MarkE 3rd St Produce

06/01/2026

Great question...

05/31/2026

Mark was thinking the rain was going to start at noon today so we got out to the garden to get the tomato's planted. We knew we didn't want to plant as many as last year so he thought carrying down the tunnel effect from the arch would be cool. We put in t-posts, dug the holes and amended them, planted the tomato's, put down soaker hoses, watered them in and got them all mulched with straw. As we were driving away at 11:45 the rain started and its been slow and steady - we will be trellising them in no time I'm sure.

05/31/2026

During the two weeks before a full Moon, (so, right now!) seeds absorb more water. That's the theory behind Planting by the Moon, anyway! Plant your above-ground crops and annual flowers this week to see if it makes a difference 🌱🌓

Here's the science behind the theory: Moisture is increasingly drawn to the soil's surface during the period when the Moon is waxing, causing seeds to swell, promoting stronger germination and better-established plants.

Throughout history, people have planted according to the Moon’s phases—from the Ancient Egyptians to the Romans. Pliny the Elder, a Roman historian, wrote about the Moon’s influence on agriculture. Even in completely different regions like China and Africa, the Moon’s cycles were considered in planting practices 🌕️🌾

Learn more at Almanac.com/planting-by-the-moon

05/21/2026

If you wondered why I haven't listed the tomatoes ready for new homes I hope the last few overnights served as a reminder. With that said I bring to you this year's varieties ready to purchase. Pineapple orange yellow beefsteak, Jewel red yellow beefsteak, Amana orange beefsteak, Kellogg's Breakfast orange red beefsteak, Black Russian red brown beefsteak, Great White yellow white beefsteak, Pink and Red Brandywine pink and red beefsteak, Celebrity red slicer, German Johnson pink red beefsteak, Old German red beefsteak, Sioux red slicer, Azovchka yellow slicer, Paul Robison red brown beefsteak, Delicious red slicer, Sweet Million and Chadwick Cherry are two cherry varieties, Trophy red slicer and that's all. You have to pickup in Delano or contact me for other arrangements. Let warm weather roll in to stay!!

05/13/2026

Tomato time is here

04/15/2026

All good things must.... Happen again! I am proud to announce the 2026 Tomato Project is underway. There are 15 or so varieties that will be tended to over the next few weeks with May 20th being the target for them to get new homes. I will post the varieties available over the next week so stay tuned if you are wanting some!!

04/12/2026

Great info if you have wondered about early spring care of thyme and rosemary

Thyme looks fine right up until you notice only the tips are still producing leaves. The rest is a tangle of dry brown stems that snap between your fingers. The problem builds quietly because thyme keeps smelling right at the tips while the base dies back centimeter by centimeter. 🌿

Thyme is not a plant that manages itself. It's a subshrub that woody-izes faster than most gardeners expect — in two years without pruning, hard wood climbs to mid-height and new growth only emerges in a crown at the top. The result is a small bare-stemmed plant with a ball of foliage at the tip, impossible to harvest properly.

Three pruning windows that keep thyme dense and productive:

Early spring — March or early April: the main cutback. Shorten all stems by about a third, staying strictly in the soft green section. The grey woody base below will not regrow — this is the same absolute rule as lavender and rosemary. Cut into wood and you lose the plant.

May through June — harvest actively. Cut whole stems rather than picking individual leaves. Every cut forces two new lateral branches below it, which densifies the plant instead of thinning it. Pinching leaves while leaving the stem intact is the least effective method — the stem continues elongating and woodying without branching.

September — light maintenance trim to remove stems that are reaching outward and breaking the compact shape.

Two things most gardeners don't know about thyme:

Planting in rich soil causes fast upward growth but twice the rate of woodification. Poor, well-drained, gritty soil keeps thyme compact far longer. If your thyme is going woody fast, the soil may be too good.

After three to four years, even well-managed thyme reaches the end of its productive life. Layer a low branch in spring — press a stem to the ground under a handful of soil — and you'll have a rooted new plant in a few weeks, ready to replace the parent plant without buying anything.

Three years of fragrant harvests hang on one cut in March. 🌱

04/08/2026

Cleaning up the potting area for the Grand Tomato Start beginning soon! We are looking to start 12 varieties of heirloom tomatoes ready for homes around the 3rd to 4th week of May. A list of choices will be posted in the next few days. Let me know if you have an interest as these usually go fast!

02/10/2026

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Fact Checked True

02/10/2026

Plant and grow trees. The multi-tasking lungs of the planet. ❤ They absorb CO2 to produce O2; store carbon; fill the earth with vertical roots which stores soil nutrients; reduce pollution and temperatures; reflect and absorbs solar radiation; maintain ecosystems. The carbon cycle and photosynthesis; produces leaves: grows food; produces wood for multi purpose use; provides habitats and food for wildlife and adds scenic beauty to surrounding environments.