2013 – Me pretending to water plants shortly after we arrived to the farm at Scott River Lodge.
Before starting seeds, you need a space to put them inside. I’ve used a greenhouse before but currently we use a counter in our laundry room. I have two flourescent, shop lights with a “warm” bulb and a “bright” bulb in each. This light combo provides a broad spectrum of light that works out well for starting seeds. There are other options out there, including LED lights and specific “grow” lights. I like my way best. So does my wallet.
Aim to keep about 2 inches between the lights and the seedlings as they grow. The farther away the light is from your seedlings, the less light your seedlings will get. Shop lights come with chains for this purpose. Depending on your set up, additional chains may be needed.
I use a double outlet 24 hour timer to make sure the plants get the right amount of light: 18 hours of light 6 hours of darkness.
I start my seeds in a 72 cell seed starting flat. I usually dedicate a row or two to each variety of plant I want to grow and label each row. If you are using old trays, make sure they have been sanitized. I sanitize mine each year by dipping the flats in a bleach solution. After drying in the sun, I rinse them off really well and they are ready for action.
I fill the trays with a blended substrate that I never use an exact recipe for. “Pro-Mix BX” peat moss is the primary ingredient. Then I add some compost (bagged compost from a local store is fine), blood meal for nitrogen support, some rock dust for mineral support, and some mycorrhizal innoculant. Sometimes I will add some bone meal as well for a phosphorus boost.
The blend usually goes something like this:
a gallon of fluffed peat moss
half a gallon of compost
a cup of blood meal
2 Tbsp of rock dust
1 tsp of mychorrhizal inoculant
I blend this up with my hands and fill the trays up.
This blend isn’t perfect, but it has suited me well enough for me to keep doing it all these years. If I were to purchase a seed starting mix, I would start and end with Fort Vee from the Vermont Compost Company. However, the cost is really prohibitive. With that in mind, if you are looking for the most simple path forward, get the Pro-Mix BX and some bagged compost and mix it at a 1.5 to 1 ratio. That should do the trick just fine! (In this newsletter and this newsletter I write about my terrible experience with buying a pre-mixed seeding mix.)
I usually try and place two seeds in each cell and water them in really well. Once seedlings sprout, the proper way to water is from the bottom. Which means you need a tray holder like this. I don’t always do this, but recommend it. If you water from the top, be gentle.
The seedlings will grow and once my seedlings have at least two, good-looking, ‘true’ leaves (as opposed to the initial two ‘seed’ leaves), I start thinking about hardening them off and getting them ready to transplant.
👇 I try and explain Cotyledons and ‘Seed’ Leaves in the podcast. Listen below. 👇
Hardening Off
‘Hardening off’ is the process of slowly acclimating the seedlings to the elements it will encounter once it is in the garden. This includes wind, direct sunlight, and fluctuating temperatures. This is critical and cannot be skipped. To harden off, place your seedlings outside for one hour. Avoid direct sunlight and windy periods to start. Repeat this for 5-7 days, increasing by an hour each day so that on day two they are outside for two hours; day three, three hours; etc. You want to baby them still. Avoid drastic temperature changes, heavy wind, heavy rain, and scorching direct sunlight. I have to set reminders up on my phone to bring the plants back inside each day. It is easy to forget. A shady spot at 10am might be a scorching spot by 12. It’s a bad feeling to make it so far with your seedlings and be so close to transplanting them into the garden only to kill them by forgetting to take them back inside or forgetting to water them. The soil in these trays will dry out quickly outdoors. Keep the transplants well watered throughout the hardening off process.
Hardening off tomatoes at the farm.
Planting in the Garden
Once the seedlings are hardenend off, it’s time to transplant into the garden. If I remember and am prepared, I like to do a root soak before transplanting. I think this helps minimize transplant shock and gives the young plants a little boost. To do this, I place the seedling trays in a liquid organic fertilizer made of fish meal or kelp. I’ll let it sit there until the soil is good and soaked. At that point I will pull out the tray and set it in the garden to rest and drain out excess liquid. Once this is complete, they seedlings are ready to be planted in the garden
Hardening off transplants before planting into your garden is often overlooked and undervalued. It’s a critical step in ensuring your well-cared seedlings get off to a marvelous, seamless start in their new home – your garden.
Taylor checking transplants in 2013, in the Scott Valley, in Northern California.
Hardening off is gradually introducing your seedlings to the elements that they will encounter in the garden. Wind, rain, temperature fluctuations, and variable moisture and fertilization levels will shock the seedlings and set your plants back at least 2 weeks if not more. To avoid this, gardeners should slowly introduce their seedlings to what they will experience before transplanting and give the small plants a chance to “toughen up”.
To do this, start taking your plants outside each day about a week before planting out. Start slowly with short durations initially, gradually increasing the time they are outside. Perhaps start at an hour outside and increase that by an hour each day. Avoid extremes – sunlight, temperature fluctuations, rain, and wind. You want gradual, controlled exposure.
Throughout this process, it can be easy to forget about the seedlings since your normal rhythm will be broken. Be sure and keep your seedlings well watered throughout the hardening off process and avoid letting them dry out.
For home gardeners, the winter season is the slowest time of the year. The garden is primarily dormant with the primary care being protecting our plants during freezing nights. Outside the garden however, there are actions to be taken to ensure we are ready to roll once spring begins to set in.
As it is within the garden, the best time to prepare your outdoor garden area for freezing weather is before it gets here! In late fall, begin to think about what you need to “winterize”. Below are a few tasks that should be done in preparation for the winter season.
Drain hoses to prevent cracking during freezing nights
Drain hoses to prevent cracking during freezing nights
Clean and Maintain equipment before storing and putting away. Blades can be sharpened and oiled, mowers and other machines should be wiped free of debris and their oil topped off.
Sweep and organize sheds. Donate or sell unwanted equipment
Morgan harvesting greens from under a frost cloth.
In the southeastern US, the fall garden is an absolute pleasure. There are less weeds and less pests to deal with. And who doesn’t like cooler weather in the garden, especially after the hot and humid summers of the south. With a little care and preparation, the fall garden will last well into spring the following year.
Frost vs. Freeze
For USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6-8, the first frost will normally appear sometime in October and November. (To find out what zone you are in, visit https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ ). Every region has two “Frost Dates”. These dates help gardeners know when to expect the first and last frost of the season. Below is a general guide for determining what your Frost Date is in the Fall.
Zone 6 – October 1-14
Zone 7 – October 15 – 31
Zone 8 – November 1 – 15
Frost occurs in the garden when the surface of our plants cools past the dew point and the water vapor in the air turns to water and then the air temperature drops enough to freeze that liquid leaving behind little bits of ice, or frost, on the plant. Majority of the plants in your fall garden will be frost hardy – meaning they can take a light frost. However, it is still a good idea to protect your garden as most of your plants in October will still be growing and immature.
A freeze is different from a frost in that it’s when the liquid inside the plant freezes. Few garden plants can withstand a freeze although every year I’m surprised at how resilient the garden is in the winter. A little support during freezing nights goes a long way to preserve your harvest!
Preparing for the Winter
The best time to prepare for the freezing nights that will inevitably come is well before they are forecasted. Below are a few simple ways to protect your garden during these freezing nights.
Mulch
The average temperature of the earth is around 55 degrees fahrenheit. Mulching in your garden helps insulate the soil and hold its warmth. It also insulates your plants and can be used to cover vulnerable, smaller plants during freezing nights. Ue mulch to cover your root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, and beets during the colder nights of fall and winter.
Fallen leaves make an excellent mulch and provide multiple benefits in addition to cold protection. The fall season is the time to collect leaves for use as mulch in your garden.
Floating Row Covers | Frost Cloths
Floating row covers are lightweight fabrics that can be placed over your garden plants to protect against frost and provide extra insulation on freezing nights and days. They come in different weights and provide varied protection based on thickness. These covers allow moisture and light in and can be left covering plants for extended periods of time. One consideration is wind. Ensure the sides are weighted down to prevent wind from blowing covers off of plants and leaving them exposed. During the coldest nights I will double up with the covers to provide extra insulation. We have had great success, even with temperatures into the teens.
Cover Crops are really fun to grow. They are planted, not to harvest, but to build and protect the soil. These plants accomplish this by adding organic material (carbon) to the soil, aerating the soil with their roots, “fixing” nitrogen in the soil (legumes), and sheltering the soil from rain and wind. Not all cover crops perform all of these functions and depending on your needs, you may choose different crops for different purposes. Cover crops are planted periodically to give the soil a rest. They can also be planted during seasons where you choose to not grow a garden. The fall/winter garden is my favorite, but many people do not grow a garden during these seasons. For them, growing a cover crop would be an easy way to protect and build their soil over the winter in preparation for their spring garden.
An important note to remember if you plant a cover crop in your garden – These crops are cut and left in the garden to decompose. This provides valuable organic matter to the soil that will feed microbes and build the nutrient capacity of your soil. However, it is vital that these crops are cut before they go to seed. This will ensure the cover crops don’t sprout up in your garden during the following season.
Below are a few popular cover crops and the benefits they provide.
Warm Season Cover Crops
Cow Peas
Nitrogen Fixing
Provides good biomass
Long tap root helps aerate and loosen soil
Good pollinator plant
Sunn Hemp
Nitrogen Fixing
Provides great biomass
Grows well in poor soils
Fights nematodes
Buckwheat
Quick emergence for weed suppression
Great pollinator plant
Provides good biomass
Fibrous root system
Not as drought tolerant as others
Cool Season Cover Crops
Red Clover
Nitrogen Fixing
Good Pollinator Plant
Provides good biomass
Vetch
Nitrogen Fixing
Good Pollinator Plant
Provides good biomass
Oats
Quick Emergence for weed suppression
Provides excellent biomass
Can help with nematode control
Cereal Rye
Quick Emergence for weed suppression
Germinates in colder soil temperatures for a late planting
Asparagus is a perennial that can live in your garden for up to 20 years ushering in spring with its tender, sweet shoots. It has been enjoyed by many civilizations throughout history dating back to 3000 B.C. It is first documented as being cultivated in the mediterranean region with tombs in Egypt containing asparagus on their walls. Since then, the crop has spread around the world where it is enjoyed as one of the first harvests after the winter season.
Seeding:
Asparagus can be grown from seed, but home gardeners usually buy year old plants, or crowns, to start with. The reason is, if started by seed, it can take up to three years before a harvest of spears is recommended.
For crowns, plant at the end of Winter, by March 1. Dig holes 8 inches deep and up to 18 inches wide to accommodate the roots. Place the crown in the center and spread out the roots before covering with soil. When covering with soil, only cover with a few inches of soil leaving some space before ground level. Once shoots emerge above ground level, backfill with soil until level with surrounding ground. Some recommend soaking crowns before planting, but I have never done this and my crowns have done well.
Spacing:
3’ in rows 5’ apart.
Cultivation:
Asparagus likes to be mulched and weed free. The first two years after planting your crowns are critical. It requires average but steady waterings. In periods of low rain amounts, be sure and water crowns to ensure the soil doesn’t dry out. Side dressing plants with an organic fertilizer in the spring and early fall is welcomed and a good way to get your plants off to a great start. In late fall, the asparagus tops will turn brown and die back and will need to be cut back to ground level.
Harvest:
If planting seeds, wait at least 3 years before harvesting. If planting crowns wait at least 2 years. You will be rewarded with healthy strong plants that can sustainably be harvested for many years to come. Once plants are ready to be harvested, cut shoots with a sharp knife at ground level once they are 8-10 inches long. Check daily for viable shoots, as they tend to grow fast. Longer shoots tend to get woody and much less tender. Shoot diameter should be between .25” and .5”. Once shoots are the diameter of a pencil, stop harvesting. DO NOT cut all shoots down as this will severely set your plant back. The remaining shoots should be grown out and allowed to grow all year. Each winter, cut back the dead growth to ground level.
Green Onions, also known as Japanese Bunching Onions, have been used for centuries in Asia. These onions do not form a bulb but their tube-like leaves are used in both fresh dishes and for cooking.
Seeding:
Direct seed into your garden in early March. Lightly cover seeds. Seeds germinate best in warmer soil but will germinate in soil as cool as 60 degrees. Seeds will usually germinate in under 10 days.
Spacing:
.5” in rows 2” apart.
Cultivation:
Bunching Onions prefer full sun. They like fertile soil but will grow fine in most garden soils. It is important to keep your rows free of any weeds. The small plants do not compete well with weeds. They require average water.
Harvest:
Harvest green onions in late spring and early summer. For a continual harvest, make multiple plantings.
This fruit got its start in India where it originated from spiny plants that produced a bitter fruit. After many years of selection and cultivation, non-bitter varieties appeared on the scene in 5th century BC China and from there eventually made their way to Africa and eventually Europe
Seeding:
Start your eggplant seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. Plant seeds at least ¼ inch deep. Seeds like warmer soils to germinate. Our home is typically in the 70 – 72 degree range. Once put under lights it brings the temperature up into the ideal range of 75+ degrees. Germination will occur in 10-15 days.
Seeds are not vigorous and are susceptible to disease. With this being the case, it is very important to sterilize all seeding equipment prior to seeding. Use a diluted bleach solution to clean all seeding trays and only use a sterile, soilless potting mix. By doing so, you will help prevent any disease issues that tomatoes are susceptible to.
I do not transplant up my eggplant seedlings due to a lack of room. I grow mine in 1” cells the entire time. Ideally, the eggplant seedlings get “potted up” into an incrementally larger pot every 2-3 weeks as they grow. This gives the roots ample room to establish and expand. It also encourages air circulation and promotes a healthier environment. In my case, I run an air filter close by. This increases circulation and also filters out any potential fungal spores that might otherwise be floating around looking for a home.
Hardening off is critically important for a successful transition into the garden. Be sure and begin the hardening off process at least a week before planting out. Give the plants ample exposure to direct sunlight, cooler mornings and evenings, and a few breezes. A good plan is to increase their outdoor time by an hour each day. Be careful to avoid letting the transplants dry out. Avoid direct sunlight for extended periods of time, especially early in the process. Avoid high winds, rain, and extreme temperature changes as well.
Spacing:
12” – 18”
Cultivation:
Eggplants do not require much! Like most vegetables they do prefer fertile, well drained soil. They love the sun and warm soil. Plant outside after the last threat of frost. Avoid mulching heavily until warm weather is present to stay.
Harvest:
Harvest eggplants when their skin begins to gloss. Eggplants taste their richest when harvest on the younger side.
The cucumber is believed to have originated in the Himalayas and first cultivated in India. Eventually, it made its way into the middle eastern cultures and further west into Europe. The ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks all enjoyed the Cucumber.
Seeding:
There are mixed reviews on whether or not cucumbers should be transplanted. Due to the fragile nature of their roots and their disdain for disturbance, direct seeding is often advised. In my experience, this too is not without its own set of problems that will be addressed below in the pest section. Direct seed cucumbers .25” deep. Direct seed in mid-spring after the soil has warmed above 75 degrees and the threat of frost has passed. Seed in full sun.
My success with transplanting cucumbers has been varied. So far, I have found the most success with peat pots. I like transplanting cucumbers to get a head start as well as avoiding all the pests that want to eat my direct seeded seedlings. Start cucumber transplants indoors in early March in 2” peat pots. Once true leaves appear, pot up into larger 4” inch peat pots. Plant cucumbers outside after hardening off and all threat of frost has passed. Be sure to not bury any part of the neck of the cucumber to avoid neck rot.
Spacing:
2’ apart in rows 4’ apart.
Cultivation:
Cucumbers require support for optimum growth and production. Make sure this support is provided at the time of planting to avoid disturbing the roots of the plants once it’s established. Cucumbers need fertile soil to produce properly. Once cucumbers are established, a side dressing of compost is helpful to keep it producing throughout its life-cycle.
Pests:
When direct seeding your cucumbers, it will be important to protect your seedlings from cutworms and pillbugs. I cut the bottoms out of plastic food containers and stick them around the seed as a way to keep these critters away. Spent coffee grounds also work well to repel these bugs.
The striped cucumber beetle and the spotted cucumber beetle are two common pests to watch out for. Their feeding will stunt growth and can pass along bacterial diseases that will devastate your crop. Manual removal early on helps. Keep a close eye out and remove any plants that are infested or are beginning to wilt. Keeping your garden mulched will discourage egg laying. Keeping your garden weed free will help eliminate host plants.
Harvest:
There are many varieties of cucumbers. Some that are more than 2’ at maturity and others that are less than an inch at maturity! Harvest cucumbers based on the specifications of the variety you planted. Once harvested, dunking in ice water is helpful to remove “field heat” and will help keep the cucumbers crisp in a refrigerator for up to a week.
