005 Garden Money (And Time) Savers

We save some money and some time on today's episode. Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms tells us about his "Cheapskate Salad Bowl": how you can grow and harvest lettuce quickly (within a month) and cheaply (using nursery planting trays). And, you don't have to worry about it bolting in the summer heat. Watch his video of the process here. Plus, Brad talks about all the unique and wildly popular tomato varieties that he grows for sale.Another way to save money in the garden: make your own plants from existing ones! College horticulture professor Debbie Flower describes the propagation methods for the popular herb, rosemary.One of the best books on Plant Propagation is by Alan Toogood and it was recently updated. It's called "Propagating Plants: How to Create New Plants for Free". Even better: this thick book just got more portable, as a Kindle edition.Who has time to wait for pepper seeds to germinate? We have tips for speeding up that process, from three weeks down to a week and a half...or less. One of the keys: be sure to use a potting soil that matches the pH needs of the pepper seeds.More info on The Farmer Fred Rant blog: "Pepper Seeds Slow to Germinate? Some More Tips"Soil pH and Plants ListThank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics  Newsletter.