Beans, one of the oldest domesticated crops, are a fantastically versatile, easy to grow, and can be highly productive in small spaces. Some beans are eaten fresh in their shell (your everyday snap bean), and some are removed from their shells and dried for long-term storage (shelling beans). Despite the difference in how we eat them, most beans are closely related and have similar growth habits. In our Seattle gardens, we tend to only plant the snap bean type because the shelling beans usually require a longer growing season.
Read MoreSeattle Urban Farm Co. at Living Future Unconference 2013
Cultivating a new urban ecology: Strategies for successful urban agriculture projects
by Seattle Urban Farm Company
ABSTRACT:
Urban agriculture has the ability to promote healthy diets, environmental stewardship, stronger communities and an improved quality of life. By developing economically sound, city-based farming ventures, urban agriculture will play a crucial role in the further development of a sustainable green economy and a more resilient urban environment. During this session, participants will learn how to implement strategies specific to particular types of urban farming projects in order to produce and sustain a project’s unique goals. It will highlight the extensive experience of Seattle Urban Farm Company in designing, building and operating successful urban farm projects.
Plant Spacing: Brassicas
Brassicas are the succulent green bones of every vegetable garden. They are loaded with nutrients and fiber and almost everyone can think of at least one Brassica that they like to eat. Some of the most popular members of the Brassica family are: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards and kale.
Read MorePlanting and Harvesting Asparagus
First year asparagus growth
Asparagus, a perennial, is a member of the family Asparagaceae and is one of the most popular perennial vegetables we plant in our client’s gardens. If a garden has space, we always suggest planting a few asparagus crowns. They grow well in our Pacific Northwest climate and asparagus cut fresh from the garden is a delicious, seasonal treat. The fresh spears, harvested late in the spring, have a unique sweetness that is similar to peas.
Read MoreHow to Plant Onions
Onions, part of the Allium family, are a long-season crop, taking up to 8 months to mature from seed. We started our onion transplants two months ago, and they wont be ready to harvest until late-July or August. If you haven’t already started onions from seed we highly recommended that you buy transplants from your local nursery.
Read MoreGreen (Spring) Garlic
Harvested green garlic // All photos by Hilary Dahl
Do you have a few cloves of sprouting garlic lying around your kitchen? Plant it! It may be too late to plant garlic that will produce fully developed heads, but planting garlic cloves (already sprouting or not) in the spring will produce tender and mild green garlic. This type of garlic is somewhat of a delicacy and is usually only found at farmers markets, but is also very easy to grow!
Read More