Tomato with a Story

This little sugar lump tomato plant has quite a story. I planted it from seed and when it was very small I planted it in the garden. When it was about 3 or 4 inches tall I noticed it was bending over so I tried to lift it and in doing so it broke off leaving the roots in the ground. So I put the plant part back in the ground right near the roots. Eventually it looked like it was going to take off so I kept feeding and watering it. Then it happened! The deer invaded my garden and pulled the whole plant up with its new roots and all. I was bummed and thought for sure it was a goner, but I replanted it just for curiosity sake. It wilted a bit and then took off yet again. Its looks healthy and is thriving. I will keep this one update as the summer goes on.

Beef Steak Tomato

Beef Steak Tomatoes are looking good. I am excited for fresh garden tomato sandwiches and salsa. I had an exotic tomato plant (Caspian Pink) and a deer ate it the other day. I was so bummed. So I planted more by seed and am hoping that they will take off and produce before winter. Liquid Fence was my source of come back to the deer. Hopefully that will keep them away. I am also going to tie ribbons (or slices of plastic bag, anything that flaps in the wind) on a fence made with string around the garden. I was told that may scare the deer off. So I will give it a try.

Onions

I picked onions today. YAY! I had to pick all the onions at once because they were going to seed. I learned that I did not feed my onions enough. I planted them in November last year and just let them sit dormant through the winter. Onions need a lot of nitrogen so I am going to get a couple buckets full of chicken manure and straw from my parents chicken coop and use that where my onions are going to go next time. Sounds lovely huh? But chicken manure is the best natural fertilizer and straw is good mulch. My challenge is to see how big I can grow onions using organic and natural fertilizers.

Naturally Relaxing - Lavender

This year I grew some lavender in a big planter. I planted it last year so when it began to bloom this year with purple flowers I was so excited. It adds nice color and scent to my garden area. Fresh cut lavender in a vase of water in a room brings a relaxing scent also. Mmmmmm...my favorite. In a house I used to clean, the owner went to a lavender field and picked a few bundles and put them in vases around the whole house, and the smell that was throughout the house was amazingly wonderful. It was better than any air freshener and healthier too. Lavender was originally grown for its aromatic properties and its oil. It is very easy to grow, as it thrives in sunshine and dry, sandy type soil. If it is grown in low, wet lands it will winter kill with too much water.

Another idea is to make a sachet, by sewing some fabric together and filling it with rice and a bunch of lavender flowers. With the rice and lavender all enclosed into the pouch, put it in the microwave for a few minutes, depending on how warm you want it, and use it as a heating pad and relax.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes have been the first thing that I have been able to grow well, besides all my numerous herbs. I have learned that tomatoes need phosphorus, a soil ingredient necessary for strong root growth. With strong root growth there will be good fruit. Commercial fertilizers indicate the phosphorus level with one of the three numbers printed on the label. For instance the numbers 5-10-10 printed on the fertilizer bag would indicate that there is 5% Nitrogen (N), 10% Phosphorus (P2O2), 10% Potash (K2O). This sequence of numbers would be a good fertilizer for tomatoes, and other vegetables because it is high in phosphorus. Using organic methods horse or cow manure, compost (rotten leaves, vegetables, and fruits) will give good food for tomato roots. Chicken manure is good, but is high in Nitrogen. Nitrogen is good for making good green foliage. Lawns are fertilized with high nitrogen levels. Another thing I have found that tomatoes need is calcium. I use oyster shell powder, or ground up egg shells in a coffee grinder work well too. Calcium helps prevent the tomatoes from rotting on the vine. Careful, too much calcium will also lock in nutrients into the soil and prevent the tomatoes from getting the other food they need. I have a 4' x 10' raised bed for my tomatoes and before I plant I work about 5 lbs into the soil. Calcium is also called agriculture lime, needed to keep the soil from being too acidic. If the garden is near many oak trees or pine trees (the leaves that fall are acidic), the tomatoes may need more lime, or calcium.
So, yum yum, bring on the tomatoes. I am excited to harvest tomatoes this year. Tomato sandwiches here I come. This year I have 6 Beef Steak plants, 2 Caspian pink tomato plants, and 2 Peach tomato plants. The latter two are exotic varieties and this is the first year I have planted them. So, lets see how well they do and how they taste, YAY!