This is easily the most frustrating time of year for me as a gardener. I spent the winter staring outside and dreaming, the early spring planning and preparing, the last few months planting and purchasing and planting, and now, I have moved on to... waiting.
I hate waiting.
I've got another 4-5 weeks before my carrots and salad greens start coming in. I may see the first of my early tomatoes before that, but it's not likely. The squash will ripen in early July.
With the addition of my fruit this year (strawberries, blueberries, and my old friends the raspberry bushes) I should be getting some earlier results, but in the meantime, it's 3-4 times daily visits to my plants, walking around all of them to inspect the new leaf growth, the first forming buds of flowers, the deepening colors of leaf and fruit. Each plant, I wonder: will this one deliver on its promise? Will I lose it to disease or pests?
The hardest thing, during this time, is resisting the urge to plant more, to plant again. I have as many plants as I need, surely. I don't need cucumbers, or eggplant, or more beans. I need to settle and let the plants do their thing.
I just wish it would happen faster.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
My Garden
I've almost finished planting on my garden for this year. I have two little garden beds in my side yard, and a vast container garden spread around my patio area. I am still waiting for delivery of my cherry tree, but since I don't expect fruit from it for probably two years, I'm willing to write it off for now.
So, the final tally is this:
1. Large garden bed. 8x4'. I've planted this garden bed with:
* 3 tomato plants: a Brandywine, an Early Girl, and a Sun Gold. The Sun Gold is not thriving yet, but it's still alive, so I'm hoping that the warmer it gets, the better it will be.
* 2 bell pepper plants. I have no idea what color. They were from an "assortment" pack. Yay for surprise!
* 4 bush bean plants
* 2 zucchini
* 1 straightneck squash.
2. Small garden bed. 4x3, roughly. We call this "Wesley's Garden," for my son, who will be 4 this summer. He planted carrots, romaine lettuce, and celery in it. Everything is growing very nicely, and we can probably expect first harvest in around a month.
3. Earthbox. I bought an earthbox planting system, which was a ROYAL PAIN to set up. I honestly think the "make your own" substitutes on the web may be easier to build than this thing was to put together. Oh well. Growing in it, I have 2 Sweet 100s Cherry Tomato plants.
4. Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter. This is a lark. We'll see how it goes. I planted a Mountain Fresh tomato plant in it.
5. Hanging Strawberry Planter. It's a hanging strawberry planter. Strawberries will probably be ripe starting in 2 weeks or so.
6. Blueberry Bush. It's in a big pot, and should last a few years. Wesley loves this bush, and badly wants the blueberries to be ready to eat. Late June/early July is my guess.
7. Red Bell Pepper Pot. One red bell pepper in a 6-gallon pot.
8. Squash Pot. One crookneck squash and one zucchini in a 6-gallon pot.
9. Herb Garden. My traditional herb garden has basil, parsley, oregano, and then sage, thyme, and tarragon which all came back from last year.
10. Herb Bowl. A small container garden with basil, parsley, variegated oregano, thyme, and tarragon. I have it mostly to be pretty and smell nice, but will certainly harvest regularly.
11. Tomato Urns. 2 5-gallon urns, each with a Sweet 100s Cherry Tomato plant.
12. Windowbox Lettuce. 3 heads of salad lettuce.
13. Lettuce Pots. 2 1-gallon pots, each with a head of salad lettuce.
14. Peas. I have 5 sugar snap pea plants along the front of my house, growing toward the twine fence I made them. They're up to around 6-8 inches tall now.
15. Pumpkins. On a whim, I planted these on my front slope, in bad soil. They're alive, but not thriving.
16. Raspberries. My raspberry bushes, along fence at the front of my side yard, are lush and gorgeous. And trying to spread, of course. This winter, I will attack the roots to try and keep them in their place.
17. Asparagus. This year was not terribly heartening for my new asparagus trenches. They need more time, certainly, but each crown produced only 1-2 stalks, which I let go to fern. I may completely avoid harvesting again next year, and wait until 2011 to harvest from them at all.
And that is my complete supply of edible gardening for the year, less the cherry tree they still need to ship to me. Yay for gardening!
So, the final tally is this:
1. Large garden bed. 8x4'. I've planted this garden bed with:
* 3 tomato plants: a Brandywine, an Early Girl, and a Sun Gold. The Sun Gold is not thriving yet, but it's still alive, so I'm hoping that the warmer it gets, the better it will be.
* 2 bell pepper plants. I have no idea what color. They were from an "assortment" pack. Yay for surprise!
* 4 bush bean plants
* 2 zucchini
* 1 straightneck squash.
2. Small garden bed. 4x3, roughly. We call this "Wesley's Garden," for my son, who will be 4 this summer. He planted carrots, romaine lettuce, and celery in it. Everything is growing very nicely, and we can probably expect first harvest in around a month.
3. Earthbox. I bought an earthbox planting system, which was a ROYAL PAIN to set up. I honestly think the "make your own" substitutes on the web may be easier to build than this thing was to put together. Oh well. Growing in it, I have 2 Sweet 100s Cherry Tomato plants.
4. Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter. This is a lark. We'll see how it goes. I planted a Mountain Fresh tomato plant in it.
5. Hanging Strawberry Planter. It's a hanging strawberry planter. Strawberries will probably be ripe starting in 2 weeks or so.
6. Blueberry Bush. It's in a big pot, and should last a few years. Wesley loves this bush, and badly wants the blueberries to be ready to eat. Late June/early July is my guess.
7. Red Bell Pepper Pot. One red bell pepper in a 6-gallon pot.
8. Squash Pot. One crookneck squash and one zucchini in a 6-gallon pot.
9. Herb Garden. My traditional herb garden has basil, parsley, oregano, and then sage, thyme, and tarragon which all came back from last year.
10. Herb Bowl. A small container garden with basil, parsley, variegated oregano, thyme, and tarragon. I have it mostly to be pretty and smell nice, but will certainly harvest regularly.
11. Tomato Urns. 2 5-gallon urns, each with a Sweet 100s Cherry Tomato plant.
12. Windowbox Lettuce. 3 heads of salad lettuce.
13. Lettuce Pots. 2 1-gallon pots, each with a head of salad lettuce.
14. Peas. I have 5 sugar snap pea plants along the front of my house, growing toward the twine fence I made them. They're up to around 6-8 inches tall now.
15. Pumpkins. On a whim, I planted these on my front slope, in bad soil. They're alive, but not thriving.
16. Raspberries. My raspberry bushes, along fence at the front of my side yard, are lush and gorgeous. And trying to spread, of course. This winter, I will attack the roots to try and keep them in their place.
17. Asparagus. This year was not terribly heartening for my new asparagus trenches. They need more time, certainly, but each crown produced only 1-2 stalks, which I let go to fern. I may completely avoid harvesting again next year, and wait until 2011 to harvest from them at all.
And that is my complete supply of edible gardening for the year, less the cherry tree they still need to ship to me. Yay for gardening!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Containers
I adore cherry tomatoes. I buy them at the grocery store in the winter, and in the summer, I used to go every week to our local farmers' market and buy these little pint containers of fresh cherry tomatoes for $4.50 a pint. I'd eat them plain, just enjoying the flavor. That trip to the farmers' market was one of the high points of my week.
It always bothered me, though, that I was spending so much on them, and I got a little box of tomatoes I had to eat quickly. "Why not try growing my own?" I asked myself. And I did.
Growing cherry tomatoes in containers is a lot like any other kind of container tomato gardening, though there are some special tricks and traps to look for.
The most important step is choosing the right variety of cherry tomato. The variety you choose will depend on what kind of container you use to grow cherry tomatoes. There are two kinds of containers commonly used: you can grow cherry tomatoes in pots, or you can grow cherry tomatoes in baskets.
If you choose to grow cherry tomatoes in a basket, you need to pick a variety of cherry tomato that does well with shallow roots. Good cherry tomatoes for baskets include Florida Basket Tomatoes, Floragold Basket Tomatoes, Anmore Dewdrop Tomatoes, Ditmarsher Tomatoes, and Micro Tom Tomatoes. What you care about for basket cherry tomatoes are varieties that don't grow very tall (all of these top out at a foot or under), with good sprawling foliage and a high yield of berries.
If you have multiple baskets, it's a good idea to stagger the planting. These are all determinate tomatoes, which means that they stop growing when they begin to ripen, so you will have a big crop of tomatoes and then the harvest will end a few weeks later. If you stagger the planting a bit, they will ripen at different times, stretching the harvest. Be warned: very hot weather is bad for tomatoes. If you live in a hot climate, you want to plant early and choose tomatoes with a short time to maturity.
Be sure to keep the basket well-watered. Some people have real success with automatic watering systems, but you don't need one if you can be faithful about watering every day.
If you choose to grow your cherry tomatoes in a pot, you have more options. There are lots of varieties of cherry tomatoes which top out at under two feet and can be planted in a small pot. If you want a bigger plant, you can use a standard 5-gallon pot and plant as you would regular tomatoes. Read more about growing container tomatoes.
For smaller pots, of a gallon or so, you want a small plant that doesn't need a lot of root spread. For those who want to grow cherry tomatoes in a small pot, look for the following varieties: Early Dwarf Cherry, Anmore Treasures, Lyana, Tiny Tim, Yellow Pygmy. Early Dwarf Cherry Tomatoes are especially good for indoor gardeners, because they don't need as much light as some varieties of cherry tomatoes.
Good luck, and enjoy!
It always bothered me, though, that I was spending so much on them, and I got a little box of tomatoes I had to eat quickly. "Why not try growing my own?" I asked myself. And I did.
Growing cherry tomatoes in containers is a lot like any other kind of container tomato gardening, though there are some special tricks and traps to look for.
The most important step is choosing the right variety of cherry tomato. The variety you choose will depend on what kind of container you use to grow cherry tomatoes. There are two kinds of containers commonly used: you can grow cherry tomatoes in pots, or you can grow cherry tomatoes in baskets.
If you choose to grow cherry tomatoes in a basket, you need to pick a variety of cherry tomato that does well with shallow roots. Good cherry tomatoes for baskets include Florida Basket Tomatoes, Floragold Basket Tomatoes, Anmore Dewdrop Tomatoes, Ditmarsher Tomatoes, and Micro Tom Tomatoes. What you care about for basket cherry tomatoes are varieties that don't grow very tall (all of these top out at a foot or under), with good sprawling foliage and a high yield of berries.
If you have multiple baskets, it's a good idea to stagger the planting. These are all determinate tomatoes, which means that they stop growing when they begin to ripen, so you will have a big crop of tomatoes and then the harvest will end a few weeks later. If you stagger the planting a bit, they will ripen at different times, stretching the harvest. Be warned: very hot weather is bad for tomatoes. If you live in a hot climate, you want to plant early and choose tomatoes with a short time to maturity.
Be sure to keep the basket well-watered. Some people have real success with automatic watering systems, but you don't need one if you can be faithful about watering every day.
If you choose to grow your cherry tomatoes in a pot, you have more options. There are lots of varieties of cherry tomatoes which top out at under two feet and can be planted in a small pot. If you want a bigger plant, you can use a standard 5-gallon pot and plant as you would regular tomatoes. Read more about growing container tomatoes.
For smaller pots, of a gallon or so, you want a small plant that doesn't need a lot of root spread. For those who want to grow cherry tomatoes in a small pot, look for the following varieties: Early Dwarf Cherry, Anmore Treasures, Lyana, Tiny Tim, Yellow Pygmy. Early Dwarf Cherry Tomatoes are especially good for indoor gardeners, because they don't need as much light as some varieties of cherry tomatoes.
Good luck, and enjoy!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Growing Container Tomatoes
One of my favorite homegrown vegetables is the tomato. Until you’ve tried really fresh tomatoes, you can’t imagine how much better they are than standard grocery-store fare, and a day of difference is huge when it comes to freshness and flavor.
The good news is that tomatoes are actually very easy to grow on your own! You don’t even need much outdoor space. You can grow tomatoes in pots or urns on a deck or porch, or even inside. You just need to be attentive and prepare well, and you can enjoy fresh, delicious tomatoes from your own plants!
First off, you want to be sure you have a big enough pot. To grow container garden tomatoes, you want at least a 3-gallon pot, and 5-gallon is safer. There are a few varieties you can grow in smaller pots, or even baskets, but 3-5 gallon pots give a good variety of options.
Make sure the pot has sufficient drainage. If your roots get too wet, they can rot, ruining your hard work. Make sure your pot will drain if you over-water it.
Choose a good potting mix. I like Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. Keep in mind that there is a difference between potting mix and potting soil: potting mix is much better for container vegetables. Read more about potting mix vs potting soil. Fill the pot with the potting mix, and wet it slightly.
It is best to start from seedlings when growing your tomatoes in containers. You can buy seedlings from a local nursery or farmstand, or you can order them online. Companies like Burpee and Gurneys will ship seedlings directly to you. Shopping at nurseries is usually cheaper, since you don’t have to pay for shipping. However, if you order online there is a much better variety available.
Carefully plant the seedling in your container and water well. Tomatoes like to spread out and up, so with container tomatoes, you should place a stake in the container or surround it with a cage, to keep weight off the vines and help them grow straight and tall.
Be sure to put the pots somewhere with a lot of light, and water regularly. It is a good idea to get a water-soluble fertilizer and use that as directed. Be careful: overfertilizing can be as bad for plants as under-fertilizing.
Depending on your variety, in around two months, you should be enjoying delicious container garden tomatoes! Good luck!
The good news is that tomatoes are actually very easy to grow on your own! You don’t even need much outdoor space. You can grow tomatoes in pots or urns on a deck or porch, or even inside. You just need to be attentive and prepare well, and you can enjoy fresh, delicious tomatoes from your own plants!
First off, you want to be sure you have a big enough pot. To grow container garden tomatoes, you want at least a 3-gallon pot, and 5-gallon is safer. There are a few varieties you can grow in smaller pots, or even baskets, but 3-5 gallon pots give a good variety of options.
Make sure the pot has sufficient drainage. If your roots get too wet, they can rot, ruining your hard work. Make sure your pot will drain if you over-water it.
Choose a good potting mix. I like Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. Keep in mind that there is a difference between potting mix and potting soil: potting mix is much better for container vegetables. Read more about potting mix vs potting soil. Fill the pot with the potting mix, and wet it slightly.
It is best to start from seedlings when growing your tomatoes in containers. You can buy seedlings from a local nursery or farmstand, or you can order them online. Companies like Burpee and Gurneys will ship seedlings directly to you. Shopping at nurseries is usually cheaper, since you don’t have to pay for shipping. However, if you order online there is a much better variety available.
Carefully plant the seedling in your container and water well. Tomatoes like to spread out and up, so with container tomatoes, you should place a stake in the container or surround it with a cage, to keep weight off the vines and help them grow straight and tall.
Be sure to put the pots somewhere with a lot of light, and water regularly. It is a good idea to get a water-soluble fertilizer and use that as directed. Be careful: overfertilizing can be as bad for plants as under-fertilizing.
Depending on your variety, in around two months, you should be enjoying delicious container garden tomatoes! Good luck!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)