Desert Horticulture Podcast: Growing Herbs, Greens and Microgreens in the Desert

 Diane and Tom have been growing herbs, greens, and microgreens in the desert and marketed them to chefs, restaurants and homeowners for decades. Learn what has worked for them and why. 

Meet Diane and Tom of Herbs by Diane of Boulder City, Nevada, who grow and sell herbs to chefs, restaurants as well as the public. Learn their secrets about growing and producing as a small scale producer. You can email questions directly to Diane and Tom at dianegreene2@cox.net and ask for their weekly list of items available.  Have something you really want to try.? Contact Diane and Tom for custom growing and harvesting.  Herbs, greens and microgreens can be picked up in Boulder City, NV,  on Thursdays at Fruitsandroots in Las Vegas or Sunday's at the Fresh52 Farmer's Market in Henderson. 

 All this and more in this episode of Desert Horticulture.

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Diane and Tom working in their Boulder City, Nevada, herb and greens garden. The growing area is protected from birds and other varmints by screening. Ground squirrels were particularly troublesome this past 2020 and they were relocated to a different part of time.

Diane tending one of her herb beds. The soils are enriched with compost, woodchips, alfalfa hay and all natural fertilizers. Raised beds are protected from birds by screening and the woodchips enriched the soil in the growing areas.

Overhead irrigation is preferred for watering as it gives better water distribution for the seedlings and transplants.

You can see that this way of gardening stimulates herbs and greens which are supplied to local chefs and restaurants as well as the public through local farmers markets.

Inside the "greenhouse" which is used primarily for raising microgreens and transplants. Not much light is needed during the summer. This temporary greenhouse is cooled and the humidity raised with swamp coolers. The covering is polycarbonate. Those plants needing more light are grown closer to the sidewalls.

Seeds for microgreens are soaked overnight in sanitized buckets for sprouting and then seeded in sanitized trays.