Benefits of Shredded Leaves as Garden Mulch
Every fall, trees drop one of the most valuable soil-building materials you can find: leaves. Here is my garden bed after I freshly applied leaves as mulch. Here is my garden bed at the peak of harvest. Living in such a dry climate, I highly credit mulch to helping my...
Saving Sunflower Seeds: Why & How
Sunflowers are not just beautiful, but they’re also a source of nutritious seeds you can enjoy or replant next season. Saving your own sunflower seeds is simple, cost-effective, and rewarding.In this blog post I will share everything you need to know to save your own...
Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried green tomatoes are made from firm, unripe tomatoes that are sliced, coated in a seasoned cornmeal or flour mixture, and fried until golden and crispy. They’re tangy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, often served as a Southern comfort food appetizer or...
Welcome to Jeff’s Garden Shed
Step into Real Farmer Jeff’s Garden Shed—where small-space gardening meets big harvests. From tomatoes to turnips, I share urban farming tips, seasonal growing guides, and everything you need to turn your balcony, backyard, or patch of dirt into something delicious. I’m glad you’re here!
How to Winterize Your Garden After the End of the Season
As the growing season winds down and frost begins to settle in, it can be tempting to take a break and wait for spring. However, giving your garden a little attention before winter arrives can make a big difference in how healthy and productive it will be next...
What You Need to Know About Growing Winter Squash
Winter squash is one of my favorite crops to grow for a few reasons. On top of having great nutritional value and taste, they can also produce substantial yields. Perhaps above all else, winter squash have impressive shelf life that makes it easy to eat home-grown...
Planting Garlic 101
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Garlic is one of the easiest and most rewarding crops to grow. Specifically, it’s a top choice for many gardeners because it even produces well in limited space, stores well through the winter, and offers many complex flavors beyond the...
Best Foods to Freeze Dry and Tips for Success
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Freeze drying is an amazing preservation method because it keeps food’s original taste, texture, and nutrients intact while extending its shelf life without refrigeration or additives. It also opens up a world of possibilities for home...
Why Freeze-Drying is the Gold Standard in Food Preservation
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Freeze drying is one of the most advanced and effective ways to preserve food. While the technology has existed for decades in labs and commercial food processing, only recently has it become available for home use.Companies like Harvest...
My Top 6 Tomato Varieties of 2025
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.If you've been around a while, you know that tomatoes are my favorite crop to grow. In fact, each year I go a little overboard and grow about 30 tomato plants. This is so that I can grow not only my favorite varieties, but also...
Explore By Gardening Topic
Soil Health + Composting
Seed Starting + Transplanting
Containers + Raised Beds
DIY + Garden Prep
All About Tomatoes
Gardening Products I Love
The Tomato Zone
How to Save Tomato Seeds
Saving seeds from your garden is one of the most rewarding ways to bring gardening full circle. It allows you to preserve your favorite varieties, save money, and grow plants that are better adapted to your local growing conditions. That being said, saving your own...
3 Ways to Freeze Tomatoes to Preserve Your Harvest
Canning is the classic method for preserving tomatoes, but here’s the catch: to make canning worth the time and effort, you usually need a large harvest all at once.Gathering enough tomatoes, prepping them, sterilizing equipment, and spending hours over a hot stove...
How to Prune Tomatoes for Maximum Harvest
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Pruning tomato plants correctly can do wonders for your garden. It boosts your harvest, improves airflow around the plant, and helps prevent common diseases like blight and powdery mildew.But before you start snipping away, it’s...
7 Ways to Hand Pollinate Tomatoes (Ranked Worst to Best)
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Tomato flowers are self-pollinating, but they still need movement to release pollen. This can come naturally from buzzing bees or wind. However, conditions may not be ideal in various situations that include, gardening indoors or not...
Understanding Blossom End Rot: Why It Happens and What to Do
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Blossom-end rot is one of the most frustrating issues for gardeners growing tomatoes, peppers, squash, and some other vegetables. It can ruin a significant portion of your harvest, and because the damage often appears after the fruit has...
Heirloom vs. Hybrid Vegetables: Which Should You Grow?
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.When planning a garden, one of the most common questions is whether to grow heirloom or hybrid vegetables.Both have their own strengths, weaknesses, and ideal growing situations. In this blog post, I'll explain what sets the two apart...
Limited Space to Garden?
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Growing Tomatoes Upside Down: A Space-Saving, Dog-Proof Gardening Hack
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Upside-down gardening might sound like a gimmick at first, but it’s actually a clever, practical solution for growing healthy, productive plants - especially if you're short on space or dealing with pets, pests, or limited garden...
Reencle Indoor Composter: The Easiest Way to Turn Kitchen Scraps into Garden Gold
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by composting - tracking the right ratios, avoiding meat or dairy, or dealing with outdoor bins - I highly recommend the Reencle Indoor Composter.It is truly incredible how it can turn nearly all food...
The Benefits of Fabric Grow Bags in Gardening
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.Fabric grow bags are one of my favorite garden containers that I would highly recommend to anyone!Apart from being incredibly versatile, grow backs perhaps give the most cost effective harvest of any garden containers.In this post I will...
Growing Potatoes in Towers: Fact vs. Fiction + Plant Growth Explained
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.When my friend sent me the graphic below showing how to grow 100 pounds of potatoes in just 4 square feet, I was intrigued. With only ~250 square feet of backyard space behind my townhouse, I'm always on the lookout for space-efficient...
Guide to Vermicomposting — Plus My Wormlet Kit Review
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.If you've ever thought about turning your kitchen scraps into garden gold, vermicomposting is a fun option. Not only is it a sustainable way to reduce waste, but it also produces one of the most nutrient-rich soil amendments available:...
Why Pollination Matters in Your Garden + How to Attract Bees
Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.One of the essential ways to maximize yields in your garden is to have a high pollination percentage on the plants you are already growing. It's common practice to plant flowers specifically to bring in the pollinators and promote...
Jeff has a deep passion for gardening. Each year, he cultivates hundreds of pounds of vegetables—along with the occasional fruit—turning his garden into a thriving and productive space. Combined with Kyrié’s cooking, together, they create exciting meals using Jeff’s harvest.
