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Tomato Growing Tips Here are some great tips for tomato growers, courtesy of Letitia. ♥ Soak seeds overnight to remove any germination inhibitors. ♥ Start seeds indoors 5 – 6 weeks before setting them out in the garden after all danger of frost has passed. Small plants adapt better to windy spring conditions outdoors, growing roots while the air is cool and producing strong growth when it warms up. ♥ Remove the first set of branches from each plant; bury the plants on a horizontal slant if they are tall, all the way up to the top flush of leaves. The buried steam will grow additional roots to strengthen the plant all season. ♥ If cutworms sever young plants at soil level, salvage the cut steams and put them in a jar of water. They will sprout roots and be ready for transplanting I two weeks ♥ For stronger root and leaf development, redirect energy into early growth by removing the first sets of flowers until plants are 30 centimeters tall ♥ In cold regions with few growing day, select early varieties of tomatoes that mature in 50 t0 65 days from planting such as “Early Girl”, “Easy Pick”, “Moskvick”, “Daybreak”, “Oregon Spring”, and “First Lady” ♥ Tomatoes hate competition. Give each plant enough space to extend its leaves without touching another plant. ♥ Always irrigate tomatoes from below ♥ Mix homemade garden compost or composted manure in the soil and supplement with liquid fish or kelp emulsion every third week. Avoid high amounts of nitrogen, as it will encourage leaf growth at the expense of flowers and fruit. Seed Starting - Grow your own!
The toughest part is figuring out when to put those little guys in the starter trays. YouGrowGirl has a really handy downloadable chart that you can use as a guide, counting back from the date of the last frost in your area (that's May 9 here in Hogtown). For simplicity's sake, pick seeds that are easy to germinate- basil, chives (it's almost impossible to discourage chives), lettuces, tomatoes, onions, peppers- just get some seeds that appeal to you and go for it. You're going to need a nice growing medium (potting soil with a bit of compost for example), and somewhere to put it. Egg cartons work nicely, as well as last year's trays (clean them first with soap and vinegar to prevent plant diseases). Follow the seed packet directions for sowing, making sure you put them in the soil at the recommended depth. Planting too deep or shallowly can smother or parch your precious seedlings. Oh, and don't forget to label them, unless you like guessing which plant is basil and which is climbing beans! Now you've got trays full of potential, make sure you keep them cozy and moist with a nice warm spot (19-21°C) and a misting bottle. Covering the seeds with plastic or glass also really helps to keep them in a stable environment. Don't forget to mist them! if you let them dry out, it's game over. In a few days, more or less, you'll have nice teeny sprouts. Take off the cover and give them light, the more the better. Sunny windows may not have enough light, so plain old flourescent bulbs will give the seedlings what they need to grow. Put the lights a few inches above the plants, and keep them lit for 12-16 hours per day. Consult your chart (or the seed packets) to find out when you'll be able to move them outside. A week earlier, start setting the plants outside for a few hours when the weather is nice. This will 'harden' or acclimatize your seedlings to the harsh realities of garden life. After this time, transplant them into your garden plot. You did prepare the garden plot with some nice compost and composted manure shoveled and raked into the soil, right? Of course you did. Put the seedlings in the garden using the individual seed packet instructions as a guide for perfect placement. Now sit back and admire your garden, yours from start to finish. – GirlWednesday Parsley
Parsley is a biennial plant that grows about 1 to 11/2 feet. Biennials are a plant that live for two years, flowering and dropping seeds the second year. In the case of parsley, the leaves are at their best the first year. Buy seedlings, as growing parsley from seed is very difficult. Plant in April or May. The flavour is subtle, versatile and widely complementary. Use generously. Chop the leaves roughly or finely and add toward the end of the cooking or use uncooked. Save stems for stocks. Parsley keeps its colour well so can be chopped ahead of time. Parley is the centerpiece of Middle Eastern tabbouleh, French persillade and Italian gremolata. Use parsley as an all-purpose herb to add vibrancy to soups, sautéed vegetables, meats, and seafood. Use stems in bouquet garni for stocks, poaching liquids and braises. Add leaves whole to salads or chopped as a fresh garnish to any dis
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Seed
starting is a great way to get a jump on Mother Nature, especially
during our chilly Toronto spring.
There
are two kinds of parsley; curly parsley and flat leaf Italian parsley.
If you are going to take the time to plant parsley, plant the flat leaf
variety. It's not as pretty, but it has a stronger flavour.