Comments on: Simpson Elite http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/02/24/simpson-elite/ Daily photo-journal of organic market gardening: growing local food with two acres and some tools...! Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:43:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Mike (tfb) http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/02/24/simpson-elite/#comment-24746 Mike (tfb) Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:20:19 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/02/24/simpson-elite/#comment-24746 <p><strong>Andrea:</strong> Lettuce is real easy, as long as you don't have deer or rabbits or anything else that munches on it. Simpson Elite is a leaf lettuce, the individual leaves stand out (not like head lettuce, your typical iceberg lettuce, which is balled up kinda like cabbage), so you can pick off the big outer leaves for a while, it'll keep growing, you keep picking! This way, you can get fresh salad for maybe 3-4 weeks. After that, it'll start going to seed, it'll start growing tall and pointy, and at that point, the leaves turn bitter (you'll know it when you see it happening...!) Or you can wait till it looks nice and full and cut the whole thing off at the stem. That'd be around the days to maturity date that's probably on the seed package. Simpson Elite is around 45 to 50 days from germination.</p> <p>With lettuce, you should plant several times in the season. This is called succession planting. Instead of planting, say, 12 plants at one time, plant 4, wait 2-3 weeks, plant 4 more, and wait and plant again. That way, you don't get a whole lot of lettuce all at once, and then none. Some veggies produce all season, like tomatoes, but others you'll probably want to succession plant to keep a steady supply.</p> <p>Veggie gardening is real easy. It can seem complicated before you try, but as soon as you've grown and EATEN just one successful crop, you'll be hooked and you'll be waaaaay more confident. And don't worry if something doesn't work out, just keep planting. a little experience is everything!</p> <p>A good garden book that you like browsing is also indispensable. But an easy start is to look up your crops on the web, like "how to grow lettuce." Read a few of the pages you find. Don't worry about all the different details, just pick up what seems useful to you... Once you've grown something, it'll all make much easier sense.</p> <p>If you like radishes, try those, just seed 'em directly in the garden right now, don't worry about cold snaps. Radishes grow fast, around 30 days, and they like cool weather, they generally don't do well in the really hot summer. They're good for a quick first harvest at this time of year.</p> <p>It'll be great!</p> Andrea: Lettuce is real easy, as long as you don’t have deer or rabbits or anything else that munches on it. Simpson Elite is a leaf lettuce, the individual leaves stand out (not like head lettuce, your typical iceberg lettuce, which is balled up kinda like cabbage), so you can pick off the big outer leaves for a while, it’ll keep growing, you keep picking! This way, you can get fresh salad for maybe 3-4 weeks. After that, it’ll start going to seed, it’ll start growing tall and pointy, and at that point, the leaves turn bitter (you’ll know it when you see it happening…!) Or you can wait till it looks nice and full and cut the whole thing off at the stem. That’d be around the days to maturity date that’s probably on the seed package. Simpson Elite is around 45 to 50 days from germination.

With lettuce, you should plant several times in the season. This is called succession planting. Instead of planting, say, 12 plants at one time, plant 4, wait 2-3 weeks, plant 4 more, and wait and plant again. That way, you don’t get a whole lot of lettuce all at once, and then none. Some veggies produce all season, like tomatoes, but others you’ll probably want to succession plant to keep a steady supply.

Veggie gardening is real easy. It can seem complicated before you try, but as soon as you’ve grown and EATEN just one successful crop, you’ll be hooked and you’ll be waaaaay more confident. And don’t worry if something doesn’t work out, just keep planting. a little experience is everything!

A good garden book that you like browsing is also indispensable. But an easy start is to look up your crops on the web, like “how to grow lettuce.” Read a few of the pages you find. Don’t worry about all the different details, just pick up what seems useful to you… Once you’ve grown something, it’ll all make much easier sense.

If you like radishes, try those, just seed ‘em directly in the garden right now, don’t worry about cold snaps. Radishes grow fast, around 30 days, and they like cool weather, they generally don’t do well in the really hot summer. They’re good for a quick first harvest at this time of year.

It’ll be great!

]]> By: Andrea http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/02/24/simpson-elite/#comment-24734 Andrea Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:59:19 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/02/24/simpson-elite/#comment-24734 I just bought some from a local organic store... I planted them in pots until my garden is ready.  I'm in MD so we're not cleared of frosty nights just yet.  When/how do I harvest lettuce?  This is my first try at gardening vegetables other than tomatoes in pots on a balcony!!!  :-)  Thanks for any advice or tips you can give this gardening newby! I just bought some from a local organic store… I planted them in pots until my garden is ready.  I’m in MD so we’re not cleared of frosty nights just yet.  When/how do I harvest lettuce?  This is my first try at gardening vegetables other than tomatoes in pots on a balcony!!!  :-)  Thanks for any advice or tips you can give this gardening newby!

]]> By: More fun with lettuce | Tiny Farm Blog http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/02/24/simpson-elite/#comment-20001 More fun with lettuce | Tiny Farm Blog Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:05:50 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/02/24/simpson-elite/#comment-20001 [...] of the early lettuce I ended up leaving two to a cell, to see how they’d do. Now, I divided a bunch of those and potted them up singly to a much roomier 38-cell plug sheet (up from 72), and trimmed off all [...] [...] of the early lettuce I ended up leaving two to a cell, to see how they’d do. Now, I divided a bunch of those and potted them up singly to a much roomier 38-cell plug sheet (up from 72), and trimmed off all [...]

]]> By: Ethan http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/02/24/simpson-elite/#comment-19655 Ethan Tue, 26 Feb 2008 04:30:42 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/02/24/simpson-elite/#comment-19655 I have some growing in my lawn (North Texas area), not well, but it is alive. I have some growing in my lawn (North Texas area), not well, but it is alive.

]]> By: Steve Mudge http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/02/24/simpson-elite/#comment-19653 Steve Mudge Tue, 26 Feb 2008 02:56:51 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/02/24/simpson-elite/#comment-19653 Agreed on the Black Simpson--has survived everything the winter has thrown at it down here and still chugging along. The Endive/escarole types have also done great. Agreed on the Black Simpson–has survived everything the winter has thrown at it down here and still chugging along. The Endive/escarole types have also done great.

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