All posts filed under: arugula

Self Watering Seed Starting Kits

I found something interesting today related to seed starting.  The older I get, the more I think I should simplify. I was looking around on line for some cool indoor containers that would be fun to grow basil seeds and found this cute little kit.  It seems a bit pricey, but it looks sleek and contained. This unit is self contained and includes: a grow light a self watering system with water reservoir cartridges of special soil with seeds already embedded in them (evidently these are re-usable)   How it works: According to the video, you pop in a pre-planted seed thingy that has the perfect amount of nutrients, special soil, etc. all in a cartridge of sorts. pop in a cartridge, fill a reservoir with water, and plug it in. Self watering seeds are a go.   Who Could Benefit from a Product Like This: It could potentially be awesome if you are one of those crazy busy people who wants fresh basil, but can’t handle one more thing to remember to take care …

It’s April. What Vegetables Can I Plant Right Now?

It feels like spring.  Finally!  We can all get out, get some air and get our hands dirty again.  But what can we plant that isn’t going to freeze on us and have to be replanted again later?  Here’s a list to get you started in your veggie patch. Potatoes:  as of Good Friday, you can start planting seed potatoes. Carrot seeds Beet seeds Peas Raddish seeds Broccoli Plants Cauliflower Plants Cabbage Plants Salad Greens Kale Arugula Mizuna Bok Choi Pak Choi Sweet Corn Asparagus crowns Strawberries I’m sure there are many more, but this is just off the top of my head and will at least get you started:) Wilcox tools are great for digging holes for annual flowers and vegetables, especially for those of us who don’t like to get down on our knees!  The extra long handle is 18″ long, super sturdy from tip to tip, and made in my native state, Iowa!     Click here for a great online seed selection

7 Reasons You Should Grow Microgreens

Why the Sudden Interest in Microgreens? A few years ago, when my boys were ages 2 and 7, I discovered microgreens.  It had been a long winter, and I was aching to be outside.  January and February are the months when my family gets a new seed catalog in the mail at least once a week!  This may be from my last 17 years of mail ordering seeds and bulbs! The first time I heard the term, microgreens, was at a “Grow Your Small Market Farm” class my husband Tim and I took at Iowa State University during our days as cut flower growers.  I had no interest in microgreens at the time, because I was deeply invested in growing cut flowers.  I was always curious about what they were and how to grow them, but never made the time to learn more, until that long, cold winter a few years ago. I must have seen something about microgreens in one of our seed catalogs, and decided to learn more that winter.  It was a …