Topping Brussels Sprouts and Planting Onions
December 7th, 2023
We noticed sprouts forming on our Brussels sprouts (above) which means it’s time to “top” the plants. This process involves cutting off the very top of the plants ( below). By doing this, we’re able to redirect the energy into the formation of the sprouts which helps them to size up. We hope to have some Brussels sprouts ready for you by Christmas but it depends on how many colder days lie ahead of us. We’ll make sure to let you know as soon as they’re available!
We planted over 4,000 onion starts a couple of weeks ago! An onion start is a small, bare-root onion plant that has already been grown from seed. We purchase them at this stage from another Texas farm because it saves us a love of time, energy, and greenhouse space than if we were to plant them all from seed ourselves. We planted one bed of sweet 1015 onions in addition to a bed of red Southern Belle onions. Both of these are short day varieties that will do well in the decreased daylight hours and cooler temperatures.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve received similar questions over the past few weeks at the Farm Stand so we wanted to take the opportunity to share the answers with you here.
What is the best way to store winter veggies? Leafy greens and root veggies will last the longest when placed in a plastic bag in your fridge. This prevents them from being exposed to open air and helps to trap some necessary humidity in the bag with them. To revive wilted leafy greens and roots, place them in a bowl of ice water for about 30 minutes.
Why are you already sold out of certain veggies when I get to the Farm Stand? If you want full access to what we have available every week, make sure to get there early! Popular crops like carrots for instance will sell out early so plan on getting there right at 9am or shortly after. Alternatively, you can join our Veggie Share Program, which includes free home delivery for Harvest Green residents every Thursday.
Why are there holes in some of the leafy greens? Since we're an organic farm that does not use harmful pesticides on our crops, from time-to-time there may be a few holes in a leaf or two but we strive to have this be a rare occurrence. The good news is that they are completely safe to eat and it does not compromise their flavor!
Upcoming Farm Events:
Next Farmers Market: Saturday, December 9th from 9am-1pm
Birding at Village Farm on Saturday, December 9th from 9-10 am (sign up here)
Special Holiday Farm Stand at the Farmhouse on Tuesday, December 19th from 4-6pm
Currently in Season at the Farm Stand: Carrots, Beets, Radishes, Turnips, Spinach, Salad Mix, Mustard Greens, Kale, Swiss Chard, Collards, Arugula, Napa Cabbage, Scallions, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro. (please note that the availability of cut greens will vary from week to week during the winter)
