Faithful readers I have a ton of NON-GMO Heirloom seeds that I am offering on eBay. I normally don't have seeds but I came across quite a bit, and even though they are from a couple years ago we did a test and they are germinating over 90% They look great and I stand behind the products. If you are interested please visit my eBay store. I have the following seeds in the store:
Florida Broadleaf Mustard Greens
Purple Top Turnip
Clemson Spineless Okra
Straight Eight Cucumbers
Silver Queen Super Sweet White Corn
Crimson Sweet Watermelon
Sugar Baby Watermelon
They are all Non-Gmo heirlooms. I also have LIVE Vates Collard seedlings up there too that I will ship you if you want to grow them. They are really sturdy and grow big and strong. The greens are a really great food too that is healthy (provided you prepare them correctly.
Thanks for your support and keep on digging!
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Vates Collard Greens - A Brief History
by Robert Leavitt
Collards are in the cabbage family. They could be called a a "non-head" forming cabbage as the leaves are loose. Anyone who has ever visited or lived in the Southern United States knows what a wonderful treat these leafy greens can be.
Collards were grown by the ancient Greeks and Romans, though they were consumed a bit differently than we do today. It was not common to eat the leaf, they preferred the stalks of the plants Collards have been mentioned in writings by Confucius as far back as 497 BCE and are believed to have originated Asia Minor and the Mediterranean area. No one is exactly sure though. It is agreed however that the plant has remained unchanged for the past 2000 years.
Collards were introduced into Europe by the Romans and they were considered to be a "poorer class" vegetable. Some would say that they are still considered the same today, due to their low costs, however they are now consumed by a large portion of the world! They were taken to the new world and grown all throughout the south and in the British Isles.
The slaves that were brought from Africa into the United States often were only allowed to eat the "leftovers" of certain animals. These were mixed with the collards to give them a unique flavor. Mostly pork scraps were used, and they quickly made it to the masters tables.
The VATES variety gets it's name from the Virgina Truck Experiment Station, which did extensive research on collards from 1909-1960's. The name is an acronym, with an A added to make it pronounceable. There are several strains of Collards today, and we grow about 10 of them in the United States.
Collards are typically a "cold weather" crop, however it can be produced year round. They don't like full summer sun, but do well in the shade during summer months. Collard enthusiasts argue that a good frost is needed to bring out the "sweetness" in the vegetable. That's why the winter crop is preferred over the summer.
You can find them all year in your grocery store, but once you have grown them yourself, I think you will agree that they are the most delicious when fresh. They should be planted in the early spring and late summer. You can harvest this year round as long as you don't take more than 25% of the plant. You don't want to shock it and kill it, but typically the largest leaves will be selected leaving the younger to develop after you pick them.
Always wash them thoroughly to avoid any dirt or bugs in your greens!
The healthiest way to eat the green is to steam it. Simply place enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, and add coarsely chopped greens to it. Bring it to a boil, then quickly reduce the temperature and allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes. Stir them while simmering. Cooked Collards are more nutrious than raw collards.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup of fresh cooked collards
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 27
Calories 56
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 2.98g 5%
Saturated Fat 0.532g 3%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.96g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.221g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 358mg 15%
Potassium 150mg
Total Carbohydrate 6.4g 2%
Dietary Fiber 3.6g 14%
Sugars 0.52g
Protein 2.73g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 39%
Calcium 18% Iron 8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Nutrition Values are based on USDA Nutrient Database SR18
Remember that adding oil, animal fat or any other vegetables, meats, etc... will alter the nutritional value of the greens!
You can learn more about Robert Leavitt on his Google Plus page.
Collards are in the cabbage family. They could be called a a "non-head" forming cabbage as the leaves are loose. Anyone who has ever visited or lived in the Southern United States knows what a wonderful treat these leafy greens can be.
Collards were grown by the ancient Greeks and Romans, though they were consumed a bit differently than we do today. It was not common to eat the leaf, they preferred the stalks of the plants Collards have been mentioned in writings by Confucius as far back as 497 BCE and are believed to have originated Asia Minor and the Mediterranean area. No one is exactly sure though. It is agreed however that the plant has remained unchanged for the past 2000 years.
Collards were introduced into Europe by the Romans and they were considered to be a "poorer class" vegetable. Some would say that they are still considered the same today, due to their low costs, however they are now consumed by a large portion of the world! They were taken to the new world and grown all throughout the south and in the British Isles.
The slaves that were brought from Africa into the United States often were only allowed to eat the "leftovers" of certain animals. These were mixed with the collards to give them a unique flavor. Mostly pork scraps were used, and they quickly made it to the masters tables.
The VATES variety gets it's name from the Virgina Truck Experiment Station, which did extensive research on collards from 1909-1960's. The name is an acronym, with an A added to make it pronounceable. There are several strains of Collards today, and we grow about 10 of them in the United States.
Collards are typically a "cold weather" crop, however it can be produced year round. They don't like full summer sun, but do well in the shade during summer months. Collard enthusiasts argue that a good frost is needed to bring out the "sweetness" in the vegetable. That's why the winter crop is preferred over the summer.
You can find them all year in your grocery store, but once you have grown them yourself, I think you will agree that they are the most delicious when fresh. They should be planted in the early spring and late summer. You can harvest this year round as long as you don't take more than 25% of the plant. You don't want to shock it and kill it, but typically the largest leaves will be selected leaving the younger to develop after you pick them.
Always wash them thoroughly to avoid any dirt or bugs in your greens!
The healthiest way to eat the green is to steam it. Simply place enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, and add coarsely chopped greens to it. Bring it to a boil, then quickly reduce the temperature and allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes. Stir them while simmering. Cooked Collards are more nutrious than raw collards.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup of fresh cooked collards
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 27
Calories 56
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 2.98g 5%
Saturated Fat 0.532g 3%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.96g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.221g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 358mg 15%
Potassium 150mg
Total Carbohydrate 6.4g 2%
Dietary Fiber 3.6g 14%
Sugars 0.52g
Protein 2.73g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 39%
Calcium 18% Iron 8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Nutrition Values are based on USDA Nutrient Database SR18
Remember that adding oil, animal fat or any other vegetables, meats, etc... will alter the nutritional value of the greens!
You can learn more about Robert Leavitt on his Google Plus page.
Growing your own food has never been more important!
by Robert Leavitt
Growing your own food is a huge deal today. Food prices have never been higher, and I started this blog to help you out with starting a garden on a shoestring budget. My name is Robert and I live in the Florida.
The economic crisis has never been more apparent. Just yesterday bloomberg published this article on rising food costs. These are weather influenced, however with the rising costs of oil it will never be any cheaper to buy food! read article...
I have gone into the food store several times in the past twelve months and wondered "how am I going to afford to eat five years from now?" It's getting worse and worse and I can't believe that just a loaf of bread has risen to almost 4 dollars a loaf! Can you believe it? 100 years ago a loaf of bread cost in the Morris County NJ historic price survey for 1904 shows white bread selling at 9 cents a loaf. That's a 2250% increase in price in 100 years! It's completely absurd, and it will only get worse.
So I have a big culinary background and I know how to prepare many foods from scratch and I thought about baking my own bread. Making my own pasta, etc... Which are all viable alternatives, however they are time consuming and require at the minimum a huge amount of space. Plus there is electricity costs in producing these things, all which have to be considered. So without going all math crazy I came up with another solution!
GROW MY OWN FOOD!
I have a pretty extensive knowledge of growing plants as well, so I decided that I am going to grow my own food and see how this turns out to be. I have about an acre of land, of which I plan to use about 25% for my first year to see how it goes. I have made this blog to take you through the journey of being a Gardener and offer some insight and tips to other "do it yourself" types out there. There are a lot of things to consider when growing a garden, so I am going to offer up some tips and guides to help you along in the process.
Thank you for subscribing and taking this journey with me! It should be a lot of fun and I hope to make some friends in the process. Happy gardening.
You can learn more about Robert Leavitt on his Google Plus page.
Growing your own food is a huge deal today. Food prices have never been higher, and I started this blog to help you out with starting a garden on a shoestring budget. My name is Robert and I live in the Florida.
The economic crisis has never been more apparent. Just yesterday bloomberg published this article on rising food costs. These are weather influenced, however with the rising costs of oil it will never be any cheaper to buy food! read article...
I have gone into the food store several times in the past twelve months and wondered "how am I going to afford to eat five years from now?" It's getting worse and worse and I can't believe that just a loaf of bread has risen to almost 4 dollars a loaf! Can you believe it? 100 years ago a loaf of bread cost in the Morris County NJ historic price survey for 1904 shows white bread selling at 9 cents a loaf. That's a 2250% increase in price in 100 years! It's completely absurd, and it will only get worse.
So I have a big culinary background and I know how to prepare many foods from scratch and I thought about baking my own bread. Making my own pasta, etc... Which are all viable alternatives, however they are time consuming and require at the minimum a huge amount of space. Plus there is electricity costs in producing these things, all which have to be considered. So without going all math crazy I came up with another solution!
GROW MY OWN FOOD!
I have a pretty extensive knowledge of growing plants as well, so I decided that I am going to grow my own food and see how this turns out to be. I have about an acre of land, of which I plan to use about 25% for my first year to see how it goes. I have made this blog to take you through the journey of being a Gardener and offer some insight and tips to other "do it yourself" types out there. There are a lot of things to consider when growing a garden, so I am going to offer up some tips and guides to help you along in the process.
Thank you for subscribing and taking this journey with me! It should be a lot of fun and I hope to make some friends in the process. Happy gardening.
You can learn more about Robert Leavitt on his Google Plus page.
Starting A Garden - The First Steps
by Robert Leavitt.
A proper vegetable garden needs some planning. It's important to do a little bit of research on the types of plants you wish to grow. But even before that, you have to make a decision in your very own yard. Where do you want to put your garden? It should be a place that gets plenty of sunshine and has good fertile soil (more about that in a second). The area should be away from your traffic areas, or where people may be playing as the plants are delicate. You may need to fence off a small area of your yard. The minimum amount of space I recommend is 10'x10'. Though you can grow in smaller areas, but as a beginner you should not only give the plants room, but give yourself room as well to work with them.
SOIL ANALYSIS
The first thing you are going to consider is your soil. Soil should have adequate drainage and be nutrient rich. The first thing you will check is your drainage.
If the hole drains very fast (less than 15 minutes) you will need to vermiculite to your soil. This will help to retain some of the moisture that is lost to your fast drainage. Very sandy soils often drain this way. They are excellent for certain vegetables (like watermelon or peanuts) but others need a little more water in their lives!
After you done your testing on your drainage, the next thing you will need is a "soil analysis kit".
People often ask me "what fertilizer should I use?" and this question is not answerable until you find out what your soil composition is! I also like to use compost when I can. This can be accomplished a couple of different ways, but the best way is to make your own compost. I also like to buy composted manure and add it directly to my soil mix.
I commonly use:
1 part manure/compost.
1 part top soil (it's cheap but spend a couple of more bucks to get something without weeds if possible).
1 part peat moss (careful this does lower your soil pH!)
1 part sand (I have an abundance on my land) for drainage, as my soil can be a bit clay like and sticky. If you need water retention I recommend vermiculite.
Now back to testing.
After you test your soil you are going to see what your NPK levels are. Nitrogen, phosphate and Potassium. These are the three main nutrients that all plants need to survive. I am going to give you a little information about each one. There are also secondary nutrients and micro-nutrients. Now that you have some numbers, you can do a little research about each specific plant you are growing and find out what your NPK levels should be.
For example lettuce likes a pretty balanced fertilizer. Some will recommend higher nitrogen. So if you know that your soil is 0.5, 3, 2, then you could use a 10-10-10 with no problem. however if you P or K get too much higher, you would want to balance your fertilizer out with a 10-8-8 or even a 12-8-8. You see where I am going with this? I would NEVER have your total N, P or K go above 20 however. This will more than likely burn your roots up and cause your plants to die. It's very possible to over fertilize. I also don't recommend ever fertilizing your plants before they are 2 weeks old. The root systems are brand new and they can be easily burned up.
Liquid fertilizer or granular?
I like to use liquid fertilizer on my vegetables. It's kind of a secret mix and I don't know if I am ready to start selling it or sharing it yet, but it's mostly miracle grow. That part I can tell you. I also sometimes will side dress with a granular fertilizer between my rows. but it's important not to over do it. Remember too much fertilizer is a bad thing and will kill your plants.
Side dressing (or banding) is putting the fertilizer off to the "side" you dig a narrow trench (or between rows) and you place the fertilizer directly in the soil, then cover it up. That way when it rains or you water, some of it will be released over time. Don't clump it all up in one spot though, make a thin strip (read your directions on the bag PLEASE!). It's better for the plants and you will get a slower release of the nutrients. You don't want to place it directly in contact with the roots, let it seep in through the side. When you first do this, go sparingly until you get used to doing it, so you don't shock the plant and kill it.
You can find out more about fertilization on another blog I own that is completely devoted to fertilization (it's a sickness I know...)
Preparing your plot
So after you have decided where you are going to put your garden, I recommend preparing your soil that exists. If you have time, go ahead and till the grass or whatever is growing there down into the earth, you want to mix it up well and cover and all the green parts that are growing. Tear it and rip it up with your till (or hoe, shovel, or pick) and get it down into the earth. Make sure it is covered then water it every couple of weeks to a month. Repeat tilling it up. What you are doing is composting it back into the earth. It's the same process you would use with your plants after the growing season. This provide valuable nutrients to go back into the earth. This process can take between 3 months to a whole year.
If you don't have time (as many of us forget to plant something or another until it's too late), remove the grass layer and through it on your compost pile.
Add your soil to your land. Mix it all up and make your rows. Now this is much easier if you have a tractor or a culitvatorr, etc... but it can be done by hand as well. I use a shovel and dig down between my rows and use that soil to go on top to make the mounds. The reason that you make mounds is to promote drainage. You want the water to drain off your hills.
At this point you are ready to start planting seeds, but NOT SO FAST.. Research your plant and get the proper planting times for the zone you are in. In a 10'x10' plot you could start with 10 rows spaced 1 foot apart, you can have more or less depending on what you are growing, but remember that you don't want to crowd your plants and have them competing for space, and you also want to have room so that you yourself can get down the rows. It's very important to look the plants up you plan to grow.. Don't make a costly mistake like trying to grow your watermelon on your center row (they grow vines and will be all over your other plants).
Thanks for reading and as always keep on digging!
You can learn more about Robert Leavitt on his Google Plus page.
A proper vegetable garden needs some planning. It's important to do a little bit of research on the types of plants you wish to grow. But even before that, you have to make a decision in your very own yard. Where do you want to put your garden? It should be a place that gets plenty of sunshine and has good fertile soil (more about that in a second). The area should be away from your traffic areas, or where people may be playing as the plants are delicate. You may need to fence off a small area of your yard. The minimum amount of space I recommend is 10'x10'. Though you can grow in smaller areas, but as a beginner you should not only give the plants room, but give yourself room as well to work with them.
SOIL ANALYSIS
The first thing you are going to consider is your soil. Soil should have adequate drainage and be nutrient rich. The first thing you will check is your drainage.
- Dig a hole, 1' in diameter and 18"-24" deep. This is the max depth that the majority of your vegetables will grow down to. There are a few exceptions but for this test 2 feet should be more than adequate.
- Fill the hole with water. Turn on the hose and let the water level get all the way to the top of the hole, flush.
- Wait up to two hours for the hole to completely drain.
- Test your soil with a NPK tester.
If the hole drains very fast (less than 15 minutes) you will need to vermiculite to your soil. This will help to retain some of the moisture that is lost to your fast drainage. Very sandy soils often drain this way. They are excellent for certain vegetables (like watermelon or peanuts) but others need a little more water in their lives!
After you done your testing on your drainage, the next thing you will need is a "soil analysis kit".
People often ask me "what fertilizer should I use?" and this question is not answerable until you find out what your soil composition is! I also like to use compost when I can. This can be accomplished a couple of different ways, but the best way is to make your own compost. I also like to buy composted manure and add it directly to my soil mix.
I commonly use:
1 part manure/compost.
1 part top soil (it's cheap but spend a couple of more bucks to get something without weeds if possible).
1 part peat moss (careful this does lower your soil pH!)
1 part sand (I have an abundance on my land) for drainage, as my soil can be a bit clay like and sticky. If you need water retention I recommend vermiculite.
Now back to testing.
After you test your soil you are going to see what your NPK levels are. Nitrogen, phosphate and Potassium. These are the three main nutrients that all plants need to survive. I am going to give you a little information about each one. There are also secondary nutrients and micro-nutrients. Now that you have some numbers, you can do a little research about each specific plant you are growing and find out what your NPK levels should be.
For example lettuce likes a pretty balanced fertilizer. Some will recommend higher nitrogen. So if you know that your soil is 0.5, 3, 2, then you could use a 10-10-10 with no problem. however if you P or K get too much higher, you would want to balance your fertilizer out with a 10-8-8 or even a 12-8-8. You see where I am going with this? I would NEVER have your total N, P or K go above 20 however. This will more than likely burn your roots up and cause your plants to die. It's very possible to over fertilize. I also don't recommend ever fertilizing your plants before they are 2 weeks old. The root systems are brand new and they can be easily burned up.
Liquid fertilizer or granular?
I like to use liquid fertilizer on my vegetables. It's kind of a secret mix and I don't know if I am ready to start selling it or sharing it yet, but it's mostly miracle grow. That part I can tell you. I also sometimes will side dress with a granular fertilizer between my rows. but it's important not to over do it. Remember too much fertilizer is a bad thing and will kill your plants.
Side dressing (or banding) is putting the fertilizer off to the "side" you dig a narrow trench (or between rows) and you place the fertilizer directly in the soil, then cover it up. That way when it rains or you water, some of it will be released over time. Don't clump it all up in one spot though, make a thin strip (read your directions on the bag PLEASE!). It's better for the plants and you will get a slower release of the nutrients. You don't want to place it directly in contact with the roots, let it seep in through the side. When you first do this, go sparingly until you get used to doing it, so you don't shock the plant and kill it.
You can find out more about fertilization on another blog I own that is completely devoted to fertilization (it's a sickness I know...)
Preparing your plot
So after you have decided where you are going to put your garden, I recommend preparing your soil that exists. If you have time, go ahead and till the grass or whatever is growing there down into the earth, you want to mix it up well and cover and all the green parts that are growing. Tear it and rip it up with your till (or hoe, shovel, or pick) and get it down into the earth. Make sure it is covered then water it every couple of weeks to a month. Repeat tilling it up. What you are doing is composting it back into the earth. It's the same process you would use with your plants after the growing season. This provide valuable nutrients to go back into the earth. This process can take between 3 months to a whole year.
If you don't have time (as many of us forget to plant something or another until it's too late), remove the grass layer and through it on your compost pile.
Add your soil to your land. Mix it all up and make your rows. Now this is much easier if you have a tractor or a culitvatorr, etc... but it can be done by hand as well. I use a shovel and dig down between my rows and use that soil to go on top to make the mounds. The reason that you make mounds is to promote drainage. You want the water to drain off your hills.
At this point you are ready to start planting seeds, but NOT SO FAST.. Research your plant and get the proper planting times for the zone you are in. In a 10'x10' plot you could start with 10 rows spaced 1 foot apart, you can have more or less depending on what you are growing, but remember that you don't want to crowd your plants and have them competing for space, and you also want to have room so that you yourself can get down the rows. It's very important to look the plants up you plan to grow.. Don't make a costly mistake like trying to grow your watermelon on your center row (they grow vines and will be all over your other plants).
Thanks for reading and as always keep on digging!
You can learn more about Robert Leavitt on his Google Plus page.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Things are always changing!
Faithful readers,
I have broken this blog up into different parts
You will find my new blog at http://fertilizernumbers.net.
I am going to keep this blog for vegetable gardening.
Robert Leavitt
I have broken this blog up into different parts
You will find my new blog at http://fertilizernumbers.net.
I am going to keep this blog for vegetable gardening.
Robert Leavitt
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