Parsley

Parsley is a hardy, biennial but mainly grown as an annual, lasting one growing season. There are 2 types of parsley: moss-curled and flat-leaf. It is a commonly grown herb for garnish and flavoring, blending well with other herbs. It can be used to flavor stews, soups, pasta and potato salads, vegetable dishes, and mixed with lettuce in salads and on sandwiches.

Growing information:

Parsley seeds are slow to germinate. Soak the seeds in warm water overnight before planting. Soaking helps soften the seed coat, allows water absorption, and speeds up the germination process. Remember to be patient, it can take 10-18 days for the seeds to germinate. Place the growing containers in full sun to part shade; parsley plants should receive direct sunlight for 6-8 hours a day. Keep the plants watered, especially in hot, dry weather. Parsley plants will reach 8 inches high at maturity, about 65 days after planting.

Tips:

Parsley leaves can be used fresh, dried, or frozen for later use. Avoid harvesting or picking leaves during the heat of the day when the plants will wilt, instead harvest early in the day when temperatures are cooler. Harvest each stalk close to the ground, starting with the outer stalks. Cutting only the tops of the plant will result in a less productive plant throughout the growing season.

Container gardening planting instructions:

Cover the parsley seeds with 1/8 inch of soil, keeping them moist until they germinate. Thin the growing parsley seedlings when they are 2-3 inches high and final spacing should be 8-10 inches apart. Grow up to 2 plants in your 2-gallon container, with maximum spacing between the 2 plants. Water the parsley plants frequently. During hot summer weather the containers may need watering 2 times a day, watering deeply and thoroughly. Do not allow the containers to dry out for long periods of time.

Yellow Wax Beans

Yellow wax beans are a sweet, crisp, and tender bean with easy to spot pods, making harvesting much easier! These beans are a great snack and can be used in place of standard green beans in side dishes, salads, stir fry, or canned and preserved for enjoyment throughout the winter.

Growing information:

Yellow wax bean seeds prefer temperatures of 70-80 F for germination and seedlings emerge in 8-10 days. Water consistently, keeping the soil evenly moist. Harvest approximately 60-70 days after germination. Bush beans grow upright to about 2 feet tall and do not need to be trellised like the pole beans. They flower for shorter period but may continue to flower and produce beans if harvested regularly.

Tips:

Avoid watering above the plant as this can knock flowers off during formation resulting in lower bean yield. Water at the soil level, keeping the soil consistently moist while the bean plants are flowering and pods are forming. The plant will not flower and set pods if they are kept too dry! Do not presoak these seeds, it can damage them and result in poor germination. Harvest the bean pods young before they swell to improve yield, flavor, and texture. Once the pods bulge, the beans are more fibrous and less sweet. You can start sowing seeds in spring after the last frost, planting in succession or every 2-3 weeks sowing more seeds throughout July for a harvest of beans all throughout the growing season. When stored properly bean seeds will still germinate for up to 5 years.

Container gardening planting instructions: Plant the seeds 1 inch deep, about 3 inches apart. Thin to 1 or a maximum of 2 plants per 2-gallon container, approximately 6 inches apart. During hot summer weather the containers may need watering 2 times a day, watering deeply and thoroughly. Do not allow the containers to dry out for long periods of time.

Sweet Italian Basil

Basil is an annual plant that lasts for one year. It is a very popular herb and traditional sweet basil is known for its quintessential fragrance and flavor. There are other basil types that have citrus notes (lemon basil) or spicy, licorice-like flavors (Thai basil).Basil is easily air dried to store for future use. It is used to flavor tomato dishes, sauces, pizza, fish, meat, egg dishes, pesto, and herb butters.

Growing information:

Seeds will start to germinate in about 5-7 days, and basil prefers a sunny spot with well-watered soil. With these basil seeds, after 20 days you can begin to harvest leaves from the baby basil, and it will take about 45 days to have a fully mature plant. Mature basil plants can be 24” tall! Once the plant is established, you can pinch the tips of the stems to encourage the plant to become bushier and fill your planting container. As the plant ages, pinch off the basil flower buds as soon as you see them form. This will allow you to have better tasting leaves for a longer time period.

Tips:

Basil is sensitive to cold temperatures (both while growing and after harvest), so keep the plant out of cold, drafty areas or the refrigerator after picking leaves. You can harvest the leaves directly from the plant, or store a stem with many leaves in a glass with room temperature water in the kitchen.

Container gardening planting instructions:

Plant seeds 1/4” deep, 2 seeds per inch. Keep the soil moist. As the plants grow, you will need to thin them, or pull out the extra plants to make room for the few plants that will fully mature. In a 12” diameter indoor container you will only have space for 1 full size or 2 smaller basil plants to grow comfortably. Enjoy the thinned plants in salads and other meals, as a garnish, or compost if not wanted.

Lettuce

This romaine-type lettuce stays compact in size. It has dark green leaves and crunchy midribs that give the plant an upright shape. When mature, the plant will stand about 8” tall. The leaves are sweet and crunchy and keep very well after picking.

Growing information:

This lettuce variety will start to germinate in 3-8 days. It prefers full sun, although can tolerate some shade in the high, hot sun of the afternoon. After 28 days, you can start harvesting the outer baby leaves. A fully mature head of lettuce will take 50 days to reach full size. Use these delicious lettuce leaves in salads, sandwiches, as a lettuce wrap in place of a taco shell or tortilla, and in other tasty dishes.

Tips:

When harvesting baby leaves, only take 1 or 2 every couple of days. Remove the baby leaves from the outside, and leave the center of the head unpicked so it will continue to grow. When the head is fully grown, cut at the base and enjoy!

Container gardening planting instructions:

Plant seeds 1/8” deep, 2 seeds per inch. Keep the soil moist .As the plants grow, you will need to thin them, or pull out the extra plants to make room for the few plants that will fully mature. In a 12” diameter indoor container you will only have space for 1 full size or 2 smaller lettuce plants to grow comfortably. Enjoy the thinned plants in salads and other meals, as a garnish, or compost if not wanted.

Something to try in the future: When you have a larger planting area or another container, try succession planting for more lettuce heads per season and stagger each planting by three weeks. This will let you have mature heads of lettuce while your second planting will almost be ready to harvest baby leaves. Try it out!