Episode 3404

- [Lauren] From seed to harvest in about 14 days, yes, for microgreens. Julie Berbiglia is at Radical Shoots, a Nashville urban farm that specializes in this functional food that's rich in flavor. Tammy Algood introduces us to a motivated and talented gardener who has taken their residential lot from bare to beautiful. The koi pond was the start, and we'll see how she's added color and interest in other spaces. Then Jeremy Tolley shares growing tips for homegrown turnips and collard greens. Join us. Microgreens can contain up to 40 times more nutrients than their mature counterparts.

- Little bitty radishes, beautiful seedlings, but know what? These are not gonna grow up to be big radish plants. Oh no. These are going to be eaten the way they are. We're here at Radical Shoots learning more about microgreens. There are so many different types of seedlings here of these wonderful microgreens, and James, I just don't hardly know where to start. But I'm really attracted to things that I recognize, which are these little brassicas here. Tell me all about 'em.

- Well, brassicas are the plant variety that a lot of us know as veggies. So broccoli, for example. Broccoli, this is the same type of broccoli that you're used to getting at the store, Waltham 23. And what we're offering it is at 10-days-old. So at this young stage, there's supposedly 20 to 40 times more nutrient-dense compared to the adult size plant. So that packs a whole lot of punch, which means that instead of eating your typical serving size of, you know, a cup, cup and a half of broccoli, this is a lot easier to ingest. Tender, it doesn't really give you gas. Like some people get gas from broccoli. Hopefully, this can help people, you know, get that nutrients that they need. If they want a kick or they're having digestive issues, mustard might be the next stop. This one gives a really wonderful horseradish kick. If you consume this, you will feel it in about, you know, 20 minutes, it can help move things along.

- Oh my gosh, these are fantastic ways to get your veggies in and in much smaller quantities, I guess.

- That's sweet.

- I like this. Now what about herbs? I want to know about the herbs that you have.

- Herbs that we have grown from soil, one of the most lovely microgreens, I have a great fondness for dill. It's the bouquet dill with the really beautiful true leaves there. And you can recognize those seeds. They come right in the shakers. Same ones, but we'll go for the organic seeds. And this one sprinkled on salmon, put it on avocado toast, it will take the flavor to the next level.

- [Julie] James, I know this plant. This is my favorite lemon balm. It's in this tiny state. So I'm curious now what it was grown in.

- What we have here is lemon balm that's grown in rock wall or stone wall. This is a hydroponic media that is super common for tomatoes or for some other industries that aren't legal in Tennessee. And this is something you can stick right in a hydroponic tower such as a tower garden. Or you can do anything at home, even a pot of soil. Just stick it right in a little cup and you'll get a long lasting mint plant staple, Melissa officinalis, that's been used for years for calming anti-stress, anti-anxiety. Supposed to help with skin if you have a cut or an abrasion. Grind it up, tub it in there.

- Right, and how old is this?

- This guy has gotta be just about two-weeks-old, and you know, it is something ready to grow and spread. And it's great for the summer too. Keeps mosquitoes away. Soil is something that I am excited to be able to have with microgreens, locally grown microgreens in local soil with local seeds too. And so this is coming from Bates Nursery. It's the pro organics indoor. You can find them over north Nashville. These radish with the white stems. And you can see some of those little root hairs coming out. So they're pretty happy in there. And they're at the perfect stage to go inside somebody's belly.

- [Julie] Here at the Nashville Farmer's Market, you have this great setup.

- Well, for the microgreens, this is a really important stage of the plant's life, and they need the perfect environment. And so we want air movement and we want mild temperature and humidity that's not too wet or too dry. And that's gonna make these seeds really excited to spurt out and form life. And here we're lucky to be able to have an opportunity in an urban environment to showcase that it is possible to grow an abundance in a confined space, in an urban environment. And to have it be connected with, you know, the city's heartbeat here at the market. We have thousands of people that come through every weekend. And I hope that this space can help inspire people to get involved in local agriculture and try growing your own food.

- [Julie] Could you grow your own microgreens?

- You can absolutely grow your own microgreens, and you may fail the first couple trials, but you gotta keep going until you get the results that you're looking for because it is totally possible, and it just takes a little bit of learning and a little bit of practice. If you're growing at home, one thing that might be helpful to think about is the moisture that you're giving the root zone. When I first started growing, I didn't realize that the roots also want oxygen. And so if there's too much water all the time, that's what can cause rot. And there's a couple ways you can deal with that. If you have soil that is really heavy, you can add things that can aerate the soil, such as vermiculite or perlite or even wood chips. And when it comes to microgreens, you wanna make sure that the roots have a chance to breathe. So don't keep them wet. You don't want wet feet all the time.

- [Julie] Great tips here. Now, all these microgreens, I understand, have this wonderful nutrient value, but why would they be more nutrient-rich at this point than when I have a full basil plant, for example?

- Well, the power is coming from the seeds, and the seeds when they burst, it's one of the most difficult points in the plant's life, and so it's providing everything it needs to be able to become an organism. And there's all types of enzymes and different compounds that the plants are producing at those very early weeks that, you know, we've found through peer reviewed research that can help human health goals. So there are correlations with eating some of these microgreens, the baby herbs and vegetables, when they're at the very young stage when they have around 4 to 40 times more nutrient density compared to the adult sized plant.

- All right, so some of your popular culinary herbs for chefs, I imagine, are basil. What kind of varieties do you have?

- Basil is a mainstay in so many kitchens. And in Nashville, the chefs, they require this weekly. So our Genovese basil, this is classic. We've also got a Thai basil, a little amaranth mixed in there. And this guy here is an opal basil. Opal basil is similar in flavor, a little bit stronger than the Genovese, but it has more antioxidants, and it grows to be really beautiful and variegated in some situations. You can see that leaf there.

- [Julie] Well, these are really beautiful. Now, I also see something down here that is absolutely a mainstay of the spring garden.

- [James] These are peas. We've got two styles of peas. We've got what we consider in the microgreen world, pea shoots and pea tendrils. The tendrils, this is their plant way of grabbing onto things and growing. And eventually, these areas will put out flowers, which are edible, and the peas that we all know and enjoy. And these are similar, they just got a different type of tendril and little bit of a different flavor and texture. These are the natural protein producers of plant protein. And they also are great for cardiovascular health and bones.

- [Julie] And so these pea tendrils, is this something that you can cut more than once?

- [James] The pea tendrils are really fun. That's a great observation. With the little pea that we got here, if we look at the nodes, that's the first one there. There might be one below, maybe not. But right there is the first node, second node. As long as we leave one of them, the next stem can come up from there. I usually like to leave two. And then you can get multiple cuts from these peas. So we'll cut it there at once, get a second growth. And then the third one, throw it out in your garden and this will fix nitrogen to your soil.

- [Julie] Oh, what a fun little crop to have and a great way to really enjoy peas really early. Well, here is a surprise. These are marigolds.

- [James] Marigolds are actually pretty delicious. Certain species of these. This is one that puts up these really tiny, petite flowers. And the flowers are delicious to eat.

- [Julie] And what variety is this?

- This is called tangerine gem.

- Oh my gosh, what a great surprise. Now, I'm sensing that these are so good in all kinds of different foods and I know that you have some baked goods that these come in as well.

- Yes, we are really excited to partner with some executive pastry chefs here in town. Specifically, Theodore Washington has been infusing our microgreens, and he makes a slurry and feeds it to the sourdough starter. And from there we'll get focaccia bread, we can get bagels, and we also do some muffins and loaves. Our goal is to make these products that won't raise your blood sugar so fast and so we're using raw honey instead of white sugar. And we are looking to make delicious products that you will not even notice are actually helping to support your health goals.

- James, thank you so much for letting us come out here today and see these beautiful microgreens, learn a few fun facts and geeky things about it. We really appreciate it. And everybody, I want you to think now a different way about your vegetables. If you're scared of those big, huge vegetables, maybe someone in your family doesn't like 'em, well, think about microgreens, might also be a fun thing to try at your own home. So get growing.

- There are lots of reasons to be inspired to start gardening. Our next guest was motivated by fish. Prepare to be charmed. Koi, lots of people have them, lots of people enjoy them. And they were the start of the garden adventure for our friend Beth Hannabass here in Springfield. We say the field, not the hill, right?

- Yes, yes.

- So thanks to these that you inherited from your mom-in-law, your gardening adventure started.

- Yes, yes. We bought this house in 2017, and at the time, there was nothing in the backyard. There was a pad for a garage that didn't exist. There was a broken cement picnic table, a carport, and that was it. And one tree. You know, it was a gorgeous tree, but one.

- Right.

- So we had a wide open pallet to start and I inherited the fish and I got a company to come and dig me the fish pond and then also put in the patio. And that was the beginning. That was the first thing that we got done.

- And you incorporated some interesting plant material in here that you don't normally see around a pond. So tell us about what you've got here that keeps them happy.

- Sure, so there's a number of plants that... Well, this is an actual water plant, a variegated leaf virus. A friend gave it to me. And then the curly grass, which most people plant in the ground, but it does really well just sitting in the pond. The same thing with the papyrus. I've not had any luck with the lily pads.

- Really?

- The fish rip them out of the pots and they end up in the intake. So I just kind of gave up on lily pads. But I usually will have some of the papyrus and those are... The curly grass will winter over and papyrus will die back.

- [Tammy] And for anybody interested in koi, all they really need is running water and aerated water, right?

- [Beth] They need the pumps for the oxygen. In the wintertime, this thing can totally freeze over. They don't eat from November until March. They just hang out in the pond, and they'll be under the ice just hanging out. So it's pretty nice.

- [Tammy] You know, it is tranquil to have the running water, isn't it?

- [Beth] It doesn't, we are in town so it cancels a lot of the ambient noise, and there's plenty of noise, you know?

- Right.

- Can't control that.

- [Tammy] In addition to these beautiful plants in the pond, you've got some beautiful trees surrounding the pond. Tell me about these.

- So the trees serve a couple of purposes besides being beautiful. One is that they give some more privacy. They also tend to give the fish some shade because fish needs shade as much as anything. And this tends to be pretty sunny in the late afternoon.

- Exactly.

- [Beth] So it keeps the water temperature cooler.

- Got it.

- Yeah.

- [Tammy] So you've got magnolia here.

- Uh-hmm, uh-hmm.

- Two of 'em, that are beautiful.

- [Beth] Yeah, they're the Little Gem variety, so they shouldn't get a whole lot bigger than this. But yeah, they're a really nice one to have here by the pond.

- And then your shrubbery here too is also a good anchor for keeping things out of the pond and making a visual fence.

- [Beth] Yes, it does. It makes a visual fence. It kind of, you know, just kind of closes in and it's just beautiful to look at. And the Japanese maple here is really neat 'cause the little grandsons have figured out that that's a hiding place for them. So they'll go and get down in there and, you know, and they have a good time down there.

- You can't find them, that's where they are.

- [Beth] That's where they are, exactly, exactly.

- [Tammy] Well, it's beautiful 'cause you got different textures and colors that are adding to the greenery here. So it's all green, but it sure is nice shades of green.

- [Beth] Yeah, well, thank you, thank you.

- Here's your evidence. Your first beds after the koi pond.

- Yes, yes.

- So this is your first foray into gardening and you've done a beautiful job.

- Well, thank you, thank you.

- So tell me what you've done here, because this was a chore.

- [Beth] Yes, it was. So when I first started to dig this garden, I usually would just clear the whole area and then amend it and work it all up. But it was so full of construction debris from when this house was built in 1897, with cast off rocks and clinkers from the coal fireplaces and all of those kinds of things, that I ended up just clearing the grass and then digging a hole where I wanted the plant to be put. And you know, as time has gone on, I've addressed that. But it was something else, but it turned out great.

- Trial by fire.

- Yes, yes. Yeah.

- So all of this started with just a single plant and then you've come back and filled in as the time has allowed.

- Yeah.

- [Tammy] I love the roses that provide a beautiful intro to your beautiful house. Incredible.

- Yeah, thanks. So I started actually with the rose bushes because I did the July sale at Lowe's and was able to actually snag some really nice rose bushes. And those were the first thing in here. And then this is a first-year for that particular bundle of hollyhocks. They've already bloomed and I cut them back and reseeded. I call 'em the north main hollyhocks because a neighbor had them growing and I liked them. And I asked to borrow and get some seed heads and he said, "Sure." He didn't realize they were hollyhocks or that they were in his yard.

- Oh.

- So, you know, so I planted those and they are so happy.

- Do you like pine straw mulch?

- I do like pine straw for one reason. And that is that I can handle a bale of pine straw better than a 40-pound bag of mulch. Last time I had the big bags of mulch, I was unloading my car and I ended up falling out of the back of my car with a mulch on top of me. And I laid in the yard with mulch on me, laughing, 'cause it was so silly and hoping no one saw me. And then I decided I needed to change to something else. So I've got the pine straw. And I like it very well.

- Well, you know, it seems to last longer.

- [Beth] I think it does as well. And I like the way it looks.

- [Tammy] Right, right. You have perennials that you have embraced.

- Yeah.

- And I love how you filled them in all these different places. This is a bed you made?

- Yes, yes. I've dug all of this by hand with a spade and fork, and yeah. And of course, like everybody in Tennessee, I've had tons of amendments, you know?

- Yes.

- To make the soil happy and to make the plants flourish.

- [Tammy] And so you've got a variety of bloomers and non bloomers.

- Uh-hmm.

- [Tammy] So talk to me about what you've got. I love yarrow and needle-and-threads.

- And the yarrow keeps coming back. It needs to be picked through. Which one are you calling the needle-and-threads?

- I call this needle-and-thread.

- Oh, okay.

- That's what my grandmother calls this.

- I call that cleome.

- Yes, yes.

- And that comes up from seed, but it will self-seed. So those little seed pods will burst open. And then you have millions of these.

- Yes.

- Growing up all everywhere.

- [Tammy] So my grandmother always called those needle-and-threads and I still do to this day.

- It's pretty cute.

- [Beth] Well, I can see why she did.

- [Tammy] Exactly, so you've got a lot of different things going on here, but they all seem to cohabitate well together.

- Well, yeah, that was a happy accident. I just buy what I like or I find it in a neighbor's yard or somebody gives me something or I grow something from a seed. You know, I see a seed and I decide I really like it and it's just a mishmash. I'm not really concerned with all one color or one shape or anything like that, so, yeah.

- But hyacinth bean you must love.

- [Beth] I love hyacinth bean and it loves growing here. So the first year, I did a cardinal flower vine and the moonflowers and neither one of them were as vigorous or as happy. So I stuck with hyacinth bean, and now it pretty much reseeds itself.

- And does it light... Do you have it staked behind that, because it looks very...

- Yes, there are trellis. I bought little trellis to put up there because I wanted to break up all the gray of the fence. It was just big suaves of gray.

- [Tammy] Right, right. You've got some hydrangeas. You've got some beautiful bloomers over here close to it. And your lilies obviously do well here.

- [Beth] Yes, and those were my great grandmother's... They're tiger lilies, just the old fashioned tiger lilies. And so I grew up in Michigan and I spent many years trying to grow Michigan things down here. And it was very frustrating 'cause we are very different climates and they didn't like it. But those are one thing that would grow. And so I really enjoyed having those to remind me of my great grandmother and of home. Yeah, uh-hmm.

- Absolutely. You've done a beautiful job with this. I like the curved path.

- Oh, thank you.

- And let's move over and see what else you've got growing over here because you've got multiple beds.

- I do, I do. Every time I get one kind of established, I go dig another one, because my husband might say, "You know, I'm tired of mowing this corner. Can you do something?" It's like, "Absolutely, I can do something."

- [Tammy] 40 feet of hyacinth bean is pretty impressive.

- [Beth] Thank you.

- So you threw a rope down.

- Yes, yes. Well, my grandsons do that. They put the little action figures on them to weight them down. And then they plant the seeds and they grow on up the vines, and we just leave the little guys on here for fun. And also they like to take them off and play with them when they're here.

- [Tammy] It is just stunning. What you've made is another privacy fence for your patio.

- Yes.

- [Tammy] And it's just incredible. I love it.

- Thank you, thank you.

- I've loved your house.

- Thank you.

- [Tammy] Thank you so much for having us here and inviting us to your beautiful home. It has been a sensation and you are fantastic.

- [Beth] Well, thank you, you're welcome.

- We are here in my garden at Red Thread Farm in Franklin, and I'm excited to share with you a great crop to grow in the fall. Collard greens are most known for... They're southern staple, being a cooked greens that we eat with barbecue, but they're actually a really healthy green that we can enjoy in a lot of different ways. Whether it be raw and made, you know, into a salad or used as a wrap. They're very nutritious and easy to grow. To grow collard greens, you wanna make sure that you have really good quality soil. You wanna make sure that you use a high quality compost and a high quality organic fertilizer. But once you've done that, the plant's gonna do the rest for you. And collared greens are harvested simply by using a sharp knife, be careful, and cutting the leaves off. You always wanna leave a few leaves in the crown. When you do this, what'll happen is this plant will continue to grow back over and over again as these plants have done. Collard greens are easy to grow, but the most common problem that we have with collard greens here in the southeast is gonna be caterpillars that chew through the leaves. So you can see here we've got a little bit of damage on there. This is perfectly fine to eat, but it doesn't look very good. You wanna make sure that you pick off caterpillars as you see them eating your leaves as the plant is growing. Or alternatively, you can use a product called Bacillus thuringiensis, which is a naturally occurring bacteria. It will kill the caterpillars and leave the other beneficial insects unharmed. And that can be purchased at any garden store or online. It's called Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt for short. Let's walk over and take a look at another crop that's an easy to grow southern staple, turnips. When we think about growing turnips in Tennessee, we think about big globe top purple turnips that are traditionally used as storage crops, and they kind of get a bad wrap. I don't think they should. However, if you don't think you like turnips, I'd like to introduce you to salad turnips. Salad turnips, like these small hakurei turnips, are much more tender. They can be eaten at a younger stage, and they're delicious raw or cooked either way. Unlike their bigger cousins, those big globe top turnips, salad turnips, like these hakurei, do not require any peeling before you eat them. And they can be chopped into a salad. They can be sliced on a mandolin and added to a vegetable tray, and the tops can be eaten as turnip greens as well. Another variety that we really love around our farm is scarlet queen. Scarlet queen gets a little bit bigger. Unlike the white turnip, it has this really nice color, and on the inside of the turnip, it has just beautiful coloration that will really brighten up your salad. They can be cooked just the same. And like the hakurei turnips, they don't require any type of peeling, you can just eat these raw. They also have these delicious tops that can be cooked down and made into a southern green. Salad turnips have several advantages to growing in the home garden. First of all, they're fairly easy to grow. They don't require especially fertile soil, so they can be grown in a first time garden. They also mature fairly quickly. Some salad turnips can be as ready, the smaller ones can be ready in 30 days, and they can stay in your garden for up to two or three months and get to a larger size. Salad turnips also can be direct seeded in the garden, so there's no transplanting involved in that. Just open the seed packet and plant them in the soil, approximately a half-an-inch to an inch apart, and then thin to two or three inches once the plants start to come up. Try turnips in your home garden. I think you'll really enjoy them.

- [Lauren] For inspiring garden tours, growing tips, and garden projects, visit our website at volunteergardener.org and find us on these platforms.