GenAcres Homestead

Swiss Chard aka  Spinach Beet, Leaf Beet                                Annual, Perennial in warmer climates. Height:  1-3'   Width:  Up to 2' Swiss Chard is both edible and beautiful as an ornamental plant.  It has colorful stems and bright green leaves making it as glamorous as it is nutritious.  It is high in vitamins A and C and a good source of calcium.  Swiss Chard will keep growing long after other greens have bolted. Types: Reddish, creamy white or colorful stalks, all of which taste mostly the same. Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks   Starting Seeds of Swiss Chard Seed Depth:                    1/2" to 3/4" deep. Seed Spacing:                 4", or thin seedlings later to 4" apart. Germination Temp:          50+ degrees.  Optimum 85 degrees. Days to Germinate:          5-7 days. Days to Harvest:              40 - 60 days, depending on the variety. Seed Longevity:               4 years. Sowing Indo

Rosemary is a hardy evergreen shrub that is a staple in any herb garden.  Perennial in Zones 7 – 10 (and borderline Zone 6), Rosemary is one of the most aromatic and pungent of all of the woody herbs.  The leaves have a lemony flavor that pairs well with lamb, garlic and olive oil.  The flowers can be blue, pink, purple or white. Starting Rosemary from Seed Rosemary can be difficult to grow from seed and often does not grow true to their parent plant.  Taking cuttings is recommended as opposed to seed sowing, but here's the information in case you prefer to try. Seed Longevity:                               1 year. Seed Sowing Depth:                        Just cover.  Needs some light to germinate. Best Soil Temp for Germination:      70 degrees.  Heat mat will help. Days to Germination:                       14-21+ days. Spring Sowing Sow indoors 10-12 weeks before the last frost date to plant out after the last frost date. Don't transplant

  Hori Hori Knives and Why Every Gardener Needs One While the Hori Hori knife has been around for quite a while, with its beginnings from Japan,  it has recently just caught the attention of many gardeners because of the knife's strong build and versatility of garden uses.  

When and How to Divide your Hosta Whether you want to divide your hostas for the healthy of the plants or to increase the hosta love around your garden, dividing a hosta is easy to do once you're familiar with the timing and some basic steps.

What are Sun Tolerant Hostas? One of the most common questions I hear about hostas is, can hostas handle sun?  

Winter Sown Seeds Have Germinated! Now what? So you’ve tried the winter sowing method and found out that it’s easy and it works. Mother Nature woke the seeds out of their sleep and now you’re getting lots of little seedlings popping up in their snug, cozy containers.

How to Harden Off Seedlings Getting your seedlings to a healthy state and ready for the great outdoors can be a challenge in itself. They've been loved and pampered indoors, probably under fluorescent grow lights with pretty consistent temperatures.  So there's no doubt that it can be a big shock for them when they are moved to the variable and sometimes harsh elements outside.