Hey Neighbor! Join us for another great Row By Row Garden Show, lots of great things are happening here at Hoss HQ that we are excited to share with you all! We will also be chatting about Fall gardening! Yes, it is already that time! What materials you need to start your seeds? What seeds grow best in the Fall? What are some of our favorites to grow this time of year? Let's grow together and get dirty!

We're always excited to share our knowledge when it comes to gardening, whether that be how to control pests and diseases out in the garden, or how to preserve your harvest in the kitchen. Sometimes we also just need to share our top 5 favorite products. We are passionate about gardening and dedicated to helping you grow your own food and have your best garden ever - how can you be successful without knowing some of the items that make us successful? Join us and let's grow together! Get Dirty!

SHEILA'S TOP 5 FAVORITE PRODUCTS

Complete Fermentation Kit

The Complete Fermentation Kit has everything you need to start fermenting your own vegetables today. Includes Pickle Packer Jar Tamper, Pickle Pipe Fermentation Lids, Pickle Pebble Fermentation Weights and Instructional Booklet. Fermented foods are a probiotic food source that’s rich in beneficial bacteria. When consumed, these beneficial bacteria can drastically improve the overall health of your digestive and immune systems. The Complete Fermentation Kit has all the necessary tools to begin fermenting your own food today. You can easily make your own sauerkraut, pickles and carrots from cabbage, cucumbers and other goodies from your garden.

Push Pull Hoe

The Push Pull Hoe is absolutely our favorite hand hoe! With its unique V-shaped design, this garden hoe allows you to weed more effectively and efficiently with a push-pull motion. The Push Pull Hoe has changed the game when it comes to hand weeding. Amish-crafted in Lititz, Pennsylvania, this hoe has quickly become our favorite hand hoe in the garden shed. The V-shaped head allows you to weed with a push-pull motion which is much quicker and more effective than repeatedly lifting and impacting the soil with a traditional hoe. The hardened steel blade is sharpened on both sides which allows you to cut weeds in both forward and backward directions.

Raised Bed Irrigation Kit

Our Raised Bed Irrigation Kit contains everything your need to water your raised bed gardens in the most effective and environmentally friendly way. Drip irrigation allows you to use less water while watering more effectively. This is because you are only placing water directly where your plants need it – at the roots. Because you’re not watering the leaves, disease pressure and pest pressure will be greatly reduced. This kit will support 8 (4 ft. by 8 ft.) raised beds with 4 feet between them.

Garden Fork

This is the best digging fork on the market! The heat-treated steel tines provide superior strength for maximum penetration into the soil with minimal effort. Use the Garden Fork to break ground and cultivate the soil for small garden areas and raised beds. Also works great for incorporating compost into existing garden soil. This tool is a must have for those who grow potatoes. Easily lift red potatoes and sweet potatoes out of the soil for harvest with this digging fork. The comfortable, D-shaped handle and shaft are made of aircraft-quality tubing. The lightweight yet sturdy tubing gives the tool an incredible weight distribution that allows you to do more with less effort.

Hoss Pruning Shears

Our Hoss Pruning Shears are simply the best! Perfect for trimming fruit trees, pruning vegetable and flower plants, and harvesting thick-stemmed vegetables like winter squash or pumpkins. Super-sharp blade with locking aluminum handles, a shock absorption system, and a sap groove to prevent the blade from sticking. Hoss Pruning Shears are the heavy-duty solution to pruning any vegetable plant or fruit tree around your garden or homestead. This Swiss-made design dates back to 1917 and has been a dependable solution for growers for decades.

Join us for a fun “Getting To Know Hoss” video! We thought we would switch it up this evening with something a little different. We are constantly told that many of you would love to know more about us, so here we go. On tonight’s Row By Row Show, we’re asking Hoss the tough questions and we’re getting to know him a little better! Some may have to do with gardening but others may not! We hope that you will enjoy this video as much as we enjoyed making it for you! We appreciate all of your constant support! Let’s Grow Together, Get To Know Hoss and Get Dirty!

GET TO KNOW HOSS - Part 1

If you were not an expert in gardening, what is one topic you wish you had more experience in?

Greg: I would have to say science, I love science. Maybe some type of biology, soil science has always been interesting to me. I wouldn't classify that as gardening but I would love to be a soil scientist.

If you could only plant one thing in the garden, what would it be?

Greg: That's a tough one right there, as much as I love tomato sandwiches, if I only had one thing to plant as a food source it would have to be corn.

What is your BIGGEST passion in life?

Greg: I think a person's passions change during the different time periods in their life. When you're younger you have different passions (in my opinion) than you do as an adult. I would have to say that my biggest passion write now would have to be is helping others.

What hobby have you always wanted to learn that you haven't been able to tackle?

Greg: Years ago I bought me a violin, I love music and I'm not musically inclined. Some people have such a talent but I did not get that gene. I can play two songs on the violin but it took many lesson and lots of practice. It would be nice to just be able to pick up an instrument and not have to take so much time to learn it.

What do you enjoy the most about doing the Row By Row Show?

Greg: I think the interaction and the feedback that we get back from everyone is so inspiring. It really lifts your spirits when we get emails, letters in the mail or comments that tell us how we've helped them in gardening and being successful at it. It means that we are doing something right.

GET TO KNOW HOSS - Part 2

What are your pet peeves?

Greg: I get really irritated with people who have a talent and they don't use it. Whether they are intellectual or they have a specific talent and they don't use it, that really bothers me a lot.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Greg: I think it would be to turn back time.

If you could have dinner with anybody in the world across history, who would it be and why?

Greg: I know this may be a strange one but I think I would have to go with President Ronald Reagan in his prime. I think during his "prime time" it was probably some of the most interesting times for America. I would love to have a conversation with him about that, I think that he is one of the Presidents that I look back and admire more so than a lot of the others.

What is on your bucket list?

Greg: I feel like this has always been on my bucket list somewhat but more lately as I'm getting older but I want to travel more. We're traveling to the Keys this month, Holland for a seed convention later this year and next year we would love to go to Alaska!

If you had a warning label, what would it say?

Greg: I don't have a clue.

We all know that spring gardens are everyone's favorite to have BUT if you haven't yet, you really should start planning your fall garden! So why exactly should you have a fall garden, let's discuss a few reasons. Less work, less hands on, less pest pressure, less weed pressure, it's cooler outside, and you need less water. Most big box stores do not have plants for fall gardening which is crazy to us because you can still gardening well into the fall and even the winter depending on where you are located, many of those people in warmer climates (like Florida) can almost garden year-round. So let's talk planning a fall garden.

What Vegetables Can Be Planted In The Fall?

We've got plenty of vegetable suggestions for you that are suited for the fall garden, with planting dates that run from late summer through fall itself. Here are just a few of Hoss favorites for fall growing! Arugula, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, garlic, kale, mustard greens, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, peas, radishes, spinach, celery, cilantro, and swiss chard. You can also add in some cool season flowers such as, Calendula Prince Mix!

When Should I Plant Fall Vegetables? | Planning A Fall Garden

Obviously the best time for planting depends on the area where you live and what you plan to grow. The secret to fall vegetable gardening success is planning your harvest backwards. You will want to start with your frost date for the fall in your area. Then find out the number of days that you will need before you can harvest your fall vegetables. You can usually find that number on the back of the seed packet. Days to maturity. This will be different for direct seeds versus transplants.

How Should You Prepare For Your Fall Garden?

Prepare your garden for the fall by making room for all the new plants that you are about to harvest. Start by ripping out all of the plants that you have already harvested, as well as plants that are no longer performing well (like tomatoes that have succumbed to disease or peas that have been burned by the sun). At this time, you will always want to pull up any weeds from the beds so that they don't try to steal nutrients and moisture from your fall vegetables.

Tarps

Cover Crops

Get your spots ready for onions, garlic, and strawberries that you will overwinter.

Ya'll be sure to check out The Great Fall Garden Festival, it's a Meet & Greet gathering of Homesteads, farms, and artisans who connect with others through their YouTube Channel. It's FREE ADMISSION on September 9, 2023 from 9am-5pm in Jemison, Alabama. Check out the link here! This family friendly event will feature an educational speaker series, homemade and home grown fare at our participants booths, meet and greet, food truck vendors, and a harvest contest.

Product of the Week

Seed Starting Supplies

Premium Garden Seeds

Watch the Complete Show on YouTube Below:

https://youtu.be/J9KUpUD04qM

Many gardeners, especially beginners, don't necessarily always think about cover crops; summer cover crops are even more on the back burner, simply because many people do not typically "garden" in the cooler months therefore, they will plant a cover crop in the winter months to help improve your their soil. We're trying to change that outlook! So how do we choose a warm season cover crop? Should you just leave your garden plot empty? What does planting summer cover crops actually do? Let's talk about, grow together and get dirty!

Summer Cover Crops | What's The Point?

Pollinators! Summer Cover Crops are amazing for attracting beneficial pollinators. You need beneficial pollinators especially if you're growing vegetables near your cover crop plots. If you don't have pollinators, you won't have food! Choosing the right cover crop is extremely important, you will want to choose a "flowering" cover crop that provides nectar and pollen. You will want to allow it to bloom before terminating the cover crop. Many only think of honey bees (we're guilty of it too), but did you know that there are over 100,000 different animal species that provide free pollination services - including butterflies, moths, beetles, birds, etc. One third of human food comes from plants that are pollinated by wild pollinators.

What Should We Know For Summer Cover Crops?

What we should know really depends on what you're looking to accomplish, better yet, it's always better to know as much as you can on a topic. Do you want a cover crop that's tailored to your native pollinators or appeal to diversity of pollinators? Some are just looking for a honey production boost. Other benefits of habitat planting would be for providing shelter for other beneficial insects and songbirds, reducing runoff and soil erosion, or simply improving water quality. Some beneficial pollinators can travel great distances to forage for the nectar, while others cannot.

Product of the Week

WARM SEASON COVER CROPS

Watch the Complete Show on YouTube Below:

https://youtu.be/GDCLhKOjRAk

Why do we garden? Why do you garden? Since we've started Hoss, our mission has ALWAYS been "We Help You Grow Your Own Food" and that will never change. When we first started our Row By Row Garden Show we shared our Top 4 Reasons why we garden. Do you think they've changed since 2015? Let's find out the Top 4 reasons why Greg and Sheila like to grow their own food! Let's Grow Together!

Why We Garden | Top 4 Reasons - 2015

Back in 2015 on our Row By Row Show we shared our top 4 reasons of why we garden, first, it is to know what is in our food. Nice good, clean and healthy food straight to our table. Secondly, the taste straight from the garden is so much better than store bought; better quality and a lot more nutrients coming from your backyard grocery store. Third, passing your skills down to the next generation is SO important. You prevent the loss of certain gardening skills and you reinstall that skill set into the next generation and hopefully many generations to come. Last but definitely not least, self-satisfaction; we know we're not the only ones who get a HUGE sense of accomplishment when we harvest what we've grown from seed. It's a great feeling!

Greg's Top 4 Reasons | Why We Garden

2023

Greg's number one reason was to learn the skill-set! I've always been amazing at the skill set needed to grow a nice garden and grow their own food!

Self sufficiency is a huge thing for me, then and now! It may sound cliche but you never know when you're going to need it.

Enjoyment, I've always enjoyed being out in the garden. When you enjoy a hobby, you go at it with enjoyment. It's also my happy place, solitude is what I find in the garden.

Cleanliness of food, knowing what's on your food and in your food is VERY important to me. Knowing how they're harvested is a good thing to know as well.

Sheila's Top 4 Reasons | Why We Garden

2023

Taste of fresh vegetables, the flavor. I know what the input is. I know that it is going to taste good, unlike the taste from grocery store. If you know you know.  Unless you have that homegrown tomato picked from your garden, ripen by the sunshine, picked in the heat of summer and tasted the concentrated sugars, you have never eaten a true tomato.

Garden Community.  It is fun to share knowledge, successes, failures. Comradery around the love of the garden. A hobby that is entertaining, growing, enriching and very rewarding.

Positive effects on our physical, mental and social well-being. Increase levels of physical activity through planting, watering, walking, maintaining. Gardening can help keep you mentally active, always providing opportunities to gain new knowledge. Gardening can reduce depression and stress. Increase feelings of hope and achievement. “I grew this”.

Food Security, Covid changed this experience. Supply chain issues, Food cost. Gardening is a process.  You can't wait till an emergency to start. You need to start now to be prepared for an emergency. When you can afford to make mistakes and have time to learn.  Just start something. Then learn how to preserve it to enjoy all year long. Then learn how to preserve it to enjoy all year long.

Product of the Week

PREMIUM GARDEN SEEDS

Watch the Complete Show on YouTube Below:

https://youtu.be/3jZKk6PFO3M

Preserving food not only extends its shelf life but also allows us to enjoy seasonal flavors straight form the garden throughout the year. Some of the oldest methods of preservation are drying, refrigeration, and fermentation. More of the modern techniques include canning, freezing, dehydrating, and freeze drying. The goal is to prevent food spoilage from bacteria, yeast, and mold. We aim to empower you with the knowledge you need to grow your own food and how to preserve your harvest. An important note to remember is that improperly packages frozen foods lose small amounts of moisture during storage, resulting in surface dehydration (commonly called freezer burn).

Food Preservation

Essential Techniques and Tips : Freezing

You can freeze "almost" any food, frozen foods remain safe indefinitely. Two of our favorite vegetables to grow are corn and peas. Freezing preserves food for extended periods because it prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause both food spoilage and food-borne illness. Freezing to 0 °F inactivates any microbes — bacteria, yeasts and molds — present in food. Once thawed, however, these microbes can again become active, multiplying under the right conditions to levels that can lead to foodborne illness. Since they will then grow at about the same rate as microorganisms on fresh food, you must handle thawed items as you would any perishable food

Most vegetables that freeze well are low acid and require brief, partial cooking to prevent deterioration. This is called "blanching." For successful freezing, blanch or partially cook vegetables in boiling water or in a microwave oven. Then rapidly chill the vegetables prior to freezing and storage. Blanching also inactivates enzymes that cause deterioration of foods during frozen storage. Blanching is carried out at temperatures close to 100 °C (212 °F) for two to five minutes in either a water bath or a steam chamber.

Essential Techniques and Tips : Canning

Canning is a food preservation technique that involves sealing food in airtight containers, typically glass jars, to create a sterile environment that prevents the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and molds. Some of our favorties to can are tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, broth, and soups. The process typically involves placing prepared food into jars, sealing them with lids, and subjecting them to heat treatment. This heat treatment, often achieved through boiling or pressure canning, destroys microorganisms and enzymes that could cause spoilage, ensuring the long-term preservation of the food.

Water bath or Pressure Can?

Depends on the acidity of the food. Low-acid foods are not acidic enough to prevent the growth of bacteria. Low acidic foods have pH values above 4.6. Acidic foods have pH of 4.6 or lower. You can acidify by adding lemon juice or citric acid. All low-acid foods should be sterilized at temperatures of 240° to 250°F, attainable with pressure canners. Begin with good-quality fresh foods. Discard any diseased and moldy food. Trim off any bad spots.

Hot packing, raw packing

Hot-packing is the practice of heating freshly prepared food to boiling, simmering it 2 to 5 minutes, and promptly filling jars loosely with the boiled food.Raw-packing is the practice of filling jars tightly with freshly prepared, but unheated food.

Essential Techniques and Tips : Dehydration

Dehydrating, also known as drying, is a food preservation method that involves removing the moisture from food to inhibit the growth of bacteria, yeast, and molds, thus extending its shelf life. It is accomplished by circulating warm air around the food, either through natural air drying or using specialized dehydr...

Over the last several days we have been getting hammered with bad storms and downpours of rain over several hours at a time. A break, maybe we've had a day of no rain in the last couple weeks but that's about it. So, can you garden in the rain? What does all of this rain do to your vegetables? You would think that rain is good for your garden, right? BUT TOO MUCH rain isn't good, it can cause all sorts of problems. The BEST solution is PREPARATION!

What problems do excessive amounts of rain cause? Does it ruin the foliage? What about roots? If you're in the South, you know that hurricane season is upon us! Let's grow together and get dirty!

Can Your Garden In The Rain?

Preparation Is Key!

Here are several tips that we hope will help you be prepared:

Make sure your plants are tied up/supported.  Check trellis, reinforce if necessary.

Harvest as much as you can prior to the rain/storms.

Stop watering ahead of the rain!

Observe how your garden drains and identify problems areas.

Remove/Prune off bad leaves as soon as possible

Increase fungal issues from plants being damp for too long. Stay on top of rust.

Root erosion, add soil back around exposed roots.

Increase in snails and slugs.

Increase in weeds.  Perfect time to pull is after the rain and soil is soft.

Rain will wash nutrients away. May need to fertilize more often.

Hail damage, cover tender plants if possible.

Mulch, too much can keep soil wet to long and be breeding ground.

Plants in containers will typically suffer more.  Keep emptied and move to covered area if possible.

Protect young seedlings with buckets/pots.

Product of the Week

FERTILIZERS

PREMIUM GARDEN SEEDS

Watch the Complete Show on YouTube Below:

https://youtu.be/-6kc8145ZZc

It’s all about the King Of The Garden tonight, TOMATOES!  The winners and losers (in our opinion)! Time for the Tomato Tasting Review 2023! We’ve been harvesting lots of fruit already from the garden, some of which were “trials” for us and it sure has been interesting to say the least. From beefsteaks, slicers, to cherry tomatoes, we’re reviewing them all! Let’s Grow Together! Tell us, what’s your favorite variety you’ve grown!  Be sure to check out our Tomato Growing Guide for lots of helpful tomato growing tips and tricks! Be sure to watch the video for the full review!

These are just a few examples of the many types of tomatoes available. Each variety has its own taste, texture, and culinary uses, so you can choose based on your preferences of growing habits and how you want to use them! Of course, one thing you should always remember is how much room you have in the garden for growth, this is important. Each of the different types of tomatoes below have different growth habits.

Tomato Review - The Different Types of Tomatoes

Beefsteak Tomatoes

Known for their large size and meaty texture, beefsteak tomatoes are commonly used for sandwiches and slicing. They come in various colors, including red, pink, yellow, and even striped varieties.

Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom tomatoes are open-pollinated varieties that have been passed down through generations. They come in various colors, shapes, and sizes and are known for their unique flavors and vibrant appearances.

Roma Tomatoes

They are popular for making sauces, pastes, and canning due to their low moisture content.

Cherry Tomatoes

Small and round, cherry tomatoes are bite-sized and often used in salads or as a snack. They are available in different colors like red, yellow, and even black.

Growth Habits - Tomato Tasting Review 2023

Determinate Tomatoes

Determinate tomatoes are often referred to as bush tomatoes. They have a compact growth habit and tend to reach a predetermined height, usually around 2 to 4 feet (60 to 120 centimeters). These tomatoes typically stop growing when fruit sets on the terminal bud, and they tend to produce a large crop of fruit over a relatively short period. Determinate tomatoes are suitable for container gardening or small garden spaces.

Indeterminate Tomatoes

Indeterminate tomatoes have a vining or sprawling growth habit. They continue to grow and produce fruit throughout the growing season until frost or other unfavorable conditions. Indeterminate tomatoes can grow quite tall, often reaching 6 to 12 feet (180 to 360 centimeters) or even more under ideal conditions. They require support, such as stakes, cages, or trellises, to keep the plants upright and ensure proper air circulation.

Semi-determinate Tomatoes

Semi-determinate tomatoes exhibit characteristics of both determinate and indeterminate types. They are more compact than indeterminate varieties, but they continue to grow and produce fruit for a longer period compared to determinate tomatoes. Semi-determinate tomatoes often benefit from some support but may not require as much as indeterminate varieties.

It's important to note that these growth habits are general guidelines, and there can be variations within each tomato variety. Additionally, some heirloom varieties may have unique growth patterns that differ from the typical determinate or indeterminate habits. When selecting tomato varieties, it's always a good idea to refer to specific plant information online and recommended growing conditions.

It's June and boy, is it getting hot in Georgia! The garden is in full-force and we are harvesting every day. The temptation to just harvest and cruise on through summer is also in full-force. Do not just let the garden go, there is still plenty of time to continue plantings. After you harvest your potatoes and garlic, have something prepare to go into these plots. Find out your first average frost date for the Fall, find days to maturity, subtract to see if you have time to plant/grow. If it will take longer than the days you have, it's not worth risking. Be sure to add a week or so for harvesting to be safe. Let's discuss your June Garden To-Do List, grow together, and Get Dirty!

Succession Planting - June Garden To-Do List

Succession planting is a gardening technique that allows you to maximize your harvest and enjoy a continuous supply of fresh produce throughout the growing season. By carefully planning and timing your plantings, you can fill the gaps left by harvested crops with new ones, ensuring that your garden remains productive. Whether you have a small backyard plot or a large vegetable garden, succession planting is a smart and efficient way to make the most of your space and extend the bounty of your harvest.

Not only does it provide a constant supply of delicious vegetables and herbs, but it also helps prevent weeds from taking over and optimizes the use of resources such as water and fertilizer. Embracing succession planting can truly transform your garden into a year-round source of abundance and culinary delight. Here in USDA Zone 8, we still have time to plant okra, beans, and cucumbers.

Warm Season Cover Crops

Planting and growing warm season cover crops can significantly benefit your garden and soil health. These cover crops, such as buckwheat, cowpeas, or sorghum-sudangrass, thrive in the heat of summer and offer numerous advantages. Firstly, they provide excellent weed suppression, smothering unwanted plants and reducing competition for resources. Additionally, warm season cover crops enhance soil fertility by fixing nitrogen, enriching the soil with this essential nutrient for future crops. They also improve soil structure and moisture retention, preventing erosion and enhancing the soil's ability to hold water during hot and dry periods. Planting warm season cover crops not only boosts your garden's productivity but also helps maintain its overall health and resilience, making it a valuable addition to any gardener's summer planting strategy.

Herbs!

Growing herbs like dill, basil, parsley, and oregano in your garden is a delightful and rewarding experience. These versatile herbs not only add incredible flavors to your culinary creations but also offer numerous health benefits. Dill, with its feathery leaves and distinct taste, is perfect for seasoning fish dishes and pickles. Basil, available in a variety of flavors, brings a burst of freshness to salads, pastas, and sauces. Parsley, both curly and flat-leaf varieties, is a must-have for its bright flavor and as a garnish. Oregano, with its robust and earthy taste, is a key ingredient in Mediterranean and Italian cuisine. Growing these herbs is relatively easy, and they thrive in containers or in the garden. They require well-drained soil, ample sunlight, and regular watering. Harvesting the leaves regularly not only encourages growth but also ensures a steady supply of aromatic and flavorful herbs for all your culinary adventures.

Product of the Week

Herbs

Zinnias

Warm Season Cover Crops

Watch the Complete Show on YouTube Below:

https://youtu.be/8zOCXZS9xvk