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Meet @Farmer_Rudd! The Hydroponic Farmer in Charleston, South Carolina

In Charleston, "Farmer Rudd" is a hydroponic farmer and also a Garden/Hydro Consultant for home gardeners and small plot farmers. He grows cucumbers and tomatoes hydroponically for a living, but that's not all he's growing. Check out his feed, @farmer_rudd over on Instagram! 

What are some of the other things you would like to have other people understand about living a healthier and self-sufficient life style? The main thing is that it feels great! My mind and my body have never felt better since I started taking care of myself and eating healthy. I do yoga and run almost every day, which helps a lot as well. I'm glad I realized this pretty early in life, but it's never too late to start. The longer you do it, the easier it gets!


What tips and tricks could you share with other people? My biggest tip is to start your seedlings as early as possible. I've missed valuable growing time by starting mine too late. If you have the equipment and space inside, utilize it. Also, if your plant LOOKS dead, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is. I've seen people (myself included) try to toss plants that look wimpy, but aren't dead. Give it some time and love! My best "trick" is to make sure you give your plants time to grow. If you notice that your plant is putting off fruit/flowers while the plant is still small, pluck the fruit/flowers so that the plant puts more energy into its vegetative growth. This lets the plant to get bigger and stronger, thus producing more/bigger fruit. Also, harvest your herbs often. This stops the plant from flowering and it allows it to get stronger and bushier.

Have you ever made mistakes or failed doing something? Almost everyday! I'm a full time hydroponic tomato and cucumber farmer. Hydroponics can get very involved because you aren't only dealing with the plants, but the nutrient levels, the plumbing, and other greenhouse issues. There is something I screw up almost everyday, but I try to learn from my mistakes and not make the same one twice.

How did you overcome any obstacles? Finding proper land to grow on is a huge obstacle. Access to land isn't something everyone has, unfortunately. Until I was finally able to use a decent plot of land, I did a lot of container gardening. This allowed me to hone in on my techniques and get to know what specific plants liked and didn't like. Ask friends and family if you can use some of their land...you never know!


Have you ever dealt with a person who disregards your life style? Luckily I haven't had to deal with that. I've had the occasional person try to crack jokes because I don't eat meat, but it hasn't been often. Most people I've encountered that haven't understood my lifestyle, are open to hearing my point of view.


What are some of your greatest rewards with a lifestyle such as the one you live? I'd say the greatest reward is knowing what I'm putting inside my body. Too often, people pull things off the grocery store shelf, vegetables and fruit included, without knowing what is in the product. I like knowing what I'm eating. I also get the freshest of the fresh! To be able to go outside or inside the greenhouse and pick what I'm eating that night is a wonderful feeling.

What's your favorite variety of crop to grow and why? I'm definitely a pepper guy, but my favorite thing to grow is the herb, Spilanthes or "Toothache Plant". When eaten, Spilanthes causes your mouth to salivate almost uncontrollably. The sensation is hard to explain, so I suggest trying some if you have the opportunity. I like to make a tincture out of the plant and use it to make mouthwash and toothpaste. You can also mix the herb with lemon balm and echinacea to make a cold/flu tincture. It's also pretty funny to see your friends eat one.

Follow @farmer_rudd here, on Instagram! 

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👇 MORE ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS 👇 

SPRING & SUMMER GARDENING:

Spring Gardening Chore Checklist - View

Herbs & Veggies to Plant NOW for a Summer Garden - View

Heat Loving Veggies & Herbs You Can Grow RIGHT NOW in Summer! - View

12 Plants That You Can Grow This Summer To DETER Mosquitoes - View

Have a Better Summer Garden With These 7 Tips! - View

 

FALL & WINTER GARDENING:

5 Fall Vegetables Worth Growing In Containers This Year - View

Grow a Fall/Winter Harvest - Plant these seeds in July/August - View

Planting a Fall Garden. Step-by-Step - View

How to Store Vegetables for Winter - View

10 Vegetables You Can Over-Winterize - View

19 Frost Hardy Vegetables to Plant this Fall - View

Fall and Winter Gardening Made Easy - View

16 Crops To Plant NOW for Fall! - View

15 Vegetables You Should Be Planting NOW for a Fall Harvest - View

Tips for Starting Your First Fall Garden & 19 Crops That Can Withstand Freezing (or almost freezing) Temperatures! - View

Gardening Chores for January - View

Our TOP 10 Favorite Fall & Winter Gardening YouTube Videos! - View

19 Crops You Should Try Growing This Fall or Winter - View

TOP 9 QUICK GROWING CROPS FOR FALL & WINTER - View

It's Winter!  What to do in the garden now?! - View

Most Popular Seeds to Plant Now for Fall/Winter Gardening - View


SEED STARTING:

6 Tips That Every NEW Gardener Should Know  - View

Tips for Successfully Starting Your Seeds Indoors - View

Egg Carton Seed Trays - View

Use Muffin Tins To Start Your Seeds In! - View

How do I Know Which Seeds to Direct Sow and Which to Seeds to Start Indoors? - View

How to Get Better Germination From Your Seeds - View

9 Steps to Harden Off Seedlings - View

7 Tips For Using Rockwool To Start Your Seeds - View

Are you starting enough seeds? - View

What's the proper way to thin seedlings? 🌱 🌱 - View

Seed Planting & Spacing Cheat Sheet - View

WAIT!  Don't start these seeds indoors yet! - View

OK!  It's time to start these seeds indoors NOW! - View


RAISED BED GARDENING:

Tips on Building Perfect Raised Beds! - View

How to make a Hugelkultur Bed & What the heck is a Hugelkultur? - View

Great Materials For Making Raised Beds! - View

Build The Benefits of Raised Beds - View

How To Plant a Straw/Hay Bale Raised Bed - View


CONTAINER GARDENING:

5 Simple TIPS to Growing Herbs in Containers - View

6 Tips for Gardening in Containers - View

9 of The Best Vegetables to Grow in Small Gardens  - View

5 Fantastic Tips for Watering Your Container Garden - View

Small Space Gardening Ideas For Your Boat or RV - View

 

RANDOM POSTS:

Why You Should Join a Community Garden - View

Inspirational Gardening Quotes! - View

How To Make A Bean Teepee - View

How to Build a Vine Tee-Pee - View

How To Grow & Care For Your Strawberry Plants - View

How to Grow Perfect Parsnips - View

How Do You Cure Potatoes? - View

How To Tell When An Eggplant Is Ripe - View

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Squash Blossoms - View

4 Easy Steps to Dry & Cure the Small Ornamental Gourds You Grew! - View

8 Gardening Hacks You Need to Know - View

Tips for Growing More Food Indoors, All-Year-Long! - View

Everything you need to know about gardening through all the seasons - View

14 Green Fruits and Vegetables You Should Be Eating - View

How to Use a Mason Jar as a Cloche - View

Are You a First Time Gardener? Start Here! - View

5 Season Extension Techniques for Year-Round Gardening - View

32 Edible Perennials (or plants that can ACT like Perennials!) - View

How to Grow Your Own Salsa Garden - View

How To Make a Pizza Garden - View

How To Successfully Plant a Straw/Hay Bale Garden - View

The Secret to Building a Salad Keyhole Garden - View


SPROUTS & MICRO-GREENS:

How to Grow Sprouts at Home *Without Soil*  - View

How to Sprout Wheat Berries at Home in a Mason Jar - View

How to Grow Sprouts Easily at Home Using a Mason Jar-View

Micro-greens! The Benefits are anything but MICRO! - View


ANIMALS & PETS:

What to Plant for a Pet Friendly Garden - View

Which Plants Do Bunnies, Cats, Dogs, and Chickens Like to Eat? - View

How To Supplement Your Animal Feed by Growing Fodder at Home - View


WATERING:

Ways To Conserve Water in Your Vegetable Garden - View

8 Tips on How to Water More Efficiently - View


COMPOST, MULCH,  & SOIL AMENDMENTS:

Composting DO's and DON'Ts - View

18 Things You Should Never Compost - View

Your Vegetables Like Coffee, Just As Much As You Do! -   View

How to Use Coffee Grounds In Your Garden - View

How to Use Eggshells in Your Garden - View

How To Use Seaweed In Your Garden  - View


 


 

PESTS & PROBLEMS // GARDEN CONTROL:

Common Gardening Problems & How to Cure Them - View

How To Attract Beneficial Ladybugs Into Your Garden - View

Common Problems In the Garden and How To Fix Them! - View

3 Ways to Kill Weeds Naturally & Quickly - View

Learn How to Recognize and Prevent Mosaic Virus in Your Garden - View

4 Trap Plants You Should Be Growing To Help Deter Pests - View

8 Ways To Get Rid of Garden Pests (Without Any Chemicals!) - View

Natural Pest Control Methods - View

HELP!  My Plants are Tall, Thin, and Leggy.  What should I do? - View

How to Control Powdery Mildew, the Easy Way! - View

Plant THESE To Attract More BEES! - View

15 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes - View

Plants That Naturally Repel Mosquitoes - View

Use Beer To Kill Slugs - View

BEER = An Effective Method for Slug Control [Who Knew!?] - View

Why Won't My Root Veggies Grow? - View

How do You Use Epsom Salts to Fertilize Your Plants? - View


FLOWERS // HERBS // POLLINATORS:

Treat Your Ailments Naturally With Homegrown Herbs -  View

15 Herbs You Can Grow at Home To Make Your Own Tea - View

10 MUST GROW Plants for Herbal Tea Lovers - View

How to Grow an Indoor Herb Garden - View

Top 4 Air Purifying Herbs You Can Grow Indoors - View

11 Easy To Grow Medicinal Herbs - View

Healing Herbs That Anyone Can Grow at Home - View

Top 6 Culinary Herbs You Never Knew You Could Grow Indoors, During Winter! - View

27 Plants That Produce Edible Flowers - View

38 Edible Flowers To Plant In Your Garden - View

PRO Tips for Growing Wildflowers Successfully - View

How to Grow Beautiful and Healthy Sunflowers - View

Save the Bees! Plant a "Bee-Friendly" Garden Today! - View

 

LETTUCE,  SALAD, & LEAFY GREENS:

7 Tips and Tricks for {Fresh} Lettuce {Longer} - View

How to Grow a "Cut and Come Again" Salad Bar Garden - View

Make Ahead "Salad in a Jar”- View

The Secret to Building a Salad Keyhole Garden - View


PEPPERS:

How Hot Will My Peppers Be? Scoville Scale Heat-Ranking for Hot Peppers! - View

Tips on How To Successfully Germinate Hot Pepper Seeds -View

15 Super HOT Varieties Every Pepper Enthusiast Must Try! - View

Tips for Germinating HOT & SWEET Pepper Seeds - View

 

TOMATOES:

4 Ways to Ripen Green Tomatoes - View

Tips for Controlling Tomato Hornworms - View

How to Plant Tomatoes the Right Way - View

How to Make Pickled Tomatoes, In Just 5 Minutes - View

Spank Your Tomatoes! -Get More Fruit on Every Plant- - View

14 Companion Plants to Grow With Your Tomatoes! - View

 

GREENHOUSE:

Tips for Growing Better in a Greenhouse - View


HOOP HOUSE:

How to Build a "Hoop House" for your Fall and Winter Gardening! - View


HYDROPONICS & TOWER GARDEN:

15 Lettuce & Leafy Greens You Should Try Growing Hydroponically - View

80 Plants You Can Grow with Vertical Towers and Hydroponic Garden System! - View

How to Plant a Vertical Tower Garden - View

These are the most popular ways to grow food, Vertically! - View

Aquaponics: Why It Works! - View

Make A Vertical Planter with Terracotta Pots - View

 

SHADE:

How to Grow Vegetables and Herbs in Partial Shade - View

Which Vegetables & Herbs Grow Best in Light - Partial Shady Gardens?  - View


HEAT & DROUGHT:

Heat-Loving Varieties that Grow Great in the Southern States - View

33 Drought Tolerant Crops For Dry or Hot Climates - View

 

DIY PROJECTS:

How To Make Your Own Seed Tape - View

Make Ahead "Salad in a Jar”- View

Make a Tic Tac Toe Game For Your Garden - View

How to Make Watermelon Candy - View

[DIY] Honey-Lavender Luffa Gourd Soap - View

 

CANNING & PICKLING // RECIPES:

Everything You Need To Start Canning Your Homegrown Vegetables! - View

How Do I Can My Homegrown Vegetables? View

Best Crops to Grow For the Home Canner - View

How to Grow & Pickle Homegrown Peas - View

Create Easy Pickled Radishes in Less Than 5 Minutes - View

Which Vegetables are Best to Ferment? - View


OTHER RECIPES:

This is how you make the best hummus dip! DIY Recipe - View

How To Make Amazing Zucchini Chips - View

How to Make a Stuffed Zucchini Crocodile - View

7 Awesome Mint Drink Recipes - View

How to Roast Garlic in the Oven - View

 


 

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