3 Growing Lettuce At Home

Lettuce Growing

Lettuce leaf texture and color vary depending with the type of lettuce you are growing. However, all these types of lettuce grow best in constantly moist soil. The best time to grow lettuce in zone 9B, which I live is between the months of November through February. Lettuce will have a hard time tolerating the long hot days in many of the other months in Florida, especially if it is at the time of harvest. Disease, insects, or just simple burnout will greatly reduce yield if not destroy your crop. The soil is usually cooler during these months but you need to note that the crop will require even more sunlight during this period. So make sure they are planted in an area where they get full sun. Growing lettuce will of course lead you to find out that there are quite a number of different types of lettuce, including the butter heads and Bibb type, loose- leaf varieties, romaine lettuce, and crisphead lettuce.

When growing lettuce you need to make sure you have good fertile soil, less than this will give you nothing but heartache. Spacing requirement vary widely but most are varieties can be grown pretty close together, around 10-12 inches. The root system does not go down very low either, loose soil is however important. Make sure you apply a balanced organic fertilizer to the area before planting. You could always wait till they sprout and side dress them with the fertilizer, but make sure you do it to ensure success. Once they have sprouted and have grown to a point where the leaves a bunching, cut the outer leaves of leaf lettuce when they are between 4 and 6 inches in height. The leaves at the centre of the crop remain intact. This method of removing the outer leaves shock the crop and allows it to continue growing rather than seeding or bolting. Lettuce can be easy to grow and rewarding. It should be a staple vegetable grow in your garden because of it’s versatility in the kitchen. The one caveat I would add is to look at the nutritional value to the varieties you grow and choose one that is higher than most lettuce types you usually find. Which are generally low in nutritional value, you will be suprised at how tasty and healthy lettuce can really be.

2 Growing Carrots in Florida

Carrots

In Florida carrots are a fall through late winter planted crop. It is difficult to use the information on a seed packet for direction as to when to plant in our climate as most do not take our hot climate into consideration. Carrots are a very popular vegetable I believe because they are colorful, sweet, and fairly easy to grow. This makes them popular for the gardener to grow. A very commonly used vegetable in a great many dishes also contribute to its adoption. Other than preparing dishes, it can be consumed raw or increasing, used in juicing. Known as a major source of vitamin A, carrots provide a huge dose of sweetness to any juice. It is also a good source of vitamin K and potassium. If you plant carrots in your small home garden, you should be able to grow and harvest carrots for most of the months in a year here in Florida. This will of course require keeping your plants thriving.

In order to grow sweet carrots for your home cooking needs, you need to adhere to a few things:

• Cool temperatures to sustain the carrots plants. In Florida that means they need to be picked before the most intense sun of the summer. Well-drained soil and rainfall is important. On seasons where rainfall is minimal, watering the carrot plants will help them grow well.
• The first step would be to till the ground where you plan to plant them or create a raised bed to grow them. It should be about that you will plant the carrots to about 2 cm deep. If you choose to go the raised bed route, make it 2 feet deep. Loose well draining soil is needed.
• Cover the seeds with soil after planting in the ground, while making sure to give them enough space. Carrots need about 9 inches of space in between each plant.
• As the seeds germinate and the crown appears above the ground, apply mulch that will help in keeping the grounds wet especially during the drier periods of winter. Unless of course you irrigate.
• Thinning of carrots would help in giving a constant supply of the carrots fresh from the farm all year round. However, you have to be careful with this process as the carrot fly is sensitive to the smell of damages carrot leaves thus attacking the plant. This though can be controlled. Thinning the carrots 3 to 5 cm apart depending on the size of the carrot produce ensures quality carrots.
• A good way to help prevent against pests would be to add plants around your garden that encourage good insects like; Dandelion, Dill, Fennel, Marigold or a host of others. When you encounter pests problems use; neem oil, soapy water, citrus water, or even a hot pepper/garlic mix.

1 Growing Olives in Florida

Olives Growing

Olives have a long and storied history having been eaten whole and as a processed food. Olive oil was even used as a sort of commodity currency since it was desired by many and stored very well. Literature has also a special place for the olive tree. It was mentioned in the old and new testament of the bible 30 times. But most notable it is tied closely to the Greek people. Many of the most known Greek stories mention the olive and the tree itself with a sort of reverence. It is said that the first Olive tree grew in Athens, where it grew for over 200 years. Maybe a part of me has absorbed part of the cultural significance of the olive, but it is hands down the one food I can never turn down.

For a very long time I have wanted to grow my own olive tree. Oddly enough when looking up some information on olive trees two questions came up that I found somewhat strange. So if someone stumbles across my blog based on one of them let me provide an answer. Yes olives grow on trees, not vines. And yes olive is a fruit and not a vegetable. I guess it is not a very popular crop in America, so my assumption is the familiarity is low. Though in more recent years olive groves have become more popular in both Texas and in California. It is very commonly used as well in landscapes due to its visual appeal.

Last year I actually bought my first in what I hope to be many olive trees. Most varieties of olive tree do not fruit in Florida but the arbequina variety does. Many aspects of the tree make it well suited to Florida. It requires a lot of sun, well drained soil, and is drought tolerant once established. All of these conditions are present in Florida. When I bought it, it already was producing olives and it took both the cold and being transplanted fairly well. One thing I didn't do but probably should have is wean it more slowly off regular watering. It came from a nursery where it was used to a steady diet of water.

As with many of the fruits and vegetables I am planting, much of what I am doing is experimental. Trial and error is usually the best teacher. Of course mixing in a bunch of reading and information gathering doesn't hurt either. But I wanted to try and test it’s endurance to lower water consumption. So far it is holding up well, the last few weeks it has started to flush out with new growth. We have received rain a number of days the last couple weeks which have helped it to also start budding. Given the shock I gave it and its new environment, my first year should be a low production year. I am hoping that after it is well established the production will get to a higher level. My plan it to add another couple trees this year, though irrigation will be on my to do list.

1 Growing Lemons In Florida

Bees Pollinating A Meyer Lemon Tree

Lemons are a small evergreen citrus tree thought to be originally from Asia. Is commonly thought that they are a hybrid of citron and oranges. We have writing of that suggest cultivation in the Middle East as far back as 90BC. It made its way to Europe in the 1500’s than on to the America’s with Christopher Columbus shortly thereafter.  Today, India and Mexico are the largest growers of lemons in the world. Most people know the many uses of lemons; as the base of a drink, marinades, cooking, aroma therapy, as an antibacterial, and lemon oil is used as an insecticide.  As with all citrus it is very high in vitamin C, with 100 grams containing more than 60% of a daily recommend intake. As with most citrus it doesn't tolerate cold well at all, so only the warmer areas of the country grow them.

We have 2 lemon trees, one Eureka and one Meyer lemon tree. We also have a few other citrus but only two lemon trees. They both have very large thorns on them, something I was not really aware of before I got them. Not that they really get in the way but they are unusually large. It is not difficult to care for as long as it gets a supply of water and sun. It does best in sandy soils. Each mature tree can be expected to produce approximately 300 pounds of fruit per year. Some varieties are seasonal producers and others are ever bearing. Florida has all the right ingredients to grow a wide variety of citrus, which is well known by most. All told citrus has a 9 billion dollar per year impact on the Florida economy and employs 75000 people to cultivate it.

Lemon growing can be conducted using dry lemon seeds or from cuttings from a previous tree. Cuttings are faster than the use of seeds, which need time to produce seedlings. The seedlings may shoot after about 4 to 6 months and the growth of the seedling for a transplant taking between 3 to 6 months. You can select a method you find appealing to you for the lemon tree. Lemon trees are able to accommodate different soil types but prefer soil that drains well and that is slightly acidic. I set up irrigation to water them regularly. Frequent watering is needed to combat the moisture loss from the intense sun and obviously to produce plump fruit.  Winter pruning the plant will help it better survive the cold and actually improve fruit production. Our trees are not yet fully grown but yet have produced some lemons, though the transplanting did stunt them in this first year. Looking forward to the spring to get a full lemon harvest and some wonderful summertime lemonade.

2 Favorite Broccoli Soup Recipe

Soup is one of my favorite foods, it combines thriftiness with healthful eating. When making soups you can always use leftovers to make them. Generally if I use meat in my soup I will use leftover chicken, beef, or pork. Also I have found that my sons actually love soup, and even when I use vegetable they don't usually eat raw or steamed, they will enjoy it in soup. Aside from the time it sits to cook, soup is very easy to make. Add these all up and soup is make a fantastic meal, at least in my opinion.

A while ago I started collecting recipes online that I wanted to make, many of them were soup recipes. I have cooked all of them, a few many many times. I would have to say that this broccoli soup recipe really stands out in my mind. While soup makes a great meal, it can also be an appetizer or a snack if it is healthy, light, and low in calories. I have been making this recipe with broccoli from my garden. This soup recipe does not include the mare traditional cheese. The cheese will make it more heavy and caloric. I am glad I printed and saved this one because it is longer available on the website I originally found it on. I have also made a couple of modifications to it over time.

Ingredients:
2 cups water
4 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup carrots
1/2 cup onion
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:
I use a dutch oven to do this but any regular soup pot will do, bring the 2 cups water to a boil. Add the celery carrots, and broccoli and boil for a few minutes. Then strain then in a colander and set aside. Put butter in the soup pot or dutch oven and melt it, add the onions and saute then till soft. While that is happening place the vegetable you set aside into a blender, you doing necessarily want a puree so use a setting that leaves it in little bits. To the sauteed onion and butter add the flour till you get a paste, then add broth and milk stirring constantly. Bring that to a boil, then add the vegetables and remaining ingredients. Lower the heat cover and let simmer for 30-40 minutes. Then your are done! A couple of other suggestions would be to sprinkle parmesan cheese on it or add a tablespoon of sausage to it. But at this point it is a meal, not a lighter appetizer or snack. Though it tastes great without either. The image is not mine, so when I make it again this weekend I will replace it with my own.

1 Planting Leeks For A Fall Crop

Growing Leeks

Looking for a vegetable that adds flavor to your food? Leeks are great vegetables to grow; I have found them so far to be easy to grow as well. Many people may have difficulty with onions; they tend to make your eyes water when chopping them and some dislike the natural flavor. I don’t however but still love the mild but equally rich flavor of leeks. While not as popular in American cooking, are used widely in England as well as other parts of Europe. The leek is the perfect vegetable for the cool weather with the bulb at the bottom growing into a very tasty piece that can be used in the making of stews, casseroles. The upper leaves are perfect for making soups flavorings appealing. To have tasty dishes is simple since growing this plant is simple.
Growing this plant in varied soils is easy as the plant accommodates many soils that are not waterlogged. The hardy abilities of this plant help it to grow at all times even during harsh winter times. Moisture in the soil during the growing season is important. Applying manure to the soil in average amounts helps to a healthy leek production. Application of organic compost is well-conducted dug in the soil before planting and during the growing period.

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I realized leeks work best on firm soil. They best follow other vegetables like cabbages or peas over crop rotation practices. They should not follow a crop that is leguminous growing under the soil like potatoes as this leaves the soil very loose. Varying the locations of leek growth is vital in helping prevention of attack by pests or other vegetable diseases.
I found planting leeks in a soilless mix before taking it to the grounds outdoors good. Leeks are biennial and can be planted for the spring and the fall period. Planting the germinated baby leeks to the ground requires watering during the dry period. The use of compost for the soil adds nutrients to the plants. Adding mulch helps retain soil moisture inside and keep weeds away. Loose soil that is mixed with sand has proved helpful for my farm helping the leeks grow healthy and with a smooth texture.

2 Brussels Sprout Growing

Falstaff Brussel Sprouts

Although Brussels sprouts are slow growing, they are long-bearing crop that require cool weather. This crop can grow well on Pacific Northwest due to the favorable climatic conditions found in the area. This is the reason there is caution that having your sprouts maturing during dry or hot weather makes them undesirable for food. They end up tasting bitter. In Florida this translates to; only grow in winter.

When growing Brussels sprouts, you need to put into consideration that the plant will need a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight on a daily basis. If you can expose your crops to more sunlight daily, it will be even better. When growing the crop in my garden, I had to ensure that the soil was well drained, moist, and fertile and had plenty of organic matter. It took a while to actually come up from planting, not sure if was because the soil was still too warm but it took a month to see them.

 I am not a strict believer in pH levels being in tight ranges but it is recommended that the soil pH should be about 6.8 to avoid club root disease and ensure optimum growth. When you are not sure of the pH level of the soil in your farm or garden, you can buy a test kit that will help you to determine soil pH. Alternatively, you can take some soil sample to your regional Cooperative Extension office to have the test carried out. In the absence of the test, you can add plenty of compost manure, cottonseed meal, or blood meal, as they are rich in nitrogen. Boron is very important for Brussels sprouts. Plenty of it ensures that the crop does not develop small buds and hollow stems. You need not add too much boron, as it will end up causing problems. If you have had experience that leads you to believe pH matters a lot, go the extra step. But never go without the organic fertilizer, and make sure to add kelp meal or something like it to get all those trace minerals.

 

When setting out your transplants, you need to set the rows 30 inches apart. This is due to that fact that the crop usually sprouts and get large. When you do this, the crop gets enough space to develop to full maturity. I found that sitting the transplants around before planting is bad since they end up stunted in the pack and some dry out.

The variety I am growing is Falstaff Brussels Sprouts, which are purple not green and take just a bit longer than more traditional varieties. The Falstaff variety of brussel sprouts are said to be nutty in flavor, which I am excited to try. They should be ready for picking by the end of February. Yield should be around 80 sprouts per plant.