Growing Tomatoes Organically-Gardening
Growing Tomatoes Organically
Tomato Seeds Vs. Tomato Seedlings?Whether you start your own tomato seeds or buy tomato seedlings, growing them organically will produce healthier plants and better tasting tomatoes.Tomatoes are one of the most popular summer crops grown in the U.S. High in vitamins and minerals, tomatoes are a healthy and delicious addition to any back yard garden.Tomatoes are native to the tropical areas of Central and South America, where they grow as perennials. However, in most of the United States tomatoes are grown as annuals. In the southern states they can be grown directly from seeds planted in the ground, but in the north they must be started indoors seven to ten weeks before the last frost in your area, and then transplanted to the garden as seedlings. If you don't have the time or space to start your own tomatoes indoors, tomato seedlings are available almost everywhere at planting time. Tomato seedlings should not be transplanted outside until nighttime temperatures are above 50F, unless you have a means of protecting them if the temperature drops.Determinate Tomatoes Vs. Indeterminate TomatoesDeterminate tomatoes are the bush type. They need less staking and are the better choice for growing in containers. I have had great success growing bush type tomatoes in containers of straight organic compost with just some PH adjustment. All tomatoes prefer a slightly acidic to neutral soil (6.0 ? 7.0). Determinate tomatoes set all their fruit and then ripen all at once. For this reason determinate tomatoes are also a good choice for canning, especially if you have a small crop.Indeterminate Tomatoes are the vine type. This type of tomato continues to make new fruit right up until the first frost, and is a good choice if you want fresh tomatoes for the entire season (I suggest growing some of both types).Indeterminate tomatoes can be left to sprawl on the ground, but this makes them harder to harvest and more susceptible to rotting from contact with the ground. For this reason most gardeners use some method of support to keep their tomatoes growing in a more orderly fashion. Wire cages are the simplest method of supporting tomato plants. They come pre-made in varying sizes or can be made from fencing and can contain a plant without the need for "training" (pinching back the suckers that occur between each leaf and stem junction. These turn into additional stems.) Hint: If you make you own cages, use a mesh large enough to get your hand through.Indeterminate tomatoes may also be staked and trained to have only one stem, or they can be grown along a trellis and trained to have two or three stems. These two methods also require that you tie the tomato stems to the supports as they continue to grow. While training tomatoes is more work, by limiting the number of stems and therefore the number of tomatoes, the resulting fruit will be bigger and juicer (for that one slice tomato sandwich). Caging however will save you time and produce ample amounts of tomatoes that are superior to what you'll find in the supermarket.Hybrid Tomatoes Vs. Heirloom TomatoesHeirloom tomatoes have not been altered and will produce fertile seeds that can be saved and grown to produce the same fruit in following years. Hybrid tomatoes will have sterile seeds or seeds that will produce one of the original varieties that made up the hybrid in the first place. I personally believe it is important to preserve heirloom varieties. Also, by saving seeds and replanting them, the resulting plants will become more adapted to your specific climate and soil type.Hybrid tomatoes are acceptable to the organic gardener, provided they have not been genetically altered. Many hybrid types of tomato are resistant to disease and or insects. The VFN indication on plant labels refers to resistance to Verticillium Wilt, Fusarium Wilt and Nematodes respectively.Whether you choose to grow heirloom varieties or hybrids, good organic gardening practices, will lessen the chances your plants will succumb to insects or disease. The use of plenty of rich organic compost, companion planting with herbs and flowers, generous mulching and regular watering, will all enhances your plant's overall health and productivity.Tips on Growing Organic TomatoesAs with all plants, tomatoes benefit from the generous use of organic compost added to the soil.Use plenty of mulch, not only to conserve water and hold down weeds, but also to minimize contact with soil born disease. (I prefer natural mulch to plastic. I use seaweed but leaves and glass clippings work well also)When planting seedlings, don't loosen roots as you would with some transplants. Remove lower leaves and plant so only the top leaves are above the ground. If plants are very "leggy", they can be planted on their side with the top turned gently upright to protrude from the soil.Water plants regularly in early morning preferably. Watering should be done at ground level rather than spraying the leaves.Apply fish emulsion periodically to organically supply trace minerals that contribute to healthy plants.Top dress with more compost midway through the seasonCompanion plant with basil, dill or borage to attract beneficial wasps whose parasitic larvae feed on hornworms.Good luck with your organic tomatoes. If you haven't grown them before your in for a treat!Chip Phelan, a contributing editor for Organic Gardening Review, is an organic gardener living in Rhode Island. Organic Gardening Review is a resource center for organic gardening enthusiast.
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IZEE Growing Up In A Logging Camp: Reality Intertrude Insert Between Ch1 and Ch2 – Book-Reviews
IZEE Growing Up In A Logging Camp: Reality Intertrude Insert Between Ch1 and Ch2
Reality intertrudeAs MS (multiple Sclerosis) is doing such a fine job of devastating my mortal body, I thought it prudent to begin writing my life story. At least, to recall some parts of it that have had significant impacts on me becoming who I think I am. If I wait for someone else to write it ? I won't be around read it. If I delay any longer to begin, I may not be able to remember my life ? at all.I suppose that it's normal to want people to say nice things about you, after you're gone. Sometimes, you can make a deal with them to say nice things about you ? if you will just go. Since I don't have very much to cut a deal with, I figure ? if I want some nice things said ? I'd better say them myself.I'm reminded what I once said about a dog that I had. " He never bit anybody?" I don't remember ever biting anyone, either. Another dog, I adopted, kissed everyone. Although I tried to do that, too, I was never as well received as he was.Cats don't try to kiss you. They spend all of their time licking themselves. A lot of people that I've met do that. While many things are yet within their power to accomplish, they give up.I've learned, there is nothing shameful about trying and failing. It was only a shame when I failed to try. We all get to have our share of failures. No one else gets to have them all. If you've never failed, you have probably never tried to do the impossible, like be a good marriage partner, or eat soup with a fork. I get better at being married each time I try it.In this story, I don't think I'll change the names. No one is so innocent that they need protecting.* * *Izee continued
Chapter TwoWe moved to Izee early Saturday, to the house we had never seen the inside of. Mom was following in the car, Dad commandeering a borrowed pickup with all of our earthly possessions. Robert came with us to Izee, this time. Since Mom would be explaining to him "The boardinghouse rules" for high school away from home," I rode with Dad thinking it was funny that my brother got to eat more dirt than I did, as they followed us over the miles of unpaved road. Like a filthy phantom from planet dust, Robert kept emerging from the 52 Ford, recovering anything that blew off our loosely tied down load. He looked even scarier when it started to rain.[Continue on in Chapter Two if you still wish to read more.]Russ Miles is the author of the novel, For Sale By Owners:FSBO.
Seasoned Real Estate NAR
Growing Organic! Herbs, Flowers and Fruit-Gardening
Growing Organic! Herbs, Flowers and Fruit
Creating no dig gardens on top of the soil gives you many immediate advantages over the usual garden.
It is quick and easy
It will improve the soil underneath the bed
It is weed free and organicWhile my site has concentrated on the vegetable garden, the same garden building techniques can be used for flower beds, herbs and fruit trees.HerbsHerbs can be planted straight into the no dig garden bed. Because of their uses, the herb garden should be situated in a sunny spot very near your kitchen. Then you can simply step out the door and make an ordinary meal into a culinary delight! If there isn't an obvious space handy, herbs will grow very well in containers.However, if you do have the space, there is a wonderful project called the 'Herb Spiral' you can build. It's extremely space efficient and caters for the various microclimates that herbs like.It involves building a vertical spiral, usually from rocks, about 6 ft across and 2-3 feet high. The top is quite dry and hot, the bottom is moist and there is a sunny side and a shady side. A garden of this size will need about 1.5 cubic metres of soil or compost materials.The top is good for Mediterranearn type herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage. The mid sections suit chives, shallots, Italian parsley, tarragon, rocket and coriander. The lower, cooler section suits borage, peppermint, pennywort and lemon balm. These are just suggestions as there are many plants that will grow in your spiral.Useful note: For those in the Northern hemisphere, the hottest side of your spiral will be facing south. For those in the Southern hemisphere, the hottest side of your spiral will be facing north.Flowers and ShrubsEvery garden has some sort of ornamental flowers or shrubs. It's fundamental to our concept of a garden! The no dig gardening method will allow then to thrive no matter where you are.There isn't the space to go into specifics here, but some simple considerations before you get started... Try to plant species that are native to your area. There are many reasons for this but the best one is that those plants will do best where you live! Don't get stuck in a high maintenance routine for something that simply isn't suited to your area. Plant species that will attract local fauna. Help struggling native animals, birds, frogs and insects by building suitable habitat for them. You will be rewarded many times over when they discover where you live! Plan what you want from your garden. A colour scheme? Flowering year round? What will really thrill and inspire you? That is what the garden is for. It feeds your spirit while you make your way in the world.Fruit treesTo use the no dig garden method with fruit trees, you have to be patient. The garden will have to be 2-3 generations on before the benefits have gone deep enough for the fruit tree to be planted. However, once the hard yards are done (mostly by local worms!), you should be thinking about planting your own fruit trees.Apples are the most popular fruit on the planet. Do you recall how the fruit tasted when you were a kid? Nothing like the stuff you get today. The disturbing thing is that pesticides can be taken into the fruit and stay there long after harvest. Then they are waxed and stored in chemical dependant environments. Seriously consider growing your own fruit.Berry canes, apples, cherries, lemons, limes, plums, pears, oranges, there's no end to the possibilities. Explore what will grow in your neighbourhood and plant those trees! It's not too hard and a single tree (apple) can net up to 500 apples in a growing season.Growing items of your own food is incredibly rewarding. Even decorating your house with cut flowers that you have grown yourself is vastly more satisfying than just buying a bunch. Gardening is a creative and spiritually nourishing pastime. Ponder your space. Imagine the limitless variety available to you. Then go crazy with inspiration!Judy Williams (http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com) aspires to become a fulltime earth mother goddess. This site acts as a primer for all vegetable gardening aspects covering topics like how to build a garden, nurture seedlings, container gardening and composting.