Yesterday was tomato (and pepper) planting day here. I got out in the garden early and mowed the grass/weeds in the garden and got started by stretching my first level of sting on my posts (which I had beaten into the ground a couple weeks ago). Then it was on hands and knees to start planting all 72 tomato plants. This year I am growing Black from Tula, Early Girl, German Johnson, Better Boy, Dixie Golden Giant, Celebrity and Mortgage Lifter.
I have a somewhat simple method for planting my tomatoes. First I brush back the mulch, then I place about a half cup of Gardentone (from Espoma) on the spot where I dig the hole. I mix the fertilizer in with the soil as I remove it from the hole. I dig deep enough to plant the entire rootball a few inches below the soil line. Then I add a handful of worm castings to the bottom of the whole ( I feed my worms all sorts of things and include crushed egg shells for the calcium it gives to both the worms and my tomatoes) and put the plant in on top of the castings and then backfill the hole. After each tray gets planted I stop and give myself a break from being on all fours and water the transplants in.
I started at 8:30am and finished at around 2:00pm and here are the results.
Other than planting sweet potatoes and watermelons, I think I have everything in the garden planted. The beans I planted a couple weeks ago sprouted, and some of them got nipped by the late frost. I pulled those out and gave them to the chickens, and popped some new seeds in the empty holes.
The garlic bed is growing well, and I should have a good crop this year.
The potatoes got a little damage from the frost, but the lettuce came through unscathed. And the Early Sprouting broccoli is starting to form heads.
I have a somewhat simple method for planting my tomatoes. First I brush back the mulch, then I place about a half cup of Gardentone (from Espoma) on the spot where I dig the hole. I mix the fertilizer in with the soil as I remove it from the hole. I dig deep enough to plant the entire rootball a few inches below the soil line. Then I add a handful of worm castings to the bottom of the whole ( I feed my worms all sorts of things and include crushed egg shells for the calcium it gives to both the worms and my tomatoes) and put the plant in on top of the castings and then backfill the hole. After each tray gets planted I stop and give myself a break from being on all fours and water the transplants in.
Other than planting sweet potatoes and watermelons, I think I have everything in the garden planted. The beans I planted a couple weeks ago sprouted, and some of them got nipped by the late frost. I pulled those out and gave them to the chickens, and popped some new seeds in the empty holes.
The potatoes got a little damage from the frost, but the lettuce came through unscathed. And the Early Sprouting broccoli is starting to form heads.
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