January garden updates

January, 2021. I hope you are having a great new years so far. Make your new years resolutions! I have mine: save more money, eat the healthiest and most vibrant food.

Additionally, my resolutions are to continue growing my food forest making it bigger and better, and do good in my community. On Martin Luther King Jr Day, I volunteered some time at the food pantry where I live, and hopefully created a bridge with a community leader to do more good work this year and the future.

The Winter time is different for everyone. It's pleasant or miserable to some because it's cold, it's beautiful because of the snow or ugly because of the slush. To me, winter is a time that is neither pleasant nor miserable, beautiful nor ugly. It is a time when you get things in order. For me, I am getting things in order for my gardens in the upcoming months when the season turns to Spring. 

As you may know, I live in Zone 6, there's not much you can grow over winter here unless you take many precautions.

There are rows of kale, radish, broccoli, and cilantro still growing in my gardens which I have kept covered for protection. But, who knows if these veggies will survive with only cloth and plastic over them in the next months of Winter.

Most of my garden tasks for now consists of making compost and cleaning the outside gardens, and caring for my indoor tropical plants. This week I mended broken coffee mugs and planted in them. 

My indoor plants keep me motivated and inspired to continue growing throughout the cold, dreariness of the Winter months. They give me hope for life, sustainability, and happiness. I make sure to keep them warm, add soil, fertilize, clean them, pick off dead leaves, etc. 

I have 21 indoor plants. That is constantly changing too, because some die, some bear more "pups" and sometimes I buy plants, sometimes I'm gifted plants. There's always something to do with your indoor plants when you have many of them. 

It is almost towards February. There are plenty of things you can start growing indoors. I never have luck starting early! I suggest starting the last weeks of February in starting lettuces and brassicas, but I have more luck growing these directly from seed in the outdoor gardens. Radishes, cilantro, spinach, prefer cool weather, so you van directly sow them in Mid March. 

Stay warm, safe, cozy, and happy planting!

Eating microgreens in january (growing indoors)

Everyday these seedlings grow taller and greener. Last night I cut from the tray of Daikon radish seedlings. They were getting mature, so it's time to harvest them. I ate the seedlings as a garnish over vegan ramen with kimchi.

I don't remember what I planted here. Maybe I didn't because nothing is growing yet. 

The turnip greens are very lush. I can't wait to harvest them to eat in a salad or sandwich.

I'm excited for the new year of growing. I have bigger plans and ideas! So stay tuned.

Starting microgreens in January

Daikon radish sprouting, bok choy, and other seed germinating

 Last Saturday, one week ago, I sowed 7 top turnip, white icicle radish, and daikon radish seed. I sowed the seeds in a seed starting mix with coconut coir. And I am using recycled plastic to use as containers to grow the microgreens.

After a couple of days, the seeds germinated, and I have kept the grow lights on them for 8 to 12 hours.

Turnip sprouting

I'm going to use these microgreens to garnish in salads, soups, and sandwiches. In a couple of weeks, I'll be starting broccoli, cabbage, and other brassicas to transplant outdoors in the garden in late March--early April.

Radish sprouting 

There's no point starting a bunch of plants this early in the year. The temperature outside will be single digits at night this week. And it will be at least another 6 weeks till I can plant cold hardy veggies outdoors. And I still need to compost and mulch my gardens and fruit trees, and till my other gardens.
I am ordering more cucumber, tomato, and pepper seed to start indoors in March to transplant outdoors in May. There's not much I can plant now, but I'm get antsy to see some greens to pick. I encourage you to grow something green today! 

An Indoor Greens Garden for COLD climate February harvest! (video)

MIgardener shows you that you can grow an indoor garden in a colder climate and harvest in February.

What I'm growing Indoors in January

Growing food in January usually requires a greenhouse or growing indoors--especially for those who lives in colder climates. Weather in my area was mild, actually staying at 50-70 degrees throughout October to December. Today we experienced the coldest temperatures so far, dropping to 8 degrees. I remember last year around the end of November, James and I camped in a tent when it dropped to 7-9 degrees. We were lucky to not freeze to death because we had eight blankets on us.

January is a little too early for me to start any Vegetables indoors. Towards the end of February to beginning of March, I will be able to start Cabbage, Brussels, Cauliflower, and Celery, indoors to transplant in April. Then I will start Tomatoes, Peppers, and Melons indoors to transplant in May. All of these starter plants will be growing in my Mini Greenhouse. This one Mini Greenhouse will allow me to grow just the right amount of starters each month to grow year round.

Yesterday I posted a Garden calendar for all USDA gardening zones which may be of some use to you: Garden Calendar for ALL USDA ZONES 1-11 (When to grow different vegetables & Moon phases)

Of course I grow Aloe vera plants indoors throughout the winter; but since purchasing the Mini Greenhouse, I wanted to start Vegetables indoors and fruit trees from seeds. For example I germinated Lemon and Tangerine seeds, which you see sprouting in the first photo below. I am germinating Apple and Pear seeds but they have not sprouted.

I am also germinating Goji berry seeds, which I keep with the Lemon and Tangerine sprouts in the Mini Greenhouse. Another fruit I am growing in the Greenhouse is a Pineapple plant and small aloe plant. In a previous post, I describe the features (size/shape and where I purchased) the greenhouse and how many plants I can grow in it: Mini Greenhouse, what plants to start indoors, & Growing subtropicals in cold climate.

Tangerine & Lemon sprouts

Mini greenhouse growing Tangerine, Lemon, Goji berries, & Pineapple

Back in late November, I pruned limbs from one of my Pear trees, including my Peach trees. I kept the prunings in a bucket of rain water indoors for two months. A week ago, I dipped each pruning in rooting hormone and wrapped the Peach and Pear cuttings in wet newspaper, placing them in the refrigerator. This method is used to save Cuttings in order to propagate in the future (Spring or Summer). I described the process of Propagation and Re-growing food for free with cuttings in this post: . One of the Pear cuttings already sprouted leafs (or blooms), so I dipped the Cutting in rooting hormone, and placed in a pot of mulch. I am trying only to use Rain water on the plant. In the first photo below, you see the sprouted Pear cutting.

 The other day I purchased a Mint plant, which I wanted to grow in the Mini greenhouse, but I think I will keep the Mint with on a stand along with my Christmas Cactus and Aloe vera plants.

Mint



I will soon be transplanting each Tangerine, Lemon, and Goji berry sprout in a larger container. I will keep you updated on the progress as the Fruit trees grow larger into February. Then I will update you on the list of Vegetables I'm growing indoors/outdoors in March.