Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Tomato flowers are self-pollinating, but they still need movement to release pollen. This can come naturally from buzzing bees or wind. However, conditions may not be ideal in various situations that include, gardening indoors or not...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Blossom-end rot is one of the most frustrating issues for gardeners growing tomatoes, peppers, squash, and some other vegetables. It can ruin a significant portion of your harvest, and because the damage often appears after the fruit has...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.When planning a garden, one of the most common questions is whether to grow heirloom or hybrid vegetables.Both have their own strengths, weaknesses, and ideal growing situations. In this blog post, I'll explain what sets the two apart...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Cross-pollination occurs when pollen from one plant is transferred to the flowers of another plant, usually by insects, wind, or animals. It only affects the genetic makeup of the seeds and not the fruit in the year that cross...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.I recently had a frustrating experience in the garden. My tomatillo plant looked healthy, had tons of flowers - both male and female - and yet no fruit.I assumed it would pollinate itself just like my tomatoes do. But after some digging,...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Upside-down gardening sounds great in theory. Theoretically it can: save space, reduce pests, improve airflow, make harvesting easier, and keep produce cleaner by growing plants suspended off the ground. It flips the script on...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Tomatoes are self-pollinating, which means each flower contains both male and female parts. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll pollinate themselves without a little help. The most common ways they'll pollinate naturally are through wind,...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.This year in my garden, I decided to grow several varieties of eggplant I had never tried before. Many of them were chosen with my wife Kyrié in mind - she’s half Japanese and loves cooking with eggplants that work well in Asian dishes,...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.This year, I grew napa cabbage for my wife, Kyrié, who loves making kimchi, a spicy, fermented Korean dish she grew up eating as a half-Japanese kid. I also grew up eating it thanks to my two Korean sisters. Now, making kimchi is...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.If you want your garden to have peak production you may want to swap out older, worn-out plants for new plants!Additionally, you may have space that opens after harvesting part of your crops.In both of these cases, succession planting is...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Earwigs are one of those garden pests that can feel more unsettling than others—not just because they’re destructive, but because they look creepy too.With their fast movements, nighttime habits, and those ominous-looking pincers, it’s...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.I live in Utah, where summers are typically hot and dry with plenty of sunshine - and while occasional thunderstorms can occur, wind storms are not super common.However, a windstorm recently ripped through my area with gusts up to 55...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.When summer temperatures climb and the sun becomes relentless, even the healthiest garden can begin to struggle. When summer heat peaks, even heat-tolerant plants can struggle - especially in hot, dry climates like mine in Utah. The...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Deep watering is a simple yet powerful gardening technique that promotes strong, healthy root systems by thoroughly soaking the soil well below the surface.Rather than watering lightly every day, this method saturates the entire root...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.One of the most important things I’ve noticed in gardening is that plants benefit from consistent feeding throughout the growing season.Just like people feel better on a steady, balanced diet, plants tend to grow stronger, produce more,...
Jeff has a deep passion for gardening. Each year, he cultivates hundreds of pounds of vegetables—along with the occasional fruit—turning his garden into a thriving and productive space. Combined with Kyrié’s cooking, together, they create exciting meals using Jeff’s harvest.
