As a new farmer, Nick seeded and planted thousands of plants all at once and filled up the entire ZipFarm as soon as it was functional. He quickly realized his mistake — the result was a huge amount of produce harvested all at once. He ended up having to donate much of the produce.
Now Nick keeps a planting and harvesting schedule that accounts for the life cycles of each crop.
Here’s how the schedule works in good growing conditions:
- Greens like chard, lettuce, or cabbage have a 5-6 week turn from transplant to harvest.
- Quick herbs like chives and mint have a 3-4 week turn between harvests.
- Woody (slow) herbs like oregano and rosemary have a 7-9 week turn between harvests.
- Cilantro, parsley, and basil have a 5-week turn when conditions are right.
- Strawberries and tomatoes produce continually. (They can be planted all at once.)
- Microgreens vary from 10-20 days.