How To Plant Tomatoes

It's almost tomato planting season! In some areas, you may be able to put tomatoes outside right now. Here in Central Ohio, Mother's Day is the traditional date, but my seedlings are growing nicely in the window in preparation for moving outdoors. So today I'm sharing some tips on how to plant tomatoes, America's most popular home-grown crop - and possibly my favorite!

It is wonderful to be able to eat and serve your own succulent tomatoes from the garden.  They have a sweet and rich flavor that store-bought tomatoes almost always lack. However, they are not always as simple to grow as you might expect.

How To Plant Tomatoes Outdoors

Cherry tomatoes.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tomatoes are a climbing plant. You can grow them either in containers or in the ground, but they need to have a trellis or other support to climb.

They also like warmth and plenty of direct sunlight. They will grow in most parts of the USA from zone 3 and in the UK and Europe, but in cooler climates you should choose a suitable variety and be sure to plan a sheltered, sunny spot for them. Do not plant them outside until you are sure that there will be no more frost. Planting in containers has the advantage that you can easily move them into a greenhouse or into the house at night, if cold weather threatens.

It is possible to grow tomatoes from seed, but most people start with small plants from the nursery. Check plants carefully for any signs of disease. If you see any, go to a different nursery.

Soil pH should be from 6.0 to 7.0. You can check this with a soil testing kit from any nursery. If your soil tests outside of this range, either add product to alter its acidity level or plant your tomatoes in containers in compost of the right pH.

If planting in the ground, dig plenty of tomato compost into your soil, then dig a hole about a foot diameter for each plant. The holes should be 12 to 18 inches apart according to the variety of tomato (the label should instruct you on this). 

Put in the bottom of each hole a little compost followed by broken eggshells or calcium product from the nursery. Set the plants into the holes and fill with compost. It's fine to cover the lower branches of the growing plant, but at least 3-4 branches should be above ground.

Water them, then place a paper collar around the stalk at ground level to deter crawling pests, and cover with a cloche if your climate is cool. After a couple of weeks remove the cloche and collar, cover the soil with a layer of mulch and set up whatever supports your plant variety needs.

Tomato plants love water and need 1-2 inches of rain per week. If you get less than this, be sure to water them often.

State fruit - Tomato (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How To Plant Tomatoes Indoors

Tomatoes can also be grown inside the house in containers, but they need lots of direct sunlight so you will need to position them carefully. They should get at least 6 hours of sunlight per day in order to grow well and produce good fruit.

Additional Tips On Planting Tomatoes

If you are growing tomatoes in the ground, be sure to rotate them to different parts of the garden each year. They are very prone to disease and moving them around will help to stop the common tomato diseases from becoming established.

For the same reason, if you are growing them in containers it is best to discard the compost and clean the container, as well as burning the remains of the plant, at the end of each season.

Warning: although tomato fruits are safe to eat, other parts of the plant can be poisonous. Protect from young children and pets.

Good luck with your tomato plants. I hope you have a bountiful and delicious crop!

Summer Gardening for the Butterflies

There are many different reasons that different people decide to plant summer gardens. One common reason that is becoming more popular these days as people to seek to entertain their children through little things done closer to home is to attract butterflies. This is much easier done than one might think if you live in the right environment for these lovely insects to thrive and flourish.

Michaelmas Daisies attract a lot of butterflies and bees.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Butterflies are beautiful creatures with very short life spans, and maybe it's for this reason that they seem to be attracted to beautiful things during their short lives. Brightly colored flowers attract butterflies in droves. This means that flowers such as aster, marigold, black-eyed Susan, and butterfly weed are all known to attract butterflies.

Another thing you may wish to consider when selecting flowers for the purpose of attracting these delightful winged creatures to your summer garden is the nectar. This is the essential food for butterflies so a garden that is filled with more nectar-producing flowers is likely to garner more than its fair share of attention from the butterflies nearby. The greater the selection of nectar-producing flowers the greater the number of butterflies your garden is likely to attract so be sure to plant plenty and prune them in a manner that produces maximum flowers for maximum impact.

In addition to the flowers in your summer garden there are other methods that may be used to attract butterflies to the delight of young and old alike. One of those methods is by placing a several pieces of ripe fruit in your garden. This is another treat for butterflies to enjoy and will attract many that may be in the area.

One thing to remember when planting to attract butterflies is that they do adore worshipping the sun. This means that shady types of gardens aren't best suited for attracting them and won't keep them around for long even if a few happen by. Plant your butterfly garden in an area that benefits from the full force of the sun most of the day in order to entertain the most possible butterflies, and keep in mind that different butterflies are attracted to different plants both as caterpillars and as butterflies. A little further study may produce the best results when seeking the most suitable plants for your butterfly garden depending on the type of butterflies you most hope to attract.

 Monarch butterfly(Danaus plexippus) on a Zinnia Flower - Zinnias are favored by butterflies, many gardeners add zinnias specifically to attract them. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You should also avoid using pesticides in a flower garden built to attract butterflies. It wouldn't make sense to attract butterflies to your garden only to harm them through exposing them to chemicals while paying your summer garden a visit. Employ organic gardening methods in your butterfly garden for the best results.

You should also make sure there is a source of water nearby in order to keep the butterflies well hydrated. They need water just like any other animal. Many gardens these days add water features that keep the water moving (best for avoiding mosquito infestations) while having it freely available for the animals that we are hoping to attract such as birds and butterflies.

Our summer gardens are an investment of both time and attention. It is great when we can accomplish more than one beautiful result from our hard work and effort. A summer garden designed to attract butterflies is a great way to achieve just that.

Resources on Butterfly Gardening: 
   

Maintaining Your Summer Garden

There are many things that go into planning and planting a summer garden. Far too often would be gardeners do not consider the time and energy that should be spent maintaining a summer garden in order to keep it looking beautiful and healthy throughout the long dog days of summer and, hopefully, into the first frosts of fall. If prolonging the life and beauty of your summer garden is a priority then there are things that must be done in order to keep everything ship shape and in good working order.

1. Create a calendar of things to do in your garden for routine maintenance throughout the summer growing season and follow it as closely as time and the weather will allow. Make sure this list allows for upsets such as a week of rain or a week of no rain as well as time to adjust for these inconsistencies and an inability to work in the garden when temperatures are uncomfortably hot. Having a list of things to do written down in a place where it can be seen will be much more likely to be accomplished than if it were out of sight and out of mind.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Make sure you keep your garden weeded, watered, mulched, and fertilized according to the needs of the specific plants within your garden. Check for leaves that are turning yellow and any pruning that needs to occur on a weekly basis. Remove dead leaves and flowers, and remove all weeds whenever the opportunity or need arises. If weeds are becoming a prevalent theme you may want to increase the amount of mulch being used in your gardening efforts.

3. Trim the areas of your lawn that need trimming in order to create a more uniform appearance between lawn and garden. You do not want to diminish the beauty of your garden because your lawn is looking shaggy and unkempt. Devote a little time to lawn care in order to keep your lawn and garden on a consistent scale with one another throughout the summer gardening season.

4. Make sure that you carefully study each plant that you have in your garden and are aware of any special needs that exist for one plant over another. If your plants that need shade or extra water are either receiving too much sunlight or not enough water you need to make efforts to provide shade for them and get more water to them throughout the remaining months or you risk losing the investment of time and money you have already made in procuring and growing these plants.

Taking proper care of your garden during the summer months can make the fall harvesting process go a lot more smoothly, while also helping prepare for the planning that will occur in the winter months ahead. Learn from the maintenance of your garden and plan the next garden with the needs you became aware of this season in mind. Always take time to learn from both your successes and your summer gardening failures for the best possible results. Learning to maintain your summer garden properly is the best way to determine whether or not you want to attempt a more or less ambitious garden in future growing seasons.

Keeping Your Summer Garden Green Longer

There are many things we do to add a little splash of color to our summer gardens but wouldn't it be nice to prolong the life and enjoyment of our summer garden, and keep it looking lush a green just a bit longer?  This article will give you a few tips to keep your summer garden looking crisp and green as long as possible by taking a few extra steps a little earlier in the summer months to prepare for the inevitable beginning of the end.

One thing to keep in mind is that once your garden begins to take on that yellowish brown hue that indicates the end of summer it always seems to be a downhill ride into the fall. That ride, more often than not is over far too quickly and your summer garden is but a dim reminder of its formerly glorious summer greenery.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. First things first, get rid of the yellowing leaves and dying flowers as they make their appearance. They rob the remainder of the garden of its splendor and leave the pallor of decay on the garden far too soon in the season. You will be glad you did, as it will immediately restore the look of health and vitality in your remaining garden plants.

2. Weed. Remove those pesky weeds that detract from the beauty and lushness of the greenery in your garden. By removing the weeds your entire garden looks better almost immediately. While you are at it, reapply mulch. This will delay the inevitable return of the weeds while also providing an extra layer for holding in moisture to keep your plants from drying out and losing their bright green color. Another great thing about mulch is that it simply makes things look neat and orderly.

Pot Garden (Photo credit: Earthworm)

3. Fill in the gaps. While you are in the process of plucking leaves, weeds, and dead flowers from your  garden it is quite likely that a few gaps will be created. Fill them in other greenery, small shrubs (evergreens are a good idea in this situation), potted plants, or nice garden art. The effects are often stunning and you have the look of an almost new summer garden for only half the effort and expense of creating one. You may also want to scour the local plant stores for late season offerings and markdowns. These are often well cared for and in good condition to add a little touch of color or green to your garden.

4. Another oft-overlooked way to keep your summer garden green is to plant plants that are appropriate to your climate. On an ordinary summer, excluding drought or excessive rain conditions, this will be the best way to achieve maximum greenness from your garden. This is actually one of the best ways to prolong the life of your garden as well because the plants being used are accustomed to the weather patterns that exist in your locale. For this reason they will be much better suited to stay green and healthy much longer than most implants that are not accustomed to the local weather patterns. It truly is sustainable gardening!

Creating a greener garden is a worthy cause for most gardeners. We plant our summer gardens because we want to enjoy them. By keeping them green, healthy, and vibrant a little bit longer we are able to prolong our enjoyment of our gardens as well as the productivity of our gardens. This means more flowers, more fruit, more vegetables, and much longer spans of greenery for the uninitiated. It's well-worth the little bit of extra time and maintenance.

Video - Growing Leafy Greens In Your Summer Garden

Here is an interesting gardening video which covers some interesting ideas for greens you can grow in your summer garden. Most people think of summer as the time to grow tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, etc., but greens are one of the healthiest things you can eat, and many can be grown year-round quite easily - even in containers. Some greens may bolt (flower and go to seed) in hot weather, so for lettuce, arugula, etc., you may need to do multiple short succession plantings, as they will last for a shorter time than they would in the fall or spring. This is fine for sustainable gardens, as you will be able to rotate these in between other crops throughout the season, which helps enhance the soil and reduce pest problems.

Check out this video for some common and less-common greens you can grow in your summer garden:

Over a Dozen Leafy Green Vegetables You Can Grow in your Summer Garden
John from www.growingyourgreens.com goes on a field trip to Bayer Farm in Santa Rosa. In this episode, John will share with you some common and some uncommon vegetables you can grow in the Summer Time. After watching this episode you will learn over ...

Video - Growing Summer Squash

Well, here we are in May, and danger of frost is past in most areas of the US by now, or soon will be, which means - it will soon be time to plant summer squash!  Summer squash is one of the favorite vegetables of the summer garden, as it's easy to grow, grows quickly, and produces a lot. In fact, for a small family or single gardener, you'll probably only need a few plants. You can extend the harvest, if you like, by successive plantings, but be aware that certain pests love summer squash, so you may have more success with the first few plantings, before the squash bugs get too bad. For a few more tips, see the short video below.

Vegetable Gardening : How to Grow Summer Squash
Summer squash, which includes zucchini, is a warm-weather plant that loves the heat of the summer months. Use a rototiller to get summer squash out of the ground with help from an organic farmer in this free video on vegetable gardening and horticult...