Imagine fresh salad greens right outside your door! Easily accessible, nutritious and packed with all the minerals we need 😍. What’s your favorite green for salads?!? #fresh #salad #organic #organicfood #superfood #vegan #lettuce #spinach #kale #greensmoothie #green #orangecounty #california
Harvesting golden beets! #organic #organicfood #freshfood #orangecounty #sanclemente
Planting and harvesting carrots. It’s always best to start carrots when the soil temp is above 50F (10C) in loose soil for uninterrupted downward growth. Make a shallow trench (about 1/2 inch deep) along the drip line, then lightly sprinkle the carrot seeds along the same trench line.
Carrots can take up to 3 weeks to germinate, so the soil has to stay moist. However avoid over watering by feeling for moisture in-between watering.
Before the sprouts grow to 2 inches, thin by cutting the carrots tops every 1-4 inches in-between to avert competition depending on size of root desired. Mulch the soil surface to conserve water and keep the soil cool.
They will be ready to harvest in about 70-90 days, but you can also feel the ‘shoulders’ to get a better gauge if they are to your liking.
#carrots #urbanfarming #organic #orangecounty #organicfood
Broccoli is a cool season crop that performs very well in California’s mild winter months, and grows best between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Broccoli goes to flower once the crown’s florets open up. This happens faster as the soil’s temperature increases.
To extend the grow season once the soil temperature start to rise, mulch or add compost to the soil surface. This will act as a barrier from direct sunlight to the soil surface and keep the internal temperature of the soil lower than its surroundings. Lower soil temp = longer growing season.
However, the flowers are also great for attracting bees and other pollinators to your garden space. They are incredibly important to the food economy since they pollinate 70 of the 100 crop species that 90% of the world’s population depends on.
It’s estimated that bee pollination contributes roughly $5 billion to the food economy via pollination in the US alone.
So I don’t mind letting the broccoli bolt, going to flower and providing space and food for bees since I’m able to harvest enough during the cooler months. #broccoli #savethebees #californiawinter #organic #ecofriendly #flower #orangecounty
I truly love growing fall/winter crops. They really are the coolest 😅. #gardendesign #vegetablegarden #kitchengarden #organicgarden #fallcrops #wintercrops #gardensofinstagram #instagarden #garden #urbangarden #landscapedesign #raisedbeds #beautifulgardens
🥦 Calabrese #broccoli is the variety most of us are familiar with, known for its large crowns of compact florets. 👑
Other varieties (such as broccolini) have more prominent long tender stalks.
They all grow best in cool, mild climates with full sun. ☀️
While it is family to cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage, #CalabreseBroccoli has a unique advantage. If harvested properly, it can give you multiple harvest over its lifespan via side shoots.
This variety is “early dividend”, know for quick grow time and aggressive side shoot growth.
