THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF GETTING THE GARDEN GOING

Whether you are planting seeds or plants, you will need to be on guard for birds, rodents, bugs and weather because one or all of these will try to make it really difficult!

I make small cages out of ½” chicken wire to cover new plants.  You will need to keep birds from plucking the leaves off new plants or pulling newly sprouted seeds from the ground.  Hardware cloth, which is more expensive but sturdier, also works quite well.

Small cage keeps birds from pecking at newly sprouted plants.

PLANTING TIME

I plant my tomato plants the old fashioned way.  If they are really tall and leggy, I plant them in a shallow trench lying down.  There should be at least 1/3 of the plant above soil level.  Don’t worry, they will straighten out within hours.  The reasoning behind planting this way it the stem will eventually grow roots and you will have an extensive root system much more quickly.

WEEDING

It’s okay to use a hoe in most places, but when you get close to plant pull by hand.  Melon plants are very fussy about having their roots disturbed.  If you let a weed get too large right next to the plant and pull it out, chances are pretty good the plant will die. 

STORING TOMATOES

Never refridgerate your homegrown tomatoes! They become mushy. They are perfectly content to sit on your counter in a basket (so air can circulate around them) for over a week, as long as they are not cracked or bruised, and not spoil. If you can't get to them and they start to deteriorate, refriderate as a last resort, but they are better fresh and at room temperature.

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 GO ORGANIC!