Author Archive | Jim Licata

Coming soon: potted miniature sunflowers

 

These miniature sunflowers (Sunny Smile Sunflowers)are pretty neat, and are perfect for growing in a pot indoors.  I am hoping that they will be just about to bloom right around 4th of July.  I’ll take reservation online, for delivery when they are about ready to bloom.  The rest I’ll probably put for sale somewhere on Bridge Street.  I’ve only got 50 pots, (10 of each color) so if you want a certain color, make sure you send me your reservation now.  Payment will be due upon delivery.

 

 

Organic Garden Plants

I will be at 1317 Bridge St. this weekend from 10am – 4pm, Saturday, Sunday, and maybe part of the day Monday if I still have plants left.

Check out my webstore for pictures and details on the plants, I haven’t updated the site since I started selling the plants last week, so some items may not be available. (And I may have extra items not on the site.)

https://sproutfarmsllc.com/product-category/garden-plants/

Most plants are $2.50ea, and a whole flat of 18 plants is $30 ($45value).

Hope to see you this weekend!

-Jim

Roadside stand: Day 2

I’m back at it today – same location as yesterday. It is a little warmer today, and I’m hoping I don’t get hit by a rainstorm. Come get your plants in case it doesn’t rain. If it does – I guess come and see me get soaked. If you laugh at me, you have to buy a plant though!

Anyhow, had a couple folks ask – the plants, soil and even the pots that they are in are organic, (no transplanting – put the pot and all right into your garden or container) and I have grown them all using organically certifiable methods. Read a little more about them here: https://sproutfarmsllc.com/2017/…/start-planning-your-garden/

Plant stand is open

I know it’s a little chilly today, but tomorrow looks a little warmer.  Stop by and pick up a few plants for your garden to get started early tomorrow.  Most plants are $2.50 each (tax is included) or get a full tray of 18 plants for $30 (normally $45).  I hope to see you soon!

-Jim

Featured Plant: Heirloom Brandywine Tomato

     

Featured sale; Heirloom Brandywine Tomato Garden stater plants: $2.15 each, (includes tax) 23-29 April, or until supplies run out.  Reserve now, pay upon delivery (local only).

$2.15ea – Order Now!

Brandywine tomatoes are a beefsteak-class tomato, offering a meaty and juicy characteristics great for sandwiches and on burgers.   Best flavor comes from vine-ripened beefsteaks.  Johnny’s Selected Seeds calls the flavor of Brandywine tomatoes “very rich, loud, and distinctively spicy”.

As an indeterminate tomato plant, the Brandywine will continue to produce fruits until killed by frost.  Indeterminate tomatoes can grow to be 12 feet tall, but are normally in the 6 foot range.  Obviously this only comes with adequate staking and support.  Indeterminates will bloom, set new fruit and ripen fruit all at the same time throughout the season.

This particular variety of tomato has a potato leaf usually has fewer cuts or serrations on the leaf edge versus a the typical serrated-type tomato leaf. Sometimes there are a few large notches in the mostly smooth leaf edge.

Maturity and harvest averages around day 78 from seeding.  Harvest weights of the fruits can be up to and over 1 pound.

Indeterminante varieties, like the Brandywine may benefit from occasional pruning of the suckers that form between stems.  Doing so will allow more light penetration to your plant and allow fruits to grow larger because nutrition isn’t being used up be extra stems and leaves.  Once you’ve gotten your first few sets of flowers, you can prune the branches below the second lowest set of flowers to help with airflow and circulation around your plants.

When transplanting, a tomato plant’s stem can be buried deeper than most plants due to their ability to create new root formations along the stem.  Doing this will help ensure your tomato has a nice strong base to grow tall.

Transplant into medium-rich garden or field soil and 14-20″ apart, with adequate staking.  If possible, avoid setting out unprotected plants until night temperatures are over 45°F (7°C). Frost will cause severe damage!  Abundant soil phosphorus is important for early high yields. Too much nitrogen causes rampant growth and soft fruits susceptible to rot.

Enjoy!

-Jim

 

This week’s Organic lettuce mix

 

This week’s lettuce harvest harvest includes:

Organic Alkindus Red Butterhead

Organic Dragoon Mini Romaine

Organic Newham Gem Lettuce

Organic Red Fire Leaf Lettuce

Organic Truchas Mini Romaine Lettuce

 

Cauliflower

So, this morning I ordered some organic cauliflower seed to try in the aquaponic system.  I am thinking they may grow fine.  I guess I’ll find out in a couple months.

Skywalker

I was going to order these Crane Pink Kale (picture below) too, but submitted my order and forgot to include them, so they’ll have to wait until my next order.  That timing doesn’t matter too much right now though, these won’t get their coloring until the temperature gets down to 50 degrees again. – which gives me plenty of time. Good winter greenhouse crop maybe.

Crane Pink

Another 360 started

The beans, squash, melons and other quick starters street their journey today.  This puts my total started around 1,200 plants.

 

 

 

 

 

Soon, I’ll have more green in these updates.  To keep you sated, here is a picture of a lunchbox pepper plant grow in the basement over the winter. Now has flower buds growing. I put on the Marvin Gaye and used a little makeup brush to pollinate.  Now that April the giraffe had her baby, maybe I’ll start a live stream to watch the peppers grow.   Who’s coming  (to watch)  with me?