Very "Green" Cut & Come Again Garden

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Solar Jungle Abode Is A Home To Recycled Gardening

Photo: Annie Stiefel

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Every year we travel between our two gardens, spending six months on our 35 year old moss and stone farm situated in a fertile valley an hour outside of Manhattan in Newtown, Connecticut and six months at our solar jungle abode located across the country, perched above the Pacific in the rain forest of Hawaii on the Big Island. We are always adapting our gardens to the two very different climates, looking for innovative ways to go greener whenever possible. We recently discovered a new green and very efficient way to house our favorite Cut & Come Again gardens that works equally well in both growing climates.

A recycled mortar mixing tub makes a perfect planter for a Cut & Come Again Garden. The tubs are 28x20x6” deep. If you don’t have a source for used ones (ask your favorite mason), new tubs are available at Home Depot for under $6. Make between 8 and 12 drain holes in the bottom with a nail and hammer or a drill and you are ready to add soil and sow seeds. The tubs can be set on the ground, raised up on cement blocks, or for all of us elder baby boomers, a hip height table makes planting and harvesting very easy on the back.

When you are ready to plant, don’t bother with neat rows, just scatter lots of organic seeds on top of soil rich with organic matter, nutrients, and micro-organisms, then cover to the depth noted on seed package and water. You won’t have to wait long for your first salad. Stagger plant your tubs every few weeks and you will soon have a continuous supply of fresh micro greens lasting right into the cooler months.

In Hawaii we receive 148 inches of rain per year, as opposed to 51 inches in our Connecticut garden, so we tucked our bed of greens under our four foot roof overhang on the south side. The plants flourish, soaking up the hot morning sun, and we supply water, making it possible to control the amount they receive. We have also placed a layer of sharp edged volcanic cinders on the ground beneath the bed and because the cinders stay dry under the overhang, it keeps the disease bearing Semi Slug and Giant African Snail from climbing up. In our tropical climate this slug is a carrier of Angiostrongyliasis and can be a serious medical problem. In Connecticut our tub garden is situated on the south side of our stone barn, where it receives full sun throughout the day, all the rain nature supplies and no worries about contamination from slugs.

What's the magic behind the “Cut & Come Again” Garden? You will get multiple harvests from your single plantings, just keep cutting, as close as 1 to 2 inches from the base of the plants, and they will keep growing, providing you with new nutritious leaves.

Happy Cooking and Good Health!

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