Growing Up with Kaleb the Vertical Gardener

09/06/2021

Rather large and unexpected pepper harvest haha! I knew there was a lot on there but not THAT many 😂 the plants were still trying to flower and the lunch box peppers could have stayed on longer to turn yellow but up here we’re getting into frost season and I had time today to harvest.
The chilis are getting fermented for hot sauce and the jalepenos are getting pickled.
The lunch box peppers are small and sweet! Everyone around me will be eating them for lunch until we’re done. 🌶🫑

I actually started these from small greenhouse plants- washed all the dirt off the roots and popped them into the tower ports

08/21/2021

We grew a lot of peppers this summer! Going to try to ferment some and maybe pickle some of the jalepenos 🌶🫑

There’s definitely one melon that will make it full size- the others might only end up baseball sized

Sweet million cherry tomatoes never disappoint 🍅

08/05/2021

A quick check and harvest from our outdoor Flex towers! We’ve put minimal effort into these this year and will still end up with a lot of food!

07/27/2021

This orange took us a whole year to grow! We had no idea what we were doing- when it would be ready- really anything about it.
This was a plant I bought on impulse from Lowe’s last year and while it produced a ton of oranges initially they all fell off and only this one matured. It’s starting to flowe again so let’s see what happens!
It was mildly sweet and super soft! We saved the seeds 🍊🍊🍊

03/30/2021

Check out this instant pot hack for starting seeds!!

If you’ve followed some previous posts you’ll have seen us start seeds like peppers, beans, chard, eggplant etc in damp paper towel inside a ziploc bag.

This savvy gardener in Ottawa sped up that process using an instant pot!

An Ottawa scientist who's a keen amateur gardener has figured out how to speed up seed germination using her Instant Pot. The low, constant heat of the yogurt setting is perfect to jump start seeds.

03/20/2021

Little Instagram reel showing how plants go in our towers!

03/12/2021

With so many of us stocking up on seeds this time of year, here is a reminder to date your seed packages with the year of purchase. Some packages will come date stamped but most won’t and it’s easy to lose track of purchase dates. Reputable seed sellers typically turn over their stock yearly, so gardeners can be assured they’re purchasing high quality seeds with high germination rates. If you’re like us, you likely have a big stash of seeds left over each year. Every type of plant seed has a different germination viability, with parsnips getting “stale” after a year (ie lower germination rates) and cucumber seeds lasting reliably 3-5 years. This all depends on storage conditions.
The lesson? Mark the year of purchase on your seed packages, ideally on the bottom so you don’t remove it when you open the package, and store your seeds in a moisture proof container in a cool spot in your house! Not sure if your old seeds are still good? Do a germination test to find out. (Instructions are in our post on February 24 )

01/26/2021

12/24/2020

Dill-icious!

12/24/2020

Thai Basil or sweet Basil?

Do you have a preference?

Thai basil is described as anise- and licorice-like and slightly spicy, and is more stable under high or extended cooking temperatures than that of sweet basil. Got that from the internet- don’t be fooled into thinking I know how to use some of these herbs I grow.
I am not that savvy in the kitchen but use the sweet Basil on pizza often. I better figure out what to do with both because I’ve got a lot of it!
Both of them smell absolutely amazing!! That’s produce for ya

12/06/2020

Look what we’re growing!

11/07/2020

Winter outside and garden season inside!