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 Early Stuff . . . .
Keith
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Monday, March 8, 2010
Right now is the best time to start your strawberries. Remember, they are winter hardy so cold will not harm them. When planted now they get a head start on their roots, bigger and better roots mean bigger and better plants. Plants put in now will often double the size of plants planted in early May. We recommend 'Surecrop' for a June bearing variety and 'Ozark Beauty' as an everbearing variety. Both do great in our climate.
It's the perfect time to plant peas. When planted early, they often produce a sweeter and more tender crop. It's a good policy not to plant peas after April 15th. If they are planted late, they usually will not produce a heavy crop and flavor begins to fade with the warmer temperature. I recommend 'Sugar Snap' because you can eat pod and all right from the plant. Kids and grandkids will love the picking and eating right off the vine!
Here at Farrand Farms, we've got all the early stuff you'll need to get started right. Seed potatoes, onions, asparagus, rhubarb and horseradish are all ready to go. Come on in for a visit.
About Inoculants:
Every now and then we are asked about inoculant for legumes (peas, beans , limas, etc.) and what it does. Inoculants are beneficial organisms that help legume seeds get off to a stronger start. Because our seed producers today are so much better at growing, storing and shipping seeds, we believe inoculant is not as much of an official requirement for success. For the past ten seasons we have not chosen to carry it. Inoculants can be expensive and have short life spans. Should you choose to use it, make sure to check the expiration date. Nearly all of customers have great success today without the use of inoculants.
Here's a Tip:
Plant your onions with Espoma 'Tomato Tone' organic fertilizer. Folks buy it year after year and swear it's the key ingredient to the sweetest onions. 'Candy' and 'Miss Society' are the most popular varieties we have.
Don't forget to check our planting dates for your 2010 gardens. You can find the Spring Planting Schedule on the left menu of our homepage. It's a simple and easy way to find out what to plant and when.
We've just changed hours again! We are now open 7 days a week:
9 am - 6 pm Monday through Sat
10 am - 5 pm Sunday
Have a great start and I'll offer more in a couple of weeks.
Keith
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