WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 11 MARCH 14, 2014

Free Republic | March 14, 2014 | greeneyes

[greeneyes]

The sky's are a bit gray here in Missouri, but the temps are moderate 50s. We actually hit 80 degrees earlier this week, and then plunged to freezing that night with a light dusting of snow.

I started prepping a small potato bed, by turning under the winter rye. My indoor tomato plant has 4 tomatoes about as big around as quarters, 2 pea size, and several flowers. I flip the stems as I walk by them for pollination.

I am thinking I will set this tomato (pot and all) into the ground. Then main stem has curved over the pot and hangs down to the bottom of the pot, so I can get some more roots by burying that piece in the ground and see how it works.

I have a tentative garden plan noted on my garden space sheets. Will probably plant a few seeds indoors next week.

When I got out my planning file, I ran across some interesting material that I thought might be of interest to some:

http://extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/agguides/hort/g06201.pdf

The above link has a nice 1 page planner giving some nutrional information and the amount needed for one person for fresh vegetables and additional for processing. It also has the days from planting to eating stage. The rest of the Guide gives specifics for brands that grow particularly well in Missouri.

http://grandpappy.org/gvegetab.htm

This link provides Vegetable Recommendations for New Gardners. He also has several artiles and guides for survival in hard times which may be of interest to some of you who are also interested in preparing to be self sufficient, or how to survive on a modest budget etc.

Have a great weekend. God Bless.

[tflabo]

Indoor tomato plant already has some fruits on it? You must have started from seed back in Dec or early January.
What variety are they?

[greeneyes]

Pinging the list.

[MiddleEarth]

Yes, when did you start the tomatoes?? I only have some seedlings right now.

[rightly_dividing]

Glad to hear of some progress there.

It’s a big sky perfect day here. I’ve been outside finishing my raised container garden, and planted a few things.

It felt glad to be alive today; not been much of that this winter.

[greeneyes]

I lost the tag, so I have no idea. I didn’t have any tomato stalks worth saving last fall, so I planted a seed in a 6 inch pot in the late fall.

It may have been that unknown that I call perfect size. In 2010 I planted different varieties of tomatoes, and all the labels faded too much to read by harvest time.

I had one plant that was way bigger than a cherry tomato, but undersized for slicing tomato. It was just the right size for chopping and adding to a salad. So I just nicknamed it perfect size. It’s an heirloom(I didn’t plant any hybrids in 2010).

[patriot08]

Dale Nelson, local weatherman at Kris TV, Corpus Christi, Tx is a master gardener and is huge demand at gardening symposiums.

There are two Tomato formulas... One formula for sandy soil and one for clay soil. The first time you use the tomato formula use the "Original" formula no matter what type of soil you have.

Original Formula / Sandy Soil 1 cup 10-20-10 (1-2-1 ratio) fertilizer 1/4 cup super phosphate 1/2 cup gypsum 2 cups cow manure Dig a hole and mix ingredients. Then, add regular dirt on top of formula before placing tomato plant in hole. Otherwise, formula will burn the roots of the plant. Don't let formula touch the roots when they are first planted. Let the plant grow into the formula. Water regularly. Stand back and watch them grow! Best varieties are Sonny, Bingo, Carnival, Heatwave, Celebrity, Big Boy, Better Boy and President. Best cherry tomatoes to use are small Fry and Cherry Grande. Everything needed is available at any local nursery.

Caution: Please be aware that excessive use of phosphorus in our clay soil over a long period of time can be non beneficial to your plants.

Clay Soil* 1 Cup 21-0-0 (1-0-0 Ratio) Ammonium Sulphate 3/4 Cup Gypsum 2 Cups Cow Manure Mix these ingredients together with existing garden soil and plant one tomato plant per hole mixture.

*Most clay soils in this area already have too much super phosphate, which tends to stay in the soil for a long period of time. The local nursery people tell me, the best way to correct this is by adding ammonium sulphate which is 21-0-0.

http://www.kristv.com/pages/dales-tomato-formula/

[greeneyes]

I started it late fall early winter - don’t remember the exact date. I haven’t yet started tomato seeds for transplanting. That typically happens around St Patty’s day.

This was an experiment to see if I could get a really big jump on the season this way. You know how it is with salads?

In the spring, there’s plenty of lettuce for salads, but the tomatoes are not ripe yet. Supermarket tomatoes - can’t stand the lack of flavor. I am hoping this will give me fresh tomatoes to go with my early lettuce and spinach this year.

In the past I have chopped off tomato limbs with green tomatoes and flowers in the fall, stuck them in dirt, and had a few ripe tomatoes all winter long.

This year my tomatoes weren’t great, and I didn’t get to have tomatoes all winter. So I just decided to plant a seed and see how it works for early spring tomatoes.

[greeneyes]

Thanks for sharing that information. It should be very helpful to all of us who love to grow tomatoes.

[Marcella]

Yesterday, I planted a lettuce strip in a long wood planter sitting on the dirt part of the garden. Then, I put a net over it and I did a very good job of that. I had four ground spikes to use to pin it to the ground but I needed it more secure on the side with just one spike. Ha ha, two remaining rose bushes butt up to that side of the planter. I had gloves on so that protected me from sharp rose thorns so I bunched up some net and stuck it into the lower thorns and did the same at the other end of the planter where the other rose bush is. That netting is staying on those thorns. I watered that new potting soil mix I put in that planter but added a bit more after the lettuce strip was put in. Ain’t no squirrels or birds gonna mess with my lettuce seeds this year.

Today was a big planting day – plants from the greenhouse went into permanent containers. Three big containers now contain four Deck Corn plants in each. One T squash was planted in the big barrel I used last year and I don’t have another T squash to plant due to the rest of them being in Jiffy crap which did nothing. Soon as the other seed starter gets here, I’ll have to plant more T squash seed. Transplanted a Fooled You Jalapeno pepper, sweet banana peppers and I have more peppers to transplant out of the greenhouse. Transplanted Snow Bird peas and Masterpiece peas.

Before the day is over will transplant seedlings from cups into larger pots but that will be done inside.

The plants that did not live in the greenhouse are Sweet Basil, and there are a couple of peppers barely alive. All the Carolina Cucumbers, Home Made Pickles cucumbers died in the cold even though they were covered. I had already replanted seeds for Home Made Pickles and have four to transplant out of cups today. I also have 4 Natl. Pickling Cucumbers to transplant out of cups and have two seedlings of Peas In A Pot to transplant. Have two Supreme Hybrid cucumbers to transplant and gobs of carrot seedlings to transplant.

Part of this morning was preparing the larger pots to receive the seedlings so that is ready.

I am stopped now because Yorkie is at the groomer and they should be calling soon for me to get her. When I get back, then I will put on gloves and start transplanting.

I got an email from Burpee this morning and there is no shipping on anything for three days, starting tomorrow, Sat., Sun., Mon. - Put this code in: SPRING14 to get free shipping. I found a tomato seed there I’m going to get and use that one only to try to grow in the house in the winter. Note the exceptional nutrient value and how do they manage to put more nutrient in one tomato than another? PLUS, it in an indeterminate, will keep on producing. Naturally, it is a cherry tomato suitable for containers and I’ll try house growing. Consider the rest in quotes:

Tomato, Cherry Punch Hybrid
Tops for taste and nutrition with 30% more vitamin C of an average tomato and 40% more lycopene. Burpee Exclusive
These tasty red beauties are little giants when it comes to taste and nutrition—with 30% more vitamin C and 40% more lycopene than the average tomato. 24” high x 36” wide plants commence a steady bounty of 1” fruits in just 48 days. Indeterminate. Days to Maturity: 48 days Height: 24 inches
Sowing Method: Indoor Sow

http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/tomatoes/cherry/tomato-cherry-punch-hybrid-prod002744.html

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you for links!!!

[greeneyes]

I am itching to plant something here - but I know that it’s too early - odds are high that the effort will be crippled by several more frosts/freezes.

Best to concentrate on bed preparation and clean up chores ughhhhh.LOL

[Silentgypsy]

Thanks for info! Soil structure’s a mystery to me. Now on my second library book about it.

[tflabo]

Well here's my top 2 'maters experiment from seed planted on Feb 1. These seeds were from a store bought Roma (I think) and to be planted mid April or so here in N. Tx. Maybe next year I will do heirloom seeds. Like my cheapskate pots style? (;

[greeneyes]

Sounds like a great tomato to try for indoors, especially like the 48 days to maturity.

I don’t usually plant anything but heirlooms, because I like to save the seeds, but this hybrid sounds very tempting.

[4everontheRight]

Itching to plant....man, you and me both! The weather has been very nice here in the upstate of SC, highs got up in the low 80’s one day this week. We had a “cold” front come through that got us back to our normal highs and we are back in the 50’s for highs. Clear skies though but I am so tempted to plant some maters I can’t stand it!! I am just afraid it is too early.

[nascarnation]

Well done. I just put some seeds in pots 4 days ago under my new T-5 grow light and they popped out already.

If they ever legalize med mary jane in Indiana, I’m gonna be supplementing my SocSec bigtime, LOL.

[Silentgypsy]

Sad to hear about basil, T squash and cukes. Basil seems relatively fragile to me. After experiencing fresh basil, we don’t want the dried stuff any more. Thanks for the Burpee information!

[greeneyes]

I love it - reusing stuff is great. My indoor tomato is 49inches measured from the dirt to the tip. It has grown in an S shaped configuration, and has lots of leaves.

I didn’t expect it to actually bloom and form tomatoes while indoors, but it is clearly ahead of the game, since it’s yet even time to start seeds for transplants here.

We are in the Ozark Plateau region, and so our plant times are similar to Northern Missouri because of this elevation.

[greeneyes]

You are welcome. For some reason they didn’t post so that all you have to do is click on them.

However if you just highlight the link, copy, and then paste onto the browser window, it will take you to the correct page.