Rita's Roots Backyard Harvest

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Rita's Roots Backyard Harvest

Everything you need to grow your own food in The Lowcountry. No green thumb required!
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08/21/2024

https://www.ritasroots.com/blog/summer-harvesting-tips-lowcountry-gardenSummer is HOT in the Charleston area (tell us something we don’t know!!!) and while much productivity in the garden has slowed with the high heat and humidity there are plants —like peppers, eggplant, and basil to name a few—that are continuing to grow and produce.

At the same time, you might be feeling overrun by your sweet potatoes and have tomatoes that are just barely hanging on 😵‍💫

We just put out a new blog post covering tips for your late summer Lowcountry garden including:

🌶 What plants to keep + what plants to pull

🌶 How to manage unruly sweet potato vines

🌶 What to do if your peppers & eggplants are getting too long and leggy

🌶 Our secret for helping struggling tomato plants

…plus a couple tasty recipes for to utilize your late summer harvest!

Link below for the full read:
https://www.ritasroots.com/blog/summer-harvesting-tips-lowcountry-garden

08/16/2024

Got out of my comfort zone and did an interview yesterday!!! I had the best time--good thing I could talk about gardening all day 😉

It's truly a pleasure getting to chat with others in the field-- thank you so much to horticulturist Lauren of Meeting Green for having me on the show. You can listen to the episode today on Ohm Radio Charleston 96.3 🎧

08/09/2024

Lowcountry gardening can be challenging in August-- the high heat and humidity really limits the vegetables that do well. And of course our recent tropical storm doesn't help 😵‍💫

But cut flowers (and herbs!!!) can hang in there with proper care. Just check out these beauties in one of our client gardens 🌸🌼🌻

08/08/2024

We're working on something pretty darn cool behind the scenes over here...a new guidebook on DIY'ing your own raised garden beds 💪
Should be ready to share next week but in the meantime, here's a little pro tip if you're getting started:

We recommend lining all garden beds with pond liner BUT did you know you can skip that step if your bed is on cement?!

That being said, you should still put down a simple lining on the bottom (interior) to keep soil from leaching out of the bottom of the bed 🪴

08/01/2024

Y'all. ELDERBERRIES. Don't you just love them???

If you have elderberry in your garden keep your eyes peeled as harvest time will be upon us soon 👀

🟣 Fruit is ready when the berries are dark purple to almost black in color

🟣 Cut the entire cluster from the branches and then remove the berries from the stems (remember: elderberries can stain, so be sure to wear suitable clothing and/or gloves!!!)

🟣 Elderberries spoil quickly, so be ready to freeze, dry, or process for jams, juice, wine, extracts, cordials, syrups or tinctures (the berries will only store for a short amount of time in the refrigerator)

❗️ NOTE: Raw elderberries are mildly toxic and can cause illness if eaten in large quantities. Raw berries are bitter, so processing is the way to go!

07/23/2024

We love field peas and butterbeans— both are long time southern staples for the dinner table 🍽

Field peas —aka cowpeas— were traditionally grown as a cover crop for soil enhancement because of the nitrogen fixing abilities. It was a bonus that you could also harvest and eat the peas making for an inexpensive and hearty dish 💪

These are fun to grow and one of our favorites in the Lowcountry because field peas and butterbeans are known for their ability to thrive in harsh conditions, including high temperatures and drought!

Bush varieties of field peas and butterbeans can go in the ground from 8/1-8/15 so if you’re looking ahead at adding these next month, swipe for tips to get started 👨‍🌾

07/17/2024

A little summer harvest from a client garden + Zinnias just because we love them so much 😍

What are y'all doing in the garden this week??

07/12/2024

🎉 BIG NEWS!!!! 🎉

You can now shop by appointment at our Summerville nursery!

We’re always thinking of ways we can get more people in our community to grow their own food, including making access to our certified organic plants as easy as possible...

So we had this great idea— why not let folks come out and shop directly at our nursery, outside of online sales and public sales???!

👉 Starting July 13th you can privately shop at our nursery in Summerville on Saturdays from 9am-2pm, by appointment only.

Link below to see our scheduling calendar. Once you select a day & time slot, you’ll get an email with more details including address and directions for the nursery!

https://ritasroots.as.me/schedule.php

07/02/2024

We’ll eat tomatoes every single day, every single way but what do you do when you find yourself with more tomatoes than you can get through???

They’re a wonderful gift to neighbors or friends but if you still have excess, here are a few ways you can preserve tomatoes to get the most out of your harvest:

🍅 Freezing

Yep, tomatoes can be frozen whole with the skins on if you’re short on time for processing. Lay the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper (be sure to leave space between each tomato so they don't freeze together!). Freeze for a couple of hours, or until solid, then transfer to freezer bags or food storage containers. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 6 months!

🍅 Blanching

Put your tomatoes into a pot of boiling water for 60–90 seconds. Once the tomato skins split open, transfer them into a bowl of ice water to cool. After taking them out, it’ll be easy to peel the skin off and then freeze them.

🍅 Canning

If you really wanna take it to the next level, try your hand at canning :) Start by blanching, then head over to the Ball Preserving & Recipes website for their step-by-step info on water bath canning method for high acid foods. Canning can be time consuming, but the flavor of the tomato sauce can’t be beat!!!

Preserving is a great way to enjoy the summery taste of your tomatoes through fall and into winter. Enjoy!!! 🤌

06/28/2024

Hey friends, Rita here 👋

I didn't realize how many folks didn't know that the Rita in Rita's Roots is a real person, so here I am!

Way back in 2006 (feels like another lifetime!!) I started a small farm on St. John's Island, mostly supplying to local chefs and restaurants. But there are so many benefits to growing your own food --good for our bodies, good for our planet, good for de-centralizing our food system-- I wanted to help others learn how to do it.

So I wound down my little St. John's farm and opened the doors, so to speak, to Rita's Roots Backyard Harvest in 2011. Our mission is to help others grow their own food in the Lowcountry.

Happy to say, 13 years in and we're still going strong!!! 💪

We're now South Carolina's first woman-owned, certified organic nursery and have a small but mighty team of passionate gardeners to help spread our mission. This little mama-owned business has grown to include wholesale to local nurseries, in person and online plant sales so our community can get our goodies in their gardens year round, 1:1 services like garden design, installation, and even care/maintenance, AND an online educational platform (The Garden Growers Club).

Allll that to say, thank you for being here!!! Rita's Roots wouldn't be what it is without the support of our beautiful Lowcountry community ✨

More than a decade in business and I'm still learning and improving. Most importantly, just as passionate as Day 1 🙌

06/21/2024

Do you have watermelon in your garden?

It takes a long time for these fruits to be ready and there are so few of them on each plant, we want to be sure we get our harvesting time right!

Not sure how to tell if your watermelons are ready? Below are our rules of thumb for when to pluck for peak freshness 😋

🍉 Track Days to Harvest

Hopefully, you made a note somewhere on what date you planted your gardens! If you shopped with us at our plant sales, you planted Sugar Baby watermelons around the first of April. They take 76 days from transplant, which puts us right around the middle to end of June depending on when you came to the sales.

🍉 Tendril Will Be Brown

Look at the watermelon stem and follow it up towards the main vine. You will see a cute little tendril opposite the watermelon stem. When this turns brown that is sign number two! We tend to wait until some of the other vines nearby are brown too, just to be sure.

🍉 Yellow Spot

Flip over the melon to check out the spot that was touching the ground. If it has turned bright yellow, that is sign number three.

🍉 "Punk"!

Now this one is tricky but its worth playing around with. The Johnnys Seeds catalog says that you will hear a "Punk" sound as opposed to a "Pink" or "Pank" when you flick the melon with your fingers. Start studying this one early —when you know it’s not ripe yet— so that when the sound does change, you can notice a difference.

06/13/2024

📣 Calling all garden enthusiasts!! 📣

If you're in the Charleston area and passionate about growing food (and love playing in the dirt), come join our growing team!

We’re hiring a Garden Guru— this position is perfect for someone who loves working outdoors, is a confident, knowledgeable vegetable and flower gardener, and is eager to contribute to a fast-paced, woman-owned small business.

👉 This role involves a variety of tasks related to client garden care across the Lowcountry.

👉 Link below to read the full job description --including responsibilities and compensation-- and to apply

https://www.ritasroots.com/careers

06/13/2024

It's not too late-- squeak your online orders in before the shop closes at midnight tonight 🏃‍♀️

This is our very last sale of the season and your last chance to get summer favorites in the ground like sweet potatoes and blueberries. And if you’re looking for a last minute gift for Dad nothing beats our potted berry plants, just sayin’ 💙

Get your order in before midnight tonight, then pick up Saturday-Sunday, 6/15-6/16 (choose from one of three locations for pick up: Holy City Brewing, Magnolia Park & Community Garden or at our Summerville nursery).

Thank you for your support this season!! We appreciate it 🙏
https://www.ritasroots.com/shop

06/06/2024

Ahhhh, a super happy smiley throwback to harvesting with the inimitable Nielsen Fallert 🫶

By the way-- if you're planning summer travel one of the best things you can do before leaving town is a "heavy harvest."

This means picking ALL of the fruits --large and small-- as long as you plan to eat them or give them away before you leave. Old fruit tells the plant to stop making more so if you want to enjoy a harvest when you return, pick heavy before you leave.

On that note, before you head on vacation don't forget to also mulch, spray preventatively for disease & pests, and set up a drip or automatic irrigation system OR line up a garden sitter (and make sure they know how to properly hand water!) 👩‍🌾

06/05/2024

Cheer up, pup! You haven't missed our online sale yet 😉

We got ourselves a little rest and now we’re ready to roll up our sleeves again and that includes taking online orders 👩‍🌾

Yep— our online store is fully restocked and open now through midnight Wednesday!!

We’re loaded up with organic summertime favorites like:

- Okra
- Zinnias
- Marigold
- Peanuts (a new offering this year! we’re excited to see this one in summer gardens :))
- Luffa gords (fyi: these LOVE the heat, are great climbers, and look lovely on trellises)
- Blueberries and Blackberries in fabulous 3 gallon pots
..plus a whole lot more!!!

Here’s how our online sales work:

🌿 Online store closes at midnight on Wednesday, 6/5

🌿 Pick-up on Saturday-Sunday ONLY, 6/8-6/9

🌿 Choose from one of three locations for pick up: Holy City Brewing, Magnolia Park & Community Garden or at our Summerville nursery

🌿 You’ll receive a reminder email at the end of the week including your exact pick up details

Link below to shop now 👇
https://www.ritasroots.com/shop

06/03/2024

We love a good Lowcountry summer garden as much as you (tomatoes, squash, melons...so much to enjoy!!) but the pests? Not so much.

Heat and humidity brings out all the creepy crawlies determined to undermine your gardening efforts 😵‍💫

But we've got just the thing to help you out! We put together a quick guide on how to beat:

- Aphids
- Fire Ants
- Caterpillars
- Japanese Beetles
- Stink Bug Nymphs
..using only organic methods (yep, it's possible!)

Link below to download your PDF guide 👇
https://www.ritasroots.com/free-guide

05/31/2024

Friends, keep your eyes peeled for squash vine borers-- an unpleasant pest in summer gardens 🐛

The first sign you'll see are wilted leaves. The instinct is to water more, but a closer look should be taken first...

➡️ The vine borer begins as a black and red moth that travels alone. It lays an egg at the base of the squash plan then when the egg hatches, the white larvae bores into the stem and begins its feast of eating the interior of the stems

➡️ The eventual result is complete wilt and death ☠️

➡️ You can catch the larvae in action, slice open the stem vertically and remove the grub. The plant can recover *if* it's not yet wilted

❌ Once wilted (as in the photo) the plant must be removed and destroyed, plastic bagged to prevent any grubs from completing their life cycle 🐛

05/30/2024

Of all the potential maladies of a summer garden, tomato bacterial wilt might be the biggest bummer 😔

First things first, the tomato bacterial wilt presents itself at the very top of the plant first.

The freshly grown top and tips of the plant look like they are wilting due to lack of watering which naturally cause most of us to water MORE to fix the problem.

FYI: here's a perfect example of a time when checking the soil moisture can tell you if the problem is under watering or a wilt.

If the soil is still wet --and the tops are wilting-- you likely have bacterial wilt. Beware!!!

❌ The bacteria can live in the soil from year to year, which is why we emphasize the need to rotate your plant families

❌ If you see a plant wilting due to disease and *not* under watering, remove the plant from your garden and seal in a garbage bag to dispose

❌ DO NOT COMPOST any tomato debris EVER as any tomato disease can persist in your compost

Sadly there's nothing that can be done to remedy these diseases. Be sure to note if you had a bacterial wilt issue in your garden and avoid that area for tomatoes in the future. Grafted tomatoes can also provide resistance to the wilts.

05/29/2024

Do you know about Blossom End Rot?? (BER). Every gardener should watch out for this challenge!

BER appears on your tomato as a flat, blackened ring on the bottom or blossom end of the tomato fruit (its presence causes the tomato to turn to its ripe color, even through the size can be small).

BER is caused by one of two things: either insufficient calcium in the soil -or- irregular watering.

🍅 For us, we know that chances are most likely that irregular watering is the cause in our gardens since we amend with compost and use All Purpose Organic Fertilizer each season when planting, which are both high in Calcium

🍅 Plus, tomatoes are talented at weathering drought conditions, which can lead to under watering when the fruit is setting

🍅 Be sure to water your tomato plants deeply approximately every other or every day to avoid BER. As always, check the soil moisture first before watering especially if we've had rainy or cloudy conditions.

🍅 But!! You also want to avoid over watering which can be defined as watering when the soil is still wet from the previous watering. Over watering can contribute to Bacterial Wilt (more on that later).

Luckily BER is a condition that we can remedy with adjusted cultural practices -- get your watering down pat and you should be able to avoid BER 😅

05/23/2024

The heat is ON!!! The summer is coming for us in the Lowcountry and now’s the time to start planning ahead for dryer days and higher temps 🥵

Yes, this time of year can put plants under stress (humidity and pests, we’re looking at you!!!) but being proactive goes a long way to keeping your garden thriving, even in the heat.

Below are a few hot weather gardening tips to implement right now:

☀️ Conserve Soil Moisture: be sure to mulch your garden with soil conditioner, compost, leaves, or other chemical-free organic matter.

☀️ We stay away from hardwood mulch (they can make your soil more alkaline as they breakdown) and colored mulches (the dye leaches into the soil which can kill beneficial bacteria, earth worms, etc.)

☀️ You can even used raked leaves (keep an eye out and we guarantee you’ll still find bags of these on the side of the road!!)

☀️ Begin Preventative Organic Fungicide Applications: We focus our spraying efforts on tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, basil, and potatoes - the most susceptible crops in the garden.

☀️ An application every two weeks should suffice

☀️ Ideally, you should alternate fungicides to prevent resistance, but one will suit too. Our go to’s are: Thyme Guard, Neem, Serenade, Regalia and Copper. Be sure to read the instructions and dosage rates on the bottle (most can be purchased from Organics )

05/21/2024

Check this out -- one of our clients in downtown Charleston elevated their garden bed in case of flooding. Genius idea! 💡

05/17/2024

Edisto, Hollywood, and Ravenel friends!! We just did a big ol' plant drop at Hollywood Hardware 🙌

You can buy our plants there anytime - their garden center is behind the hardware store at the back of their property.

05/15/2024

Who needs Zinnias???!

Our baby zinnia plants are absolutely thriving right now 😍

One of our favorite things about zinnias is that they're a "cut and come again” bloom, meaning the more you use for arrangements, the more flowers they produce!

And they of course make any garden very cheerful 💐

FYI: we have certified organic Benary’s Giant Variety ($9.75 for a 4 pack) in the online store which closes at midnight. Pick up at one of our three locations this weekend, 5/18-5/19.

Link below:
https://www.ritasroots.com/shop

05/14/2024

What's a plant you should definitely be trying in your warm season garden?? PEPPERS! 🌶

We feel like they're kind of unsung heroes in the garden...here are a few reasons to give these low key guys a try:

🫑 Peppers are seriously low maintenance, making them perfect if you're brand new to gardening or just especially busy

🫑 Plants are generous and long lasting-- they'll fruit all the way through summer and stay alive until the first freeze in December!!

🫑 Fun fact: all peppers start out green and will ripen to a color (red, yellow, orange)

Do you have peppers in your garden right now? If so, which is your favorite variety??

05/13/2024

Real life message that just made our day 💖

If you also want to be spoiled by our beautiful plants, we have plenty of warm season goodies for sale right now in our online shop.

Herbs like oregano, sage and Thai basil; flowers (sunflowers, bee balm, yarrow, etc.), and of course plenty of veggies! And yes, everything is certified organic 🫶

🌿 Online store closes at midnight on Wednesday, 5/15

🌿 Pick-up on Saturday-Sunday ONLY, 5/18-5/19

🌿 Choose from our locations at Holy City Brewing, Magnolia Park & Community Garden or at our Summerville nursery for pick up

🌿 You’ll receive a reminder email at the end of the week including your exact pick up details

Link below to place your order!
https://www.ritasroots.com/shop

05/12/2024

Happy Mother's Day 💖

05/10/2024

Just a little Mother's Day inspiration for ya 😍

These arrangements were made entirely with cut flowers from our client's own garden!!

Speaking of Mother's Day, you can buy gift cards on our website anytime (no need to wait for the online store to open) and customize your digital delivery time 🌸

Gift cards can be purchased in $25 increments and can be used both online and at our in-person sales. Go grab one before the weekend! Link below:

https://www.ritasroots.com/shop/p/gift-card

05/08/2024

Don't forget: our online store is still open and you can squeeze in your order until midnight tonight!

🪴 Pick-up Saturday-Sunday, 5/11-5/12

🪴 Choose from our locations at Holy City Brewing, Magnolia Park & Community Garden or at our Summerville nursery for pick up (exact details shared after check-out)

PRO TIP: be sure to double check which pick up location you’ve selected so you go to the right place 😉

Plus, you can order gift cards online anytime for digital delivery -- grab one now for Mother's Day!!!

https://www.ritasroots.com/shop

05/08/2024

Looking for the perfect gift for a garden lovin' mama? Grab one of our gift cards 🫶

They can be used at both our online and in-person sales on plants, seeds, soil amendments (and more) and come in $25 increments. They're delivered digitally - just print it out to to round out a gift basket or enclose in a handmade card 💖

Link below to purchase:
https://www.ritasroots.com/shop/p/gift-card

05/06/2024

Y'all we still have plenty of plants that need new homes!!

The online shop is open now through midnight Wednesday-- can you help us out?

Your warm season favorites are still available, including a re-stock of marigolds and zinnias! Plus we FINALLY have ground cherries-- we know a lot of you have been patiently waiting for them 😁

We also have gift cards for Mother's Day 🌸

Link below to shop now!
https://www.ritasroots.com/shop

Address

1647 King Street Extension
Hanahan, SC
29410

Website

http://www.ritasroots.com/

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Videos

Come see us at Plantasia!!! We're here today at Magnolia Park & Community Garden until 2pm 🥳

Bring bees to your garden!

Pollinator time!!!! 🐝 Come see us this Saturday, 4/13 from 10am-2pm at the Charleston Honey & Bee Expo at Magnolia Park & Community Garden (720 Magnolia Rd, Charleston). Shop our certified organic plants and support the important work of Charleston Area Beekeepers Association - CABA 💛

DAY 2 LET'S GO!!! We're at Magnolia Park & Community Garden (720 Magnolia Rd, Charleston) again today from 10am-3pm with organic warm AND cool season plants, seeds and soil amendments. Come see us 🌱

Beautiful broccolini!! 🥦 This a cool season crop which you can still get in the ground late March (or even the first week of April) here in the Lowcountry. You may have also heard it called "sprouting broccoli," it's a hybrid between American broccoli and a Chinese broccoli called Gai Lan. Broccolini is slightly sweeter than traditional heading broccoli and is an excellent source of vitamins A & C 💪 Have you tried growing broccolini??

When your client's sand dune gets washed away and now it looks like you're gardening right on the beach 😮

The skies have cleared and we are READY!!! Come see us at Holy City Brewing from 10-2 today and get your plants and fertilizers 🌿🎉 🌿 #backyardgardening

Just a little pollinator paradise to brighten up your feed 🐝 ❤️ 🐝 #pollinatorgarden #savethebees

As we wrap up National Hobby Month, a shout out to all our garden buddies! 👩‍🌾 Whether you're new or seasoned, we love getting to play in the dirt with you 🫶 #gardenersofinstagram #gardeninglife

Y'all, we've planted hundreds of gardens around the Charleston area and it never.gets.old. 💖

Do you make your own compost - yes or no? Tell us in the comments! P.S. have a question about composting? Leave 'em there, too 👇 #gardening101 #charlestongardens

Holidays sneak up on you, too?! Head to our shop for a special selection of limited edition last minute gifts including our Fast Track Garden Package, Herb Pack (cold tolerant plants ready to go in the ground this month!), gift cards, and Garden Walks with Rita herself! Link in bio to shop now 👆 #charlestondaily #charlestongardens

Yep, we're still installing gardens in December! Just another reason to love life in the Lowcountry 🥰 We're obsessed with these custom cedar boxes we built in Mt. Pleasant - all filled with plants from our (newly certified!) organic nursery 🎉 #lowcountrylife #homegardener

What's your favorite season for gardening? Spring? 🍃or Fall? 🍂 Vote in the comments! P.S. we're putting together something super exciting to help with your 2024 gardening - stay tuned for an announcement tomorrow ⭐️ #organicgardeningmethods #charlestongardens

The online shop is open and we have just a few strawberry plants available 🍓 These will sell out super fast so grab them today! We still have plenty of other cool weather favorites (plus frost protection) to stock up on - this is our very last sale of the season so load up that cart 🙌 Order until midnight Wednesday, 11/15 and pick up 12-6pm, Saturday-Sunday. More pick up details will be on your check-out window. Link in bio to shop now! #growyourownfood #strawberryseason #charlestonsc

WE HAVE STRAWBERRY PLANTS!!!!! Yes, we're shouting because we're super excited 😆 Our online store is open now until midnight Wednesday, 11/8 so grab your Sweet Charlie and Chandler strawberries before they sell out (we only have about 30 4-packs so these will go fast, y'all). We still have your other cool weather favorites and frost protection supplies as well! 🍓 Order online between now and midnight on Wednesday, 11/8 🍓 Pick-up on Saturday & Sunday, 11/11-11/12 from 12:00pm-6:00pm 🍓 Choose from our downtown or Summerville location for pick-up (you’ll get more pick-up details on your check out screen) Link below to shop now! https://www.ritasroots.com/shop

Shopping for a new SuperSod Cube? Soil³ provides natural nutrients and helps your soil retain moisture. Order for 20% off: https://shop.soil3.com/?utm_campaign=Rita%27s%20Roots&utm_source=ritasoil3