Home Gardener’s
Weekly
Issue
No. 104
December
20, 2024
Discover the Power of Fresh Greens
—And Grow Your Own!
Did you know the recommended daily intake of leafy greens is 2-3 cups? If that sounds like a lot, or you’re tired of the same old greens in your meals, we’ve got exciting news for you!
There are over a thousand varieties of greens to explore—beyond just lettuce. From nutty to lemony flavors, these greens are packed with antioxidants that can help fight cancer and improve overall health.
The problem? Most grocery stores only offer a handful of options. That’s why more people are growing their own greens at home. Homegrown greens aren’t just fresher and more nutrient-dense— they’re also bursting with flavor. As they say, “Homegrown just tastes better!”
Ready to get started?
Download our FREE “Grow Your Own Greens” guide to learn how to grow sprouts, microgreens, salad mixes, or braising greens— right at home, no green thumb required.
The guide also comes with a step-by-step video to make the process simple and fun. You’ll be growing your own nutrient-packed superfoods in no time!
Why grow greens? These superfoods help combat:
• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Autoimmune disorders
• Diabetes
• Chronic pain, fatigue, and more!
Take control of your health and enjoy greens that are as delicious as they are good for you.
Transform your meals— and your well-being— with the magic of homegrown greens!
Weekly Garden Tip:
Considering hay bale gardening? Be sure to prep the bales 3-4 weeks before planting. Make holes roughly the size of a quart container to a half gallon jug; water the holes and sprinkle in blood meal (vegan alternative: kelp meal). The blood and kelp meal are nitrogen sources that will activate the carbon. Then, fill the hole with compost and potting mix for your plants.
Please join us for an extraordinary online event with 8 powerful days designed to help you kickstart your New Year.
Our friends at Wisdom for Life will bring you the 2025 Best Year of Your Life Summit on January 14 – 21. Our mindset, habits, health and more can be the difference of whether we achieve what we are going for in our gardens or in our lives.
They’ve gathered more than 45 presenters to guide you, including renowned authors, scientists, habit change specialists, mindset and success coaches, and experts in relationships, health & wellness and more.
Presenters include Andrew Weil MD, Jack Canfield, Rev. Michael Beckwith, Tara Brach PhD, Jack Kornfield PhD, Sharon Salzberg, Byron Katie, Sam Harris, John Assaraf, Marissa Peer, Koya Webb, Dan Harris and many more….
We hope you’ll join us and get the clarity, knowledge, scientific know-how, support and inspiration you need to help you make 2025 The Best Year of Your Life.
Keep your garden healthy and productive with this must-know crop rotation tip!
Discover how grouping and rotating crops can prevent common diseases like black rot, late blight, and bacterial wilt.
Plan smarter, harvest bigger!
Do you ever feel as if your garden is a little out of control? Like you’re running around mid-season winging it, not sure what to plant next? Are you finding yourself fighting off pests and diseases throughout the season and wondering what expert growers do to avoid this? Discover our top three tricks for staying on track and getting the most from your gardening efforts in this short video.
This time of year is a time for reviewing your past garden and looking at how you can improve for next year. One of the best ways to do that is to look at how you can increase your crop yield without putting in extra work, and how you can plant in order to save time and effort. That’s why we have this guide. Inside, you’ll learn six tricks farmers and expert growers use to get more food! 🙌🏽
Get your copy of our guide so you can get more fresh food on your plate.
Product Feature
An integral supply needed to grow fresh microgreens is good quality trays. Our friends at Bootstrap Farmer is the way to go for microgreen growers according to commercial microgreen grower Crystal Meserole.
They sell top-quality, heavy-duty, USA-made shallow 5×5 trays that are ideal for small batch microgreens. These trays are made of BPA-free and FDA-grade polypropylene plastic and come in a variety of bright fun colors.
Bootstrap Farmer is so sure of the quality of these durable microgreen trays that they are backed by a 2-year warranty against chipping or cracking. Get yours today and start growing your own fresh microgreens right at home!
Dear Arti:
Question: I keep getting blossom end rot on my tomatoes but plants look healthy. What is the best fertilizer for the plants to prevent that? –Haskell
Answer: Hi Haskell,
Blossom end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency in the plants. However, a lot of people try to solve this by adding calcium to the soil. This is not always the problem. Sometimes the calcium is there but not bioavailable for various reasons. I recommend that if your plant needs the calcium NOW you can add a liquid calcium supplement (like Fox Farm’s Cal Mag), but for the long term, if you’re growing in the ground you should do a soil nutrient test to better determine what the cause is. Maybe you have plenty of calcium in the soil, it’s just not bioavailable. Adding more calcium in this circumstance could throw off the balance of other nutrients.
I hope that helps, Haskell!
Commercial Microgreen Grower, Crystal Meserole shares a tip on growing Beet microgreens: When you’re growing beet microgreens, keep in mind that the ‘seeds’ are actually pods containing 2-3 seeds.
So don’t over plant your flat.
The pods have a very hard shell, so sprinkling some substrate on top can help the plants rub the pod off the leaves during emergence.
Get the Most From Your Garden in 2025
WHO: Grow Your Own Vegetables
WHEN: January 7, 2025, at 10am PT
WHAT: Discover tips and tricks for maximizing your garden space for your most abundant garden yet!
• Plan your garden for a more abundant harvest.
• Choose the right crops for your space and season.
• Learn tips to save time, reduce waste, and maximize your yields.
Bring your questions and get expert answers to grow your most successful garden yet!
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN HARVEST CLUB
Monday, Dec. 23rd check out a special presentation with Meg Groves on Engaging Kids in the Garden.
Did you know that as a Harvest Club member you get LIVE support for all your garden questions so you can get more out of your garden? And we’ve got a surprise for you!
Beginning in January, the Garden Jam LIVE Q&As will be happening every week! 🥳
Not yet a Harvest Club Member? See what LIVE Q&As are like! Click here and watch a past GYOV LIVE Q&A and gain some insight into your garden while you’re there!
Not a member of our garden membership Harvest Club? You can get a one-time complimentary two-month membership with any of our courses. Harvest Club has tons of resources to help you thrive. Plus, you get access to ongoing garden support through email. Learn more here.
🎉 Just for Fun!
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