McCoy Greenhouse and Gardens

It's June 4 and almost time to start adding the spring plants that didn't sell to the compost pile. If anyone needs a few tomatoes or peppers to finish out a row or two, just come by and if we still have what you need, you are welcome to them at no cost.
But not quite ready to be relocated to next year's fertilizer are several flats of medicinal herbs. Come by and see what we have for $1 a six-pack. The internet is full of ways to take care of small health issues without doctors or pharmaceuticals. For instance, why would you hunt for that tube of anti-sting ointment that is somewhere in some drawer when the plantain you haven't been able to keep out of your yard is reputed to stop the pain just as well? And besides it might be growing next to the clover that hid the bee that stung you. It's in our back yard and now also in a raised bed where tomatoes grew last year.

Just got a new catalog from Territorial Seed, a company that will almost always have what you're looking for. But this one is even better than most because it has seeds for starting cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower and broccoli that can survive cold temperatures. We'll order seeds next month to start in flats in late July to have plants ready by late summer. By the time they start producing, the cabbage worms should be gone. Honestly, no cabbage worms is almost better than fresh vegetables in the winter. So keep us in mind if you're thinking about something more than greens in your winter garden. When the seeds start arriving we'll let you know what we have so you can start planning where you'll put them.

My mother was the best gardener I ever knew. She was quick to plant the newest improved varieties of whatever was out there. She wasn't afraid of fertilizer but neither did she mind having the kids clean out the barn stables for manure for her plants. When I was young, she started tomatoes in a metal box filled with the inside of a rotted tree she found in the woods. Though I can't remember how she transported it, she most likely used a wooden slide hooked to Blue, the mule she used to plant and plow a garden that was often three acres in size.
But it seems odd to me now that she never started her own cabbage. I learned three years ago when I first started using the greenhouse that cabbage is the one seed with nearly 100 percent germination. If cabbage seeds are sprinkled over the right starting mix and get light and water, they're going to sprout. And this year was no exception. My mother always said that a garden is no longer pretty when the cabbage are cut. Whether you agree with that or not, hers were certainly beautiful. For my part, I do agree and that's probably why I give the young plants away to anyone who has room for them in their garden. This year, they were ready for planting in mid-March but I finally got mine in the ground last week. They survived the rain and look fine. If you need some, just come by. There's still time for them to make.

When you live where it's low like we do, planting a garden early is not an option. But last week it was finally dry enough to get tomatoes and peppers in the ground. Then the rain came and blew out the retaining wall around the edge of the pond in the backyard and made those peppers and tomatoes look a little sad from the water pooling around their roots. Luckily, we have enough to replace them if they don't bounce back. And if you need replacements, we have those too for $3 a six-pack. Hope to see you when your gardens are dry enough to get back into.

The jalapenos and bell peppers are going outside to begin hardening tomorrow. We also have sweet banana, Tabasco, and Anaheim. They are still a little on the small side but they appear to be healthy and strong. Since they are small, the price is $3 for six-packs. But as they grow and require more of our time, the price will rise to $4 for six-packs and $2 each if they last long enough to need to be transplanted to 4-inch pots. Of course, we'd rather sell them sooner for less. It's time to plant and the seedlings we've nursed since February need new homes.
The rain has been a little harsh on the tomatoes on the hardening deck, so we're lowering the price for now from $5 for six-packs to $3. Oddly, the ones that look the best are the heirlooms that are supposed to fall victim to every ailment out there. We have heirlooms in yellow, red, pink, green, purple and brown. And we will gladly divide six-packs for anyone who would like to try tomatoes that have been around for decades.
We've been asked about the vining vegetables, like squash and cucumbers. We think you can plant those yourself and save money since they germinate just fine in warm garden soil. But if you prefer, let us know what you want and how many and we'll start them for you.
We always start cilantro, dill and basil in six-packs for ourselves and should have extra to sell. And if you need other herbs, we'll dig them out of their beds for you.
We've been asked about our hours. We're open from about 8 in the morning until dark. If someone isn't outside, and they usually are this time of the year, just knock on the door of the off-white house with the gray roof and wrap-around porch. And should you decide after dark that you really need plants for early Saturday morning, just call and we'll turn the lights on and find what you need, 882-3948. We hope to see you soon.

The tomato plants are on outside shelves now where they will acclimate to harsher conditions to prepare them for planting. The stems are sturdy and the root systems well developed. So when your gardens are dry enough to plant, they will be ready. We're selling for $5 per six-pack but we will gladly mix and match them for you if you don't need six of one kind.
We have Better Boy, Roma (a sauce tomato), Arkansas Traveler, Rutgers, Bradley, Marglobe, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple and Celebrity. Better Boy and Celebrity are hybrids while the others are heirlooms. Celebrity is a determinate tomato which means it makes one crop and will not produce through fall. But it is known for being disease resistant. We also have the heirloom Pineapple, a yellow slicing tomato with pink running through the flesh, as well as three types of the hybrid Chef's Choice tomatoes: orange, pink and green.
If you want salad tomatoes, we have the hybrid Super Sweet 100 and the heirloom Chocolate Cherry, our favorite.
A large variety of peppers that are sweet, hot and in between should be ready in about 2 weeks.
Our perennial herb beds are overflowing and we will be lifting some for potting. If you are interesting in growing the herbs to turn fresh tomatoes into spaghetti sauce, we have oregano and thyme but we ill also plant basil when they soil warms up.
If you would like to try making your own nighttime herbal tea, we will have chamomile flowers for sale a little later. But sprigs of mint and lemon balm from our perennial beds are ready for potting now.
Let us know how we can help you get your garden started.
Reach us on Facebook or call Joan at 501 882-3948 or 501 288-4616.

According to the almanac, our area could see frost until the middle of this month. And as it happens, the tomatoes growing in the top of the greenhouse should be hardened and ready for planting around the same time. Peppers are a little slower to germinate so they are running about two weeks behind the tomatoes. But that's as it should be because they prefer warmer weather. We have popular varieties of both and a few we have started because their descriptions from the various seed suppliers sounded really interesting. This year our plants are $5 per six-pack but as everyone who has bought from us before knows, we always throw in something extra at no extra cost. In addition to tomatoes and peppers, we have cabbage plants ready to go now. And if anyone is interested in multiplying onions that stay green through the winter, we have two varieties growing in beds that we will dig up and share at a very low cost. New this year is a selection of medicinal herbs that have just been transplanted into six-packs and should be ready for the garden by late spring. And as always, if there is something special you want, let us know and we'll try to get if for you. The almanac says summer is about 200 days long in our part of Arkansas. So more than likely, if you want it, there is plenty of time to grow it.

Spring is almost here and the top of the greenhouse is filled with flats of tomato and pepper seeds. They should be sprouting soon but there is still time to let us know if you want something in particular. Right now, we have Better Boy, Early Girl and Celebrity tomatoes as well as Roma for making sauce and a few of the heirlooms that were probably in your mother's garden: Arkansas Traveler, Bradley, Marglobe and Rutgers. If you want salad tomatoes, we have Super Sweet 100 but there is still time to get others if needed.
As for the peppers, we have cayenne, banana, hot Hungarian wax, and two types of jalapeno: Emerald Fire which resists the scaling that makes mature peppers sort of ugly and Mucho Nacho which grow to almost four inches in length.
Just let us know what you need and we'll get them started for you. This year, six-packs will be $5 each.

It's time to start thinking about those gardens folks. Does anybody have any special requests for this spring. Please let us help you out.

Good morning everyone. Load up and come on out to the Cabot Farmers market. It's a beautiful day.

Good morning everyone. It's that time again, and we are out at the Cabot farmers market. We have fresh baked breads and cookies, fresh eggs, and plants for the garden.
Come on out, it's a beautiful day. 🌞🌞🌞

We like to thank everyone who has come out to the greenhouse this spring. We still have lots of high quality tomato and pepper plants ready to plant. At $4 per six pack they are as good or better that anything you get from the big stores. Come out this weekend and let us help get you planting.

Well folks, it's time to start thinking about those spring gardens. We have rows and rows of tiny seedlings in the greenhouse. Please think about us for your garden plant needs.

Good morning to all. We are headin to the Cabot Farmers Market again today. We have a variety of fresh baked breads and brownies as well as a selection of vegetables.

We'll be out at the Cabot Farmers Market again this morning. We have fresh baked breads, local honey, and of course a selection of fresh vegetables.

We'd like to thank everyone who came out this morning to Springhill Baptist Hospital farmers market. We will be back next week on Thursday from 10 til 1:00.

Don't forget to come see us at the cabot farmers market this morning from 8 til noon.

Don't forget, we will be at the Cabot farmers market this morning from 8 til noon. Come see us.

Good morning to everyone. We will be out at the Cabot Farmer's Market tomorrow from 8 am to noon. Come see us for your produce needs. We'll have fresh egg plant, a huge variety of peppers, fresh honey, and fresh cut herbs. Hope to see you all there.