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The Yellow Pear is a small cluster grown tomato grown on indeterminate vines. The mild tomatoes are a great change from ordinary salad tomatoes with their unique yellow color. The tomatoes are great for canning or pickling…. More >>
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This classic has now taught generations of gardeners how to use the natural benefits of plants to protect and support each other. Here is a reader’s complete reference to which plants nourish the soil, which keep away bugs and pests, and which plants just don’t get along. Here is a complete guide to using companion planting to grow a better garden. 555,000 copies in print.Amazon.com Review
This gardening classic was first published in 1975, and now a seco… More >>
Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening
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Almost nothing is more rewarding to the vegetable gardener than picking a sun warmed tomato and delivering it straight to your mouth…. More >>
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This tomato really did allow someone to pay off his mortgage. We all should have been growing these before the housing bubble burst. Flavorful, uniform tomatoes should be started indoors 6 weeks before the last spring frost…. More >>
We are all keenly aware of the health benefits of vegetables. In the peak of the season, there is nothing that tastes as delicious as a freshly picked tomato, or a perfect pepper, or a magnificent head of broccoli, or something as simple as a salad made from freshly picked lettuce. It’s hard to envision any of this until you have tasted something so fresh that the extent of the distance it has to travel is from the garden to your table.
Long before the economic situation in this country went from bad to worse, and things became ever more precarious by the day, I had already experienced the wonders of growing my own vegetables. There were times when I questioned whether I was really being rewarded for all of my efforts.
Once again, I have to admit that even though there is a tremendous amount of work involved in “growing my own vegetabless , the rewards of my labor are consistently evident in every bite I take of something I have grown myself.
There are huge advantages to growing your own vegetables from seed. First of all, when you grow any or all of your vegetables from seed, you have an enormous selection of different varieties of vegetables from which to choose. You are freer to tailor your planting or choose your seeds to fit the length of your gardening season.
“Heirloom seedsn offer gardeners the opportunity to grow vegetables that have been grown by other gardeners for 50 or more years. These seeds are as pure as they can be. They don’t undergo any of the genetic engineering that is characteristic of disease resistant hybrids.
Additionally, when you grow vegetables from seed, you have the ability to find unusual varieties that may not ever be available in smaller local garden centers or bigger retailers. You may be able to find seeds for vegetables that can be grown in containers. These choices are never available anywhere.
For anyone wishing to grow tomatoes, deciding to grow your tomatoes from seed can mean the difference between being able to grow tomatoes that are suitable for growing in containers, or finding a variety that is adaptable to “extreme heat, but it can also mean deciding whether to grow determinate varieties (those that yield a lot of tomatoes all at once,) or growing
Vegetable gardening tips for tomato growing are readily available. Most gardeners are happy to share their tomato growing tips and even non-gardeners who attempt to grow tomatoes every spring will offer advice. The difficulty for the novice tomato grower comes in trying so sort the valuable vegetable gardening tips for tomato growing from the old wives’ tales.
One of the best sources for vegetable gardening help is a local nursery. Buying plants at a supermarket or a chain store with garden center may allow you to purchase plants at a cheaper price, but it is unlikely that the staff in these stores know a great deal about gardening. For reliable vegetable gardening help, visit a local nursery. Many nurseries carry plants that they themselves have grown from seed, and they will be knowledgeable about each variety of plant and can advise on local conditions.
Local Garden Club
Most towns have a local garden club and meeting together with other gardeners is a great way to obtain vegetable gardening help and improve your knowledge. Other gardeners from your locality will have abundant information about the requirements of vegetables in your zone. When you enlist the aid of gardeners that are local to your area, you will get vegetable gardening help that you can use because these gardeners understand the unique needs of your particular zone.
Local garden clubs often run workshops or classes on topics ranging from composting, to growing a particular variety of heirloom vegetable, to pest control in the garden. Many often sponsor projects such as community gardens which can provide gardening space to those who live in apartments and have no garden space of their own. and taking part in an altruistic endeavor with your fellow garden club members is a fantastic way to learn all sorts of gardening secrets and tips.
Even if you don’t join a garden club taking part in some workshops will provide you with an opportunity to meet fellow gardeners and form friendships with people with a common interest.
The County Extension Office
Another top resource for vegetable gardening advice is your local county extension office. They specialize in solving the gardening problems unique to your local environment. They can perform soil tests, identify plants and diseases and sometimes supply free seeds or plants
Once you’ve gained some gardening knowledge it’s time to get your hands dirty.
Tomatoes and other vegetables are easy to grow if you start with good soil. Before you plant your garden, till the soil to about a depth of ten inches and dig in some well rotted compost or other organic material. Complete this step several weeks before you want to plant your tomatoes.
For a larger garden, you can rent a tiller, but for a small garden space you can use a gardening fork to dig in the compost.
When risk of frost has passed, drive a ¾ inch stake into your prepared garden bed. Dig a hole a little deeper and wider than the size of the tomato plant’s pot next to the stake, gently place the plant into the hole and firm it in. A trellis or tomato cage can also be used for support in lieu of a stake. These are readily available at nurseries and hardware stores. Use soft twine or tomato ties to tie the plant’s stem loosely to the stake or trellis. As the tomato plant grows, check the ties regularly and loosen them occasionally to prevent stem damage. The tomato seedlings should be planted 18 inches apart to allow the sun to reach the ripening fruit.
Feed Your Tomato Plants
Feed your tomato plants regularly using a potassium-based plant food or you can create your own organic fertilizer mix. Planting basil adjacent to your tomato plants will assist in keeping pests at bay.
Watering is as important as feeding. Water your tomatoes regularly with a hand-held hose. Direct the water at the base of the plant and avoid wetting the leaves which can lead to rot.
Never let your tomatoes dry out to the point that they wilt. Although you can usually save the wilted plant by watering it, the dry period will take its toll on the plant and affect the quality of the fruit. Extended dry spells may cause your tomatoes to crack.
Regularly nip out by hand any side shoots that develop between the leaf and the stem. This will help to channel the plant’s energy into its fruit.
When your tomatoes have ripened, pick them by bending back the fruit at the notch on the stem. Ripe tomatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Continue to water and feed the plant to help the remaining tomatoes to ripen and mature.
There are many reasons for starting your own tomatoes. While saving seeds from store bought or many of the modern’ tomatoes those that are hybrid won’t breed true or produce consistently the heirloom ones will. Additionally, if you keep seeds from your biggest and strongest plants consistently, you can develop plants that are well suited to your particular garden and location.
Starting seeds is often made to be more difficult than it really is. Start seeds indoors in flats by sowing them inch deep and inch apart. If you’re using pots rather than flats, start 2-3 in each pot. This makes it easy to thin by pulling the weaker ones and leaving the strongest plant to develop for planting.
Growing seedlings need 12-14 hours of light per day. Without this they’ll get spindly with a lot of stem, but this weakens the plant. A windowsill will not provide enough sun for the plants but there is an easy solution.
Fluorescent shop lights can be used, plugged to a timer that allows automatic turning off and on of the lights at regular times. Use a light chain or rope to keep the lights initially within a couple inches of the seedlings, then it’s easy to raise the light as the young plants grow.
When the seedlings have developed four leaves transfer to deeper flats or to individual pots. Plant them slightly deeper than what they were growing allowing stronger stem growth. Remember that stem has to support many pounds of wonderful tomatoes for your kitchen! Make it strong.
Fertilize regularly and be sure to take 10 days to harden plants off so the transition outside doesn’t stress them. This is not only for cooler temperatures but also to condition them to the direct sunlight. If you have cold frames this is a great way to harden them off. They get plenty of sun but are protected from the cold temperatures. If the inside of the cold frame gets too warm open it up for ventilation.
Location is important while tomatoes love the sun and will grow well in containers on a patio, in areas like the deep south where the summer sun can be scorching it’s well to provide some partial shade relief. A week or so before planting in their bed or in the garden treat the soil with a pound or so of 5-10-10 fertilizer per 100 feet of area. Very light or sandy areas can easily double, possibly even triple, that amount.
Growing your own seedlings takes a little time but is not difficult. When you bite into that tasty salsa or real homemade spaghetti sauce it will be worth the effort made!
