About Big City Gardener

What’s up, world!

Welcome to my blog

My name is Timothy Hammond, and I am the Big City Gardener. I started down this road in 2017 with no idea where I was going. My parents are both avid gardeners as well as their parents and probably all the way back down the family tree. So, I have been playing around in gardens for my entire life, and I like to say I am true to this, not new to this.

Urban Gardener, Creator, Influencer and Thinker of Fresh Ideas

No matter the size of your space, Big City Gardener encourages growing healthy foods for nutrition and medicine. Thank you for visiting today, and if you wish to learn more about growing, let’s talk it over a cup of tea!

Big City Gardener’s mission is simple; to help you just grow it!

Upon joining Instagram, I noticed a few things. One, there weren’t many minority gardeners showcasing urban gardening. Second, what I thought were simple everyday tasks and knowledge seemed foreign to others. And third, that nobody made gardening dope or approachable.

With Big City Gardener, I decided to tackle these three issues. As well as, I believe everyone has a green thumb, but the only way to find out is to get in the garden and get your hands dirty.

I still think writing and talking about myself is awkward, so rather than read this about you page, check out the resources from Big City Gardener. The in-depth blog articles here on this site, the short-form content available on any social media platform, or turn on the Just Grow it Podcast. These resources serve one purpose: show the world how dope gardening is, remove any fear or reservations associated with gardening, and inspire millions to just grow it!

There’s so much knowledge you can gain from growing, so just grow it!

Fresh From The Garden

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Latest On The Blog

Growing Carrots: Your Complete GuideDecember 7, 2022
Carrots are one of my favorite crops in my fall and spring garden. The taste of homegrown carrots trumps anythingContinue reading “Growing Carrots: Your Complete Guide”
Growing Beets: Your Complete GuideDecember 5, 2022
I love beets. That probably has something to do with my dad’s love for beets. I grew up eating beetsContinue reading “Growing Beets: Your Complete Guide”
Growing Kale: Your Complete GuideDecember 1, 2022
One of the trendiest foods in the market right now is kale. If you ask me, it deserves all the praiseContinue reading “Growing Kale: Your Complete Guide”
Growing Fruit Trees: Your Complete GuideNovember 24, 2022
No gardening space is complete without fruit trees or bushes. These perennials are an excellent way to add low-maintenance high-rewardContinue reading “Growing Fruit Trees: Your Complete Guide”
The Importance of Sun ExposureNovember 21, 2022
There are three essential contributors to the success of a garden, sunlight, water, and soil health. As gardeners, we mustContinue reading “The Importance of Sun Exposure”
Growing Calendula: Your Complete GuideNovember 11, 2022
If I could only grow one flower for the rest of my life, it would be calendula. It is easyContinue reading “Growing Calendula: Your Complete Guide”

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I wish I had all the gardening space. I'm talking

I wish I had all the gardening space. I'm talking about Long rows of Inground beds, containers everywhere, and more @vego_garden raised beds than I could fill. But that’s not the case.
The reality is I have a limited amount of gardening space. When you have limited space, you must be creative with maximizing your growing space.

My favorite way to maximize space is through vertical gardening. Vertical gardening allows plants to grow upwards. This frees the area underneath, creating more planting space.

Most plants that can be grown vertically have tendrils. Tendrils are strands or pieces of the plant that wrap around structures allowing a plant to grow vertically. But not all plants that grow vertically have active tendrils that attach to structures.

3 Benefits of vertical gardening
1. Save space
2. Help prevent diseases and insect damage
3. Easier to harvest

Plants that can be grown vertically

1. Peas
2. Watermelon
3. Squash
4. Cucumbers
5. Tomatoes
6. Pole beans
7. Morning glory
8. Passion fruit
9. Jasmine
10. Climbing roses

I love mushrooms. I try to eat as many varieties a

I love mushrooms. I try to eat as many varieties as often as I can. Not only do I love their taste, but I am fascinated by mycelium. The way it colonizes different substrates. The way it can survive and thrive for years as well as all of the unknown health benefits of mushrooms.

Fun Fact at my last house, I turned my shed into an indoor mushroom grow and would grow oysters, lions mane, enoki, and other mushroom varieties.
I even had an outdoor mushroom patch where I would get flushes of golden oysters.

Well, new house but the same me. I am adding a mushroom patch to the side of the house. I am starting with some wine cap mushrooms from @mushbarn and will be adding different varieties of oysters to the bed as well.

Outdoor mushroom patches are an easy way to add diversity to your garden. With some mushroom spawn, straw, wood chips, and cardboard, you can grow your own mushrooms at home.

You know how much I love growing my own everything.

Have you ever grown mushrooms?

Before I could plant my sweet potato slips, I had

Before I could plant my sweet potato slips, I had to set up the drip irrigation for my latest @vego_garden raised bed.

Drip irrigation is the most efficient way to water your plants. Drip Irrigation is 90% more efficient than any other watering method because the water is delivered directly to the root zone.

Drip irrigation is one of the best investments for your garden. So if you live in an area with hot-and-dry summers, consider installing an irrigation system.

Do you prune your fruit trees in the summer? Befo

Do you prune your fruit trees in the summer?

Before you tell me it’s not summer yet, trust me, I know.

Summer is not the typical time to prune your fruit trees. But it does serve a purpose.

Benefits of Summer pruning

1. Help create your desired structure- Summer pruning removes weak or broken limbs from the tree.
2. Increase light exposure- Sufficient sunlight is crucial for strengthening future fruiting branches.
3. Encourage Stronger branch development- Stronger branches can support heavier loads of fruit. So by pruning in the summer, we can help increase our harvest for next year.
4. Increase Airflow- Proper airflow can help reduce the risk of fungal diseases
5. Maintain desired height

Make sure to avoid summer pruning if you see rain in the forecast. Falling rain can spread all sorts of fungi and diseases into the air.

Fruit trees that commonly pruned in the summer
1. Peaches
2. Nectarines
3. Plums
4. Apricots
5. Cherries

As I write peaches, I remember I said I would buy a peach tree to replace one of the citrus trees from my backyard garden that died. Im going to put a small fountain where the other one was.
I always have some projects going on.

When do you harvest your tomatoes? I like to loo

When do you harvest your tomatoes?

I like to look for specific cues that tell me it is time. If I am letting the fruit ripen on the vine, then I want to make sure there is very little green left on the tomatoes. Unless I am growing a green variety, like green zebra, green lets me know that the tomato is not quite ripe. Second, the tomato should be easy to remove from the vine. Third, I check the firmness of the tomato.

Many people think they must let tomatoes ripen on the vine, but this is unnecessary. A tomato is not fully ripened until it reaches its final color, but the catch is that this does not have to occur on the plant.

Often I fight birds and other pests for my tomato harvest. Harvesting the tomatoes once they begin to change colors and allowing them to ripen inside helps me avoid this issue. So if you want to stop losing your harvest, then go ahead and give this a try.

And don’t let anyone tell you that the tomatoes have to ripen on the vine to reach their full flavor. These are the same people who will probably tell you that you can’t ripen a peach inside of your kitchen in a brown paper bag.

The tomatoes are ripening. The peppers are popping

The tomatoes are ripening. The peppers are popping. The squash is squashing, and the tomatillos are filling in the husks.

I can see the harvest baskets overflowing in my future.

It's starting to feel like summertime. (cue up @willsmith song summertime. No better yet cue up summertime in the LBC by @natedoggmusic instead )

I have never been the biggest fan of sprouting my

I have never been the biggest fan of sprouting my ginger. I usually throw some pieces down in a hole and wait.

But this year, I am trying new things.

To sprout the rhizome, Plant a 1-2” piece in warm soil. Keep the soil temperatures above 72F for 4-6 weeks. Depending on where you live, you can start this process as early as February.

High humidity helps with sprouting, but be careful not to keep the rhizomes too moist. Then they run the risk of rotting.

Once sprouted, plant ginger in a location in your garden that receives at least 6 hours of sun.

One of my favorite flowers to grow is Calendula. I

One of my favorite flowers to grow is Calendula. It has many medicinal uses, and the bees seem to love it.

One of the best things about growing calendula is after planting once, you usually don't have to purchase seeds or transplants again. Calendula drops its seeds and reseeds itself in the garden easily.

If you don't want it to reseed where it is planted, you can save the seeds and replant them wherever you desire.

#herbalmedicine #flowergardens #calendula #urbangardening #bigcitygardener #justgrowit #citygardener

It’s funny how things work out. I was outside sa

It’s funny how things work out. I was outside saying, “I haven’t seen any monarchs, and I have all this milkweed. “

Then a monarch shows up -let’s get it!

#monarchbutterfly #monarchcaterpillar #raisingmonarchs #urbangardener #zone9garden #savethepollinators

Personally, I am a big supporter. I would love t

Personally, I am a big supporter.

I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts about this practice.

It is always funny to me how controversial this topic is.

#justgrowit #gardentips #raisedbed #raisedbedgarden #urbangardener #houstongarden

This planting method, known as Three Sisters, is n

This planting method, known as Three Sisters, is nothing new.

When Europeans arrived in America, they were shown this method by the Iroquois tribe. It is said that the Iroquois learned this technique from different Mesoamerican tribes.

These tribes used to bury fish waste scraps to improve the soil fertility before planting the corn.

Even though three sisters traditionally use corn, peas, and squash, don’t limit yourself to only planting those crops. An issue I see is that climbing beans/peas can be harvested for a more extended period than the corn grows. So maybe swap out the corn for something with a longer lifespan. Instead of only planting squash, try melons or any other vining plant that can sprawl throughout the planting area.

Have you ever tried this method? Did you have improved harvests doing this?

#justgrowit #gardentips #urbangardener #houstongarden

One other thing, the @hoselinkusa is probably my favorite gardening tool.

My dream is getting closer to reality. I said that

My dream is getting closer to reality. I said that I wanted to see this structure covered with grape vines, with with bunches of grapes all over. Well its happening right now. The plants from the dream changed, its muscadines instead of table grapes but it’s close enough.

#growyourownfruit #zone9garden #houstongardener #urbangardening #gardenerlife

If you grow sweet potatoes in your garden, there’s 1️⃣ rule to remember: make sure you remove all the sweet potatoes when you harvest.

If not, then they will continue to grow. This isn’t a bad thing if you have a perennial sweet potato patch. That’s not what I have. I try not to plant crops in the same bed season after season.

Did you know that you can get 3-5 sweet potatoes per slip planted?

I just pulled at least 8 slips from these three small potatoes. Once I plant them, I should harvest at least 10 pounds of sweet potatoes 🍠

#justgrowit #urbangardener #gardentip #houstongardener

It’s safe to say that the flower of the year or

It’s safe to say that the flower of the year or the season is sunflowers.
I’ve acquired a lot of sunflower seeds over the years, but I don’t always plant sunflowers. One of my favorite perennials is Maximilien Sunflower, so I don’t know why I forget to grow them.

All that is changing this year. I am putting sunflowers everywhere throughout the garden. As a matter of fact, I’m building a pathway along the side of the house, and it will be lined with sunflowers on both sides.

This year I am practicing a lot of succession planting. So I have already seeded some beds with sunflowers. I am starting these sunflowers today. And then, I will be starting more sunflowers every two weeks for the next six weeks. I want flowers through the fall. The bees in my yard should be happy.

And as always, I am watering everything with the @hoselinkusa hose.

#justgrowit #growingflowers #sunflowerseeds #houstongarden #zone9garden #gardeninspo #urbangardener

It seems like most home gardeners enjoy growing to

It seems like most home gardeners enjoy growing tomatoes.

Here are 6️⃣ of the most common problems I encounter during the growing season

1. Blossom end rot is one of the most common problems for tomatoes. It is usually caused by a calcium deficiency. Other things that can cause it are inconsistent watering and excessive amounts of nitrogen fertilizer.
2. Blight- there see 3 stages of blight, earlyy southern and late blight. This is a disease caused by a fungus-like organism. It attacks the leaves and fruit of the plant.
3. Caterpillars- if you notice holes in the leaves or fruit then you may be dealing with some type of caterpillars. Try to take care of them as soon as you notice the problem. You can try BT Spray or remove the caterpillars by hand.
4. Fruit splitting- The fruit splits after the plant receives heavy rains. This is not a disease. Fruit splitting only affects the fruit.
5. Sun scorch- This happens when the fruit is exposed to hot and dry temperatures. The skin of the tomato will look bruised, soft, or discolored. To avoid this issue do not over-prune your tomatoes. The extra leaves provide shade for the fruit. If you do need to prune your plants Rather than pruning the entire leaf try cutting a portion of the leaf.

6. Wilt- this is a fungal infection that starts in the roots. The fungus blocks the tomato from absorbing nutrients and water. The plant appears to be under-watered and does recover after the sun goes down or overnight. There is no cure for this soil-borne fungus. If you experience blight make sure not to plant tomatoes in the same area for a couple of seasons.

#justgrowit #growingtomatoes #gardentips #gardenerlife #urbangardener #zone9garden #houstongardener

I don’t want anyone to feel I’m telling you wh

I don’t want anyone to feel I’m telling you what to do. That’s why I always say, do you.

But this is one of those times when I feel good telling you this - Mulch your garden!

Those hot Summer days are closer than you think ✌🏾

#justgrowit #mulching #zone9garden #houstongardener #urbangardening #gardentips

What is companion planting? ➡️ Companion plant

What is companion planting? ➡️ Companion planting believes that some plants receive certain benefits when planted near other plants. Growing individual plants in proximity has been shown to either increase pest resistance, yield, or even flavor. Not all crops benefit from things planted around them. Plant the wrong plants together, and you could increase the frequency of pests, decrease harvest because plants compete for the same nutrients, or even completely inhibit the growth of some crops.

Pepper companions:

•basil
•tomatoes
•carrots
•dill
•chives
•onion
•garlic
•parsley
•cucumbers
•oregano
•Rosemary
•lettuce
•eggplant
•potatoes

If you have never tried companion planting let this be your year.

What’s your favorite companion planting combination?

#justgrowit #companionplanting #zone9garden #houstongarden #urbangardener #gardenerlife

I’m trying to grow as much food as possible in m

I’m trying to grow as much food as possible in my urban garden. And that food even includes corn.

I really like to grow corn but I used to not grow it because of the amount of space it required.

That was until a friend of mine showed me a more space friendly way of growing a great amount of corn in a small space. He called it the circle method but people call it the hill method.

How to grow corn hill method:

1. Remove all weeds and grass from planting area.
2. Apply compost or all purpose slow release organic fertilizer to the soil.
3. Make a small mound about 2-3 inches abover the soil. This mound is roughly 12”x12”
4. Oversees the mound planting 9-12 seeds.
5. Once the seeds sprout thin the hill to have 6-8 seedlings.
6. Corn is a heavy feeder so make sure to fertilize.

When planting your hills do not only plant along the perimeter remember to place some seeds in the center of your hill. I usually seed 9 to 12 seeds per hill and then send them down to six seeds per hill. The hill is around 12 inches wide and two to three inches tall.

Using this method the corn will grow together in a tight clump throughout the growing season. As soon as the corn starts to form tassels the plants will be close enough to help pollinate each other. And remember, these hills do not need to be planted next to each other you can spread these corn plantings around your garden ✌🏾

#justgrowit #urbangardening #growingfoodathome #gardenerlife #zone9garden #houstongarden

Seeing the first flowers on the spring veggies rem

Seeing the first flowers on the spring veggies reminds me to top-dress the beds with compost.

Compost is my preferred fertilizer and amendment in my garden. I like to make compost teas, both aerated and nonaerated. I like to topdress and use compost as mulch.

Whatever works for you, do it. Make your compost or buy some, but if you’re going to buy some, make sure it’s high-quality, like @heirloomsoils ✌🏾

#justgrowit #inmybackyard #howigarden #urbangardener #houstongardening #zone9garden

After missing the majority of last spring growing

After missing the majority of last spring growing season I’m making sure I don’t miss my planting windows this year.

Beans are one of the vegetables that I’ve eaten my entire life and have never gotten tired of them. As I got older and became a gardener I was introduced to many different interesting varieties of beans period now when I remember I make sure to plant as many different varieties as possible. Beans are easy to grow from seed they mature extremely quickly and can even be grown in containers or on a trellis.

There are two main types of beans bush beans and pole beans. Bush beans grow on shorter bushy plants while pole beans have tendrils that they attach to a trellis. There are pros and cons for both types depending on your garden space and preference.

Pole beans take longer to mature than bush beans. But once they begin to produce they are indeterminate meaning they will continue to produce new beans for the entire season. Pole beans are grown up a trellis and are a fantastic addition to any small garden. They take up minimal space in the bed and give you abundant beans for many months. this year I am making sure to plant a few different varieties of pole beans. whatever you use to support your being make sure that it is tall. Many pole beans can easily get 8 feet high or taller.

I can’t wait to see this trellis completely covered with beans.

#justgrowit #alwaysgrowingfood #zone9garden #urbangardener #houstongardener #trellisgarden

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