The Zen Hen and The Honey Bee Farm

The Zen Hen and The Honey Bee Farm I do not personally respond to DMs.

Biochemist Teaching Science Based Homesteading
- Gardening - Good Food - Homemade Beauty and Home Product Formulations - Healthy Food

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09/03/2026

Carrots are one of the most satisfying and versatile veggies to grow. Rainbow carrots are especially fun to harvest.
They need to be started directly from seed and not transplanted and many struggle with getting them started, so here's how I start mine every year at this time.

08/24/2026

5 things I do immediately after my seeds sprout.

I’m in Florida so my greenhouse is used more for protecting new seedlings from pests, animals and potential tropical storm/hurricane force rains in hot weather than it is to provide heat in Winter. This means my greenhouse is most functional in the shade where I don’t have to worry about it getting too hot. Overheating greenhouses can be a huge issue in hot climates. If you are in a hot climate and looking at greenhouses, I highly recommend lots of functional screened windows that allow heat to escape and placing it in the shade.

08/18/2026

Starting Cauliflower, Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts today.
Starting your own seeds saves money and allows you to grow way more interesting varieties than are available thru nurseries.

08/16/2026

Zen Hen Seed Starting Soil Recipe

1 Small (1.4 lb) block coconut coir plus 2 gallons of water
1 1/2 Gallon Fine Compost or Worm Castings
4 Cups Perlite
4 Cups Vermiculite

Due to the increased cost of supplies for my seed starting fertilizer mix, I have been using a different fertilizer for my seedlings. More on that soon!

For my raised beds I use:
I use 4 Parts Compost plus 1 Part Perlite, Sand OR finely crushed lava rock for drainage

For plants that need really well draining soil increase the ratio of drainage material

08/14/2026

Seed Starting Tips: Part One

1. I highly encourage soil blocking. The only size I use is the 2”. If you live in a cold climate and need time to pot up your seedlings each season, there is a larger block that the 2” can easily be moved into.
2. Soil mix matters. Either buy a good one from your local nursery or make my recipe.
3. The number one killer of new seedlings is improper watering. They should be kept continuously moist until sprouting and then allowed to very briefly dry out between waterings. If your seeds dry out too long in the process of sprouting, they will die.
4. Vermiculite is very helpful to top seeds as it keeps seeds moist longer without being too wet
5. Humidity domes are great to help keep seedling from drying out too fast and protects them from insects and critters
More tips to come! Happy Gardening 👩🏻‍🌾

08/13/2026

I have a lot of information to cover on the topic of seed starting so please let me know in the comments here what you are struggling with the most so I can post that info earlier in the series.

08/10/2026

Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

4 cups dehydrated coconut OR 6 cups fresh shredded coconut
8 cups HOT water
2 Cups Sugar or Honey

Sometimes I add a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla but this is optional

*if you don't want to make your own coconut milk
1 can of full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup Sugar or Honey

08/08/2026

August and September Planting List for the Tampa area, Central and North Florida

In Central Florida in early August we essentially have 5 months until our first real chance of frost (January 1) and depending where you are in North Florida yours is usually early to mid December. That’s long enough to harvest from most plants in either area if started by the end of September.

There are more plants that can be started than just this list. These are the ones I personally grow regularly here. Feel free to comment and ask about specific plants and I’ll give you my best recommendation on when I’d start them from seed here.

August thru September Planting List

Amaranth
Beans
Beets
Brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, mustard, Bok Choi, etc.)
Carrots
Cassava (for South Florida and frost free Winter areas)
Celery
Chamomile
Chickpeas
Cilantro-I start mine in September
Corn
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Fennel
Flowers (Borage, Nasturtiums, Marigolds, etc)
Garden Huckleberry
Garlic (buy softnecks now, place them in your fridge and plant in November)
Gingers and Tumeric (starting now, they will establish and go dormant for winter)
Herbs (Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Parsley, etc)
Lettuces- I start a few large patches in September as cut and come again.
Okra
Onions both bunching and regular
Peas
Peppers
Potatoes (Yukon gold red pontiac are my favorites for Florida)
Pumpkins
Radishes
Saffron
Spinach
Squashes Winter and Summer
Sugar Cane
Sweet Potatoes but cover overnight with a blanket during potential short frosts this Winter
Swiss chard
Tomatoes
Turnips
Watermelons and other Melons
Winged Beans (day neutral)
*Transplant Fruit trees into the ground

For my North Florida friends, I would still recommend this list, but if you want to plant very frost sensitive plants like Tomatoes or peppers either plant them in pots or be prepared to cover them during any early short term frosts if you’d like to extend their season or just start with already started plants.

08/07/2026

Watermelon Coconut Ice Cream

✨Dairy Free Vegan✨
You won’t miss the dairy in this at all

1 Small Watermelon about 4 Cups
8 ounces Sweetened Condensed Coconut milk
16 ounces Coconut Milk with the Cream
Pinch of salt

Add ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth

Add to your ice cream maker or ninja creamy

08/06/2026

Having premade beans ready to go is super convenient and makes getting more fiber and protein easier.

Pressure Canning Beans

Follow the instructions for your exact canner

Soak your beans overnight in the refrigerator (12 hours)
Not too much more or less +/- a couple hours is fine

Drain the beans, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil and then boil for 15 minutes

When filling your jars with beans leave 2 inches for pints 3 inches for quarts from the top to leave room for them to expand more

Top the jars to 1 inch of headspace with hot water

1/2 teaspoon of canning salt for Pint Jars
1 teaspoon of canning salt for Quart Jars

At sea level
75 minutes for pint jars
90 minutes for quart jars

✨if you live at elevation you might need to adjust your pressure depending on you machine

Once jars are cool, remove the rings and check to make sure they sealed properly and have depressed lids.

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Tampa, FL

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