Keith Farrand
Contact: info@farrandfarms.com
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Want to keep up on the latest things that are growing on at Farrand Farms? The man with the greenest thumb in Kansas City will help you with all his latest tips and share insight and info right here at Farrand's Notes. If you have some special questions or would like to suggest ideas for Keith to address just send him an email on the link under his picture.
The Farmer knows best . . .and other gentle reminders
Keith
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Monday, April 18, 2011
We are just about there. Where, you ask? Just about to our average 'Frost Free Date', that's where. Here in Kansas City, we are safe to plant most warm weather crops like peppers and tomatoes on or around April 25 - 28. The farmer in me will tell you it is much better to wait until about May 5 - 10 just to be sure.
The farmer in me also says this is a great week to plant warm weather crops from seed. These crops include sweet corn and green beans. Don't forget green beans are a relatively fast and easy crop to grow. From start to finish, they take only about 6 weeks. Farmers will often plant them 3 or 4 times a season even up until the last week of July! Have the kids help you. They are much more likely to eat healthy if they helped grow the food.
Here at Farrand Farms we are nearly at full bloom! We are absolutely beautiful. Nearly all of our 50 varieties of tomatoes are now ready for your garden. The herbs are looking tasty and our flowers are near full glory. We have been moving the perennials out near the Pink Windmill, and they are progressing very nicely too.
I have listed a few reminders to help you keep a good perspective toward gardening success.
Farrand Farms recommends:
1. Always include the kids. You'll both reap the rewards!
2. Keep things simple. Choose a few new plants that you find exciting as well as the basic ones you already love. Trying to do it all can sometimes lead to a feeling of becoming overwhelmed.
3. Plant your gardens in stages. It becomes so much more fun to visit Farrand Farms several times a season to see what's new or what you may have missed earlier.
4. Combination pots of flowers are still our most popular and asked for items. Ask our smiling staff to help you select your favorites. Remember that most great combinations include a thriller ( a taller focal plant in the center), a filler (something to fill the pot and add contrasting color), and a spiller (plants and flowers that will trail over the side).
5. Always remember to leave a minimum of 1 1/2" (and even up to 3" in larger pots), between the lip of the pot and the top of the soil. Watering becomes easy when you leave enough room so you can just water the pot once and the water will penetrate all the way down through the root system.
6. I'm still reminding you to teach the kids to plant seeds 4 times their diameter deep. Success will be dramatic.
Toby Tobin and his Cast of Characters will be broadcasting live here at Farrand Farms this Saturday, April 23rd from 6 am until 10 am on your favorite 980 AM or 98.1 FM frequencies. We will open at 6 am and Toby will be staying to visit with our good gardening friends until about noon. This is going to be great fun! We are proud and honored to be considered his Favorite Greenhouse!
One other bit of good news: The Tomato Fair is on! Farrand Farms will once again be hosting our biennial Tomato Fair on Saturday, August 6th. Jasper Mirabile, Jr. and his expert chefs will be here preparing great tomato dishes. Larry Moore has promised to share his tomato secrets and, of course, our friend Toby Tobin will be joining us too. Please check our web site to keep updated.
The Farmer in me says it's time to get back in the greenhouses and grow the best plants for the best gardeners in Kansas City.
Let's grow together!
Keith
Digging in the Dirt
Keith
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Monday, April 4, 2011
Come on and admit it. . . It's fun! Fresh tilled earth is full of promise. Today's newly planted seeds and plants are tomorrow's dinner. Don't forget to share the experience with the little ones. They learn so easily and will carry the memories into their senior years.
Because the prices at the grocery stores are climbing so rapidly, we are seeing lots of new gardeners anxious to grow their own produce. Here are a few tips that will help you maximize your bounty:
1. Keep it simple. Choose the basics. Select a few proven varieties to start.
2. Plant seeds shallow. Seeds will always succeed when planted 4 times their diameter. Lettuce should just be barely covered, and corn and green beans succeed at about 1/2" - 3/4" deep. One of the biggest problems we hear at Farrand Farms involves planting too deep. Put this in your memory bank: Plant 4 x's diameter of the seed.
3. Plant the proper plants at the proper time. Here in Kansas City, it is time for potatoes, onions, lettuce, broccoli, peas and nearly all cool weather crops. Tomatoes, green beans and peppers are all warm weather crops and really shouldn't be in the ground until late April. Please review our Recommended Planting Schedule here on Farrand Farms website.
4. Stay off the internet when learning what and how to grow gardens in Kansas City. We are finding that over 90% of what our customers are told is incorrect or absolutely wrong! Your best web information will come from the University of Missouri or Kansas State University.
5. Plants are like people: they know how to grow. They require air, light and food. Keep things simple and they will provide for you. Here at Farrand Farms, we have all you need to succeed. Want organic nutrition? We've got it! Want standard nutritional amendments? We've got them too! Best of all, we have a very good staff to help you get started.
Our greenhouses are just full of new and exciting surprises. It's a wonderland of color and fun! The rose selection is one of our best ever, and our perennials are rapidly coming to life again. Of course, we still have one of the widest selections of herbs in the area. How about 50 varieties of tomatoes? We've got what you need.
Remember, keep it simple, keep it fun and involve the kids. Don't forget nearly everything we sell at Farrand Farms is grown right here in our greenhouses. Help keep our community strong - Buy Local!
The Harvest begins with the seeds -
Keith
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