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.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.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.If you’ve ever planted a vegetable garden and ended up with lots of flowers but very little fruit, chances are you’ve run into a pollination problem.Most fruiting vegetables (including tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, melons,...
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.When my friend sent me the graphic below showing how to grow 100 pounds of potatoes in just 4 square feet, I was intrigued. With only ~250 square feet of backyard space behind my townhouse, I'm always on the lookout for space-efficient...
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.
