Krissy Grows

Seeds or Starts?

One of the easiest ways to save money in the garden is to start more of your plants from seed.

Think about it... a single broccoli or cauliflower transplant can cost around $5. For about the same price, you can buy a packet of seeds that will grow dozens of plants.

That doesn't mean you should never buy starts. I still do when a round of plants fails or if I want a head start. But if you're planting a whole fall garden, starting from seed can stretch your gardening budget a lot further.

So... what's your choice this fall?

Starting from seed?

Buying starts?

Let me know in the comments if you want me to share my cost comparison breakdown!

The truth is I'm 50% unbothered and 50% highly bothered at the same time 🤣

I hope you feeling unbothered today.

I used to think hibiscus tea came from the same pretty hibiscus bushes everyone has in their yard.

Turns out... it doesn't.

The hibiscus tea you usually buy is made from Roselle, which is a different type of hibiscus grown for its bright red, thick petals called calyxes not the big showy flowers.

Those ornamental hibiscus plants are gorgeous, but they're not what people are usually harvesting for tea.

I always think little garden facts like this are so fun to learn. And once you know some random garden facts, you can't unknow them 🫣

Did you already know this, or did this surprise you too?

One of my favorite things about gardening here in Southern California is that the season just keeps going.

I'm still picking tomatoes, and at the same time I'm getting ready to plant my fall garden. It throws a lot of people off because most of the gardening advice online doesn't really fit our climate.

That's a big part of why I started The Homegrown Harvest. I wanted a place where Southern California gardeners could learn what's happening *right now* and get advice that actually makes sense for where we live.

If you're growing anywhere in Southern California, I'd love to have you join us. You can find the group in my links.

Orange Accordion tomatoes are one of those varieties that earn a spot in my garden every single year.

They're absolutely stunning with their deep heirloom ribbing but they're more than just a pretty tomato!

These grow HUGE, have thick flesh with very few seeds and they're one of my favorite tomatoes for fresh salsa, caprese salads, and sandwich slices because they aren't watery like a lot of slicing tomatoes.

They're also one of those varieties you almost never see at the grocery store, which makes growing them even more worth it.

That's exactly why they're a staple at my farm stand plant sale every spring. A lot of people purchase these starts because they look cool but I'm making it mission to share why I'm so intentional with selections I make every season.

If you're looking to grow something that's productive, unique, and tastes just as good as it looks, this is one I'd definitely make room for in your garden.

Have you ever grown Orange Accordion tomatoes? Will this variety be on your plant start list next year?

If you've ever bought these cute little plants thinking you'll totally keep them alive and then they end up dying, it might not be you.

As I was looking at this cute little rose and researching how to keep it alive, I found that there are four plants in this little pot. I didn't stand a chance at actually letting this thing thrive.

The key to growth is food and room so my only option was to separate these four plants out.

The awesome thing is that I scored eight plants for the price of two.

When you go shopping, check how many plants you actually see in the pot and purchase accordingly!

If you're only planting things like squash once every seaon, you're probably leaving months of harvests behind.

Here in Southern California, our growing season is so long that one planting usually isn't enough. Plants get tired, pests show up, and production starts to slow down. Instead of waiting for that to happen, I like to get a fresh round started before I need it.

That's called succession sowing, and it's one of the easiest ways to keep your garden producing all season instead of all at once.

I'm talking a lot more about succession sowing inside The Homegrown Harvest - my online gardening hub for Southern California gardeners!

I'm sharing what I replant, when I start new rounds, and how I keep my garden harvesting long after most people think the season is over.

Comment "HARVEST" and I'll send you the details.

You'll learn how to maximize your garden space and boost production. There is still time this season to get more rounds going!

This piece of cattle panel actually ended up being extra and laying in my garden for quite a while.

I finally just decided to add it to the end of one of my rows where I had some loofah planted but no plan on how to trellis it.

Loofah grows to be very heavy! I built a wooden structure last year and it knocked it down. I saw someone climb on top of their cattle panel trellis so I figured it would have be able to hold the weight of this crop.

I'm just seeing my first flowers for my loofah and I can't wait to harvest these!

P.s. How do you spell loofah? I've seen louffa, luffa, loofa, loofah, and lufa. 🤷‍♀️

Sound on! No trending audio needed. We absolutely needed this. We don't get much free water from the sky here so when it happens, I have to document it 😍