Start Your Own Garden
Posted by Susan and Denny Wright at 6/10/2008 9:06 AM 
Categories: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Categories: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
I
think the rains have stopped for now. It's a funny thing about rain. My
neighbor, Bob, says that too little rain will scare a farmer, and too
much rain will starve a farmer. He is right. Plants cannot have wet
roots for too long or else they will either rot or grow too small to
support a healthy plant. Our tomatoes were under water for a few days,
and our soybeans are too wet to cultivate. While I was initially
concerned, I have learned that there is nothing that I can do about
either. It's just part of farming. A farmer does everything that he or
she can do to prepare for the year, and the rest is up to nature.
Presently, the weather has taken a turn for the best, and we will
probably be alright with our crops.
Last
week, I talked a bit about gardening. One of the most rewarding crops
to grow in a garden is tomatoes because home-grown tomatoes taste so
much better than anything one can buy in a store. There is still time
to grow tomatoes, and you do not even have commit anything more than a
few large (12 inch or larger) flower pots. Simply buy tomato seeds from
one or two of your favorite varieties. If you like a juicy slicer, try
a Wisconsin 55 or beefsteak. If you want a heavenly sweet variety, try
a brandywine.
Once
you buy the seeds, soak 10 – 20 seeds in a cup of lukewarm water for
two hours. This will speed up the germination process. Next, place the
seeds in wet paper towel overnight. Sometime the next day, plant two
per pot about two inches from each other. You can plant them about ¼
inch below the surface. Place the pots in a warm sunny place. Wet the
soil ( an organic potting soil is best) and wait.
In
about ten days, the seedlings will emerge. If both seedlings emerge,
wait about two weeks, and prune the smallest seedling from each pot,
leaving only one strong seedling per pot. Leave the pots in sunny
location that gets sun for most of the day. Allow your tomatoes to get
rain naturally. You may need to water them occasionally in dry spells,
but do not over-water them. Once the tomatoes get large, place an 18 –
30 inch wooden stake in the pot and tie the plants loosely to the stake
for support with a natural material like cotton or hemp.
You
will have little weeding, and by late August and early September, you
will have all of the delicious, home-grown tomatoes that you will need.
Further, you will have little maintenance. Also, if September frosts
threaten your plants, simply bring them indoors for the night, and
enjoy tomatoes into the fall
Interesting,
Thanks for sharing,
Keep up the good work
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