DIY Network

Seedlings, Pest Damage, Harvesting Seedlings, Pest Damage, Harvesting From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-117

To help ensure that your greens thrive throughout the growing process, thin the seedlings as needed and protect the maturing plants from pests. Read on for how-to....

advertisement

	Use sharp scissors to thin seedlings -- and be sure the scissors are clean.
	To check for pest damage, look under the leaves and around the stems.
	Since you're going to eat only the leaves, cut them off a few at a time with a sharp knife or scissors.

• There are two schools of thought when it comes to thinning seedlings. Some people say to thin them as soon as they are big enough to see, or when you can tell there are two or three seeds in the same hole. If your seedlings to get a little bigger, you can see which ones are going to be healthier over time. If you thin them too early you risk cutting out the stronger plants. Thin the seedlings using sharp clean scissors.

• When the weather warms up, it is time to remove the row cover that is protecting the greens. Remove the cover and lift out the supports that held the cover above the new seedlings.

• Greens are part of the cabbage family and are considered a nice treat by cabbage loopers and flea beetles. If you grow other members of the cabbage family in your garden, the pests already know where your garden is. That's one of the reasons crop rotation is so important.

• To check for pest damage, look under the leaves and around the stems. You want to catch pest problems before they become noticeable. If you need to, you can use an organic or chemical pest control method if you have an invasive problem.

• Harvesting greens is simple and easy. Since you're only going to eat the leaves you can cut them off a few at a time with a sharp knife or scissors. Use scissors to have better control when cutting individual leaves. If you want the whole plant, just cut it off at the base and lift the whole thing. Be sure to wash it well since the leaves have sand and dirt between them. If you have very loose soil you can pull out an entire plant. This will get all of the leaves and it will get the roots out of the garden. Shake off the excess dirt and cut off the roots. Then wash the whole plant before you carry it indoors.