Selecting Tomato Plants

Garden and home improvements centers as well as big box stores have a myriad of tomato plants available from bright reds, luscious yellows, to black/purples.  Most of the cultivars are hybrids but there are plenty of interesting heirlooms too.  It may be difficult to decide on a suitable cultivar for the home garden.

The hybrids have been cross bred with compatible types in an effort to create a plant with the best features of both parents.  The result may be resistance to diseases, bugs, and pests or it may be the aim for a certain color or size.

The heirlooms are true and tried open-pollinated (non-hybrid) cultivars with high quality tasting fruit with unusual and interesting markings, colors, and shapes.  The seeds have been handed down through generations of growers.

It is also helpful to know the difference between determinate and indeterminate types of cultivars when selecting tomato plants.

The determinate varieties are also known as bush tomatoes growing to a fixed mature size and ripen all their fruit in a short time.  Roma and Celebrity are such examples.  The indeterminate varieties of tomatoes continue to grow throughout the season until killing frost.  They may grow four to six feet tall and require staking.

For our home garden on Back Forty, we selected the following:

Better Boy that is bred as an improved version of Big Boy.  It is supposed to be resistant to common diseases and blossom end rot.  The fruit is extra-large and ready to harvest in 70 - 75 days.

Lemon Boy is a popular hybrid with brilliant colors and intense sweet taste.  Unfortunately it is prone to white fly infestation and spraying with neem oil solution is recommended.

We also selected the bold Black Krim originating in Krim, Russia, a long time ago.  It's an heirloom with flattened reddish black fruit with a salty flavor (we are told).



I couldn't resist selecting the Cherokee Purple, another heirloom, that was first grown in Tennessee and sent to a chemist in North Carolina.  It has thin skin and soft flesh.  It likes warmer temperatures and I may have rushed to set this one out too early.

To complete the selection for now, we choose the Sweetie 100 as our cherry tomato.  This plant is also suitable for a container on the porch.



To plant the tomatoes, dig a much deeper hole than the pot they came in and mix in commercial manure, your compost, Ironite (optional), Calcium Nitrate for good measure to ward off blossom end rot, and regular garden fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 8-8-8 or use specific tomato fertilizer wit trace elements.  Finally, be consistent with watering.

Happy Gardening!

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Nourishing your Squash

For the last few years, I have had problems with my yellow squash:  it developed blossom end rot.  The plant looked green and healthy and the blossoms looked like I was going to get a good crop of squash; however, the ends of each blossom (fruit) started to rot and there was no way I could save the vegetable.  I cut it off and threw it out but more developed with the same result.

Blossom End Rot

Checking out the Gardening Know How on line about blossom end rot, I found out that my squash suffered from a calcium deficiency.  One of the suggestions to combat this deficiency is to use lime and if you choose to do so, follow the direction on the package.

Gardening Know How had an interesting suggestion of making your own calcium concoction:  Boil twenty (20) eggs, peel, and soak the peels in one (1) gallon of water for about two (2) weeks, and then water around the affected plants.

I went to see the good people at Standard Feed and asked them if they had anything to enrich the soil with calcium.  They said that Bone Meal would do the same thing; however, I did find the Hi-Yield Calcium Nitrate.

From the package of the Calcium Nitrate, I found that blossom end rot is a common problem and it is a"physiological disorder (not a disease)."  This happens "when fruits are enlarging rapidly and sufficient amounts of calcium fail to reach the end of the fruit resulting in a deficiency of calcium in the developing fruit."

To prevent blossom end rot, I plan to treat each squash plant with one level teaspoon of Calcium Nitrate applied to the root growing area and thus avoiding direct contact with the plant itself.  For best results, this procedure should be repeated in two weeks.  It is also recommended that these procedures take place as soon as there is a healthy seedling.

Note:  The Calcium Nitrate is recommended for tomatoes and peppers in prevention of Blossom End Rot.

Sources:  Gardening Know How, gardeningknowhow.com (by permission) and Hi-Yield Calcium Nitrate.

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How to Prepare the Ground for a Flag Pole

Using a post hole digger, we dug a foundation hole 2 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep.  We filled the bottom of the hole with a sack of gravel (pebbles) and as I recall one sack of dry sand (as opposed to sea sand from the beach).  The pebbles and the sand should reach a combined depth of 6 to 8 inches.

The flag pole comes with a PVC ground sleeve (for the pole's protection) and it should be inserted about 1 inch into the sand.  At this point, insert the bottom part of the flag pole into the sleeve for stability.

Now comes the fun part:  to mix and pour the concrete.  We used 3 bags of 60 lbs plus 2 bags of 40 lbs.  We mixed the concrete in a special tray (bought at a home improvement store).  Each bag comes with instructions of how to mix the concrete and how much water to use.

By all means remove the flag pole section from the sleeve but be sure to cover the opening of the sleeve to prevent concrete to fall into it which spells trouble.  Pour or scoop the concrete into the hole and let it cure for at least 24 hours.

After the concrete is poured and tamped down around the sleeve, put the flag pole section back into the sleeve and use a level to make sure that the flagpole is absolutely vertical.  You do not want it to lean.

My husband made a form of a plastic flower pot with a 1 foot in diameter and 6 inches deep to place on top of the now cured concrete.  He mixed additional concrete and poured it into the mold.  The mold could be removed but he decided to let it be and it wouldn't show anyway.  Let this concrete also cure.

Follow the instructions that comes with the flag pole.  It comes with printed instructions and drawings.

Fly your flag proudly.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

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The fine print:  I use my blog as a journal to record what is going on in my Back Forty Garden and Park.  It is not my intention to tell you how you should gardening, grow your fruit and berries, vegetables and herbs, or take care of yourself.  The content is my own ramblings and so are the pictures unless otherwise stated.  I hope, however, that I have sparked some interest in gardening and related subject but it is imperative that you do your own research.

Spring Time

Some places are still getting snow and we were fogged in this morning but Spring has sprung.  This is a wonderful time to weed out your flower beds and add mulch and fertilizer to the shrubs.  Why not go ahead and plant a tree while you are at it?

I went out to the Back Forty this morning to take some pictures of pine trees in the fog and I was met with a very strong orange blossom aroma.  It does have a distinct odor that can't be missed or ignored.

Orange Blossom

Scenic Creek

From time to time, I have mentioned the tidal scenic creek that runs along the east side of the Back Forty.  It's a great place to find a heron or two along with white egrets.  Ducks make noisy landings in the creek too but the large black turtles don't seem to mind.  They just keep sunning themselves on the banks.

Have a great weekend and enjoy Spring Break

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Zucchini

Gardening is seasonal and cyclical and I am back at sowing zucchini.  It really doesn't matter what type of squash, zucchini, that I want to plant, the method is the same.  This season, I plan to save some of my seeds so it is important that I sow open-pollinated seeds and that, at a minimum, do not let the growing vines with blooms touch another types of squash.

In other words, I am sticking to the same kind.  Depending on the space in my garden, I will keep the Summer Squash and the Zucchini as far away from each other as possible.  I have even considered planting them at different times in different garden plots.

It is recommended that the squash seeds be planted in hills, in small mounds, with a ring about a foot in diameter, around each hill.  The purpose for the ring, or circle, around the seeds in the hill is to catch the water and divert it to the roots.  It will do the same for common garden fertilizer and other nutrients.  It also prevents the fertilizer to come in contact with tender plants and prevent burns on their leaves.

It takes about 7 - 10 days for squash to germinate and 50 days to harvest time.  Considering how large a mature squash plant reaches, I try to give it plenty of room to grow.

After germination and the plants look hale and hearty, it is time to thin them out.  It's difficult for me to just pull the less developed plants and toss them onto the compost pile.  I have left them alone in the garden in the past to let the fittest survive.  But less is more, isn't that the saying?  I would leave two or three plants left standing and remove later if necessary.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

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The Fine Print:  I use my blog as a journal to record what is going on in my Back Forty Garden and Park.  It is not my intention to tell you how you should gardening, grow your fruit and berries, herbs and vegetables, cook, or take care of yourself. The content is my own ramblings and the pictures are my own unless otherwise stated.  I hope, however, that I have sparked some interest in gardening and related subjects, but it imperative that you do your own research.

Turnbuckles

I never know what I might need in the garden aside from a hoe fork, a spade, and a rake.  How about a turnbuckle or two?  A what?  What in the world is that used for in a vegetable garden?  Well, if you have pole beans, you do know.

Not too long ago, we (my husband and I) removed the dry pole butter beans vines and prepared the soil for a new crop as soon as the weather gets warmer.  While working around the poles with three tiers of horizontal wires for the beans to climb on, we noticed that they were sagging quite a bit.

Hmm!  Do we have to rewire or what?  Nah, we can get some turnbuckles and see how that works, my husband said.  That called for a trip to the good people at the hardware store where we found a large selection of turnbuckles at a reasonable price.  Because we had three sections of wires, we need three buckles.

Turnbuckle

The purpose for the turnbuckles is to let you adjust the cable length and the tension.  It is, however, important that the turnbuckles are suitable for your wires.  The eyelets that the wires are tied to need to be adjusted equally by turning the center piece of the turnbuckle.

My husband loosened the wire at one end and pulled it as tautly as possible.  He cut the wire so that he could thread each end in each eye of the turnbuckle and fasten it by hand or using a pair of pliers.  The end result should be a rather taut wire.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

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The Fine Print:  I use my blog as a journal to record what is going on in my Back Forty Garden and Park.  It is not my intention to tell you how you should gardening, grow your fruit and berries, vegetables and herbs, or take care of yourself.  The content of my blog is my own ramblings and the pictures are my own unless otherwise stated.  I hope, however, that I have sparked some interest in gardening and related subjects but it is imperative that you do your own research.

The Rutabaga

This fall I sowed red top rutabaga; the yellow rutabaga seeds were not available.  As it turned out, the rutabaga was a hit and miss.  Some came up while others didn't.  That was fine with me because I really didn't like the red tops too much. They are too strong for my taste.

The rutabagas that did grow became giants.  This is the last one that I pulled out from the soil.  It grew mostly on the surface of the soil with the roots still in the ground.  I told my husband that I wasn't planning to grow anymore rutabagas but he told me he liked them so that settles it.

I have cooked this particular kind of rutabaga with potatoes after first having cubed both of them to cut down on cooking time.  I have cubed the rutabaga and used it in soups and stews and used it in the crock pot along with meat.  I still have left over rutabaga.

I was told that I may put the rutabaga in the freezer for later use. First, I peel it, cube it, and blanch it and then cool it down under running tap water, bag it, and put it in the freezer.  It may be a good idea for me to label it too.

Sometimes, the Canadian yellow rutabaga may be found in stores and it is usually covered in wax, at least partially.  If you live near an IKEA, look in their food section for ROTMOS, take it home and to cook it, follow the direction.

This fall, I will look for the yellow rutabaga, direct sow and let them grow to please my husband.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

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I use my blog as a journal to record what is going on in my Back Forty and Park.  It is not my intention  to tell you how you should gardening, grow your fruit and berries, herbs, or take care of yourself.  The content is my own ramblings and the pictures are mine unless otherwise stated.  I hope that I have sparked some interest in gardening and related subjects, but it is imperative that you do your own research.

My Common Herbs

Someone said that it is easy to gardening if you think like plants.  That may very well be true.  I have found that some plants grow well in one place and not so well in another.  Not too long ago I bought a very nice green and low and full and aromatic Rosemary plant only to find out that it was a creeping plant.  Both of us might have been shocked to find out what it was and where it was going, respectively.

I divided the Rosemary into three parts and planted them in a three sectional box by the trellis by the the pond.  This will give it a chance to climb or it may spread along the box or it may cascade down.  It has plenty of room and it is still living so I am waiting to see what it will decide.

Parsley, the curly kind, is a staple in my garden and in my kitchen.  It grows best in the cooler time of spring.  I am surprised at how well it has done.  I planted it at the end of a log box and it is time to harvest the parsley, chop it up, and let it air dry on a baking sheet in a cool place; that is, away from the kitchen.

Dill is another staple that I sow or plant in early spring.  I prefer to transplant the dill--from garden center to my garden.  It is in a place that gets the early morning sun.  Some gardeners recommend that dill be sown where it is to grow.  I also spread the dill out on a baking sheet or newspaper and let it air dry.

Sweet Basil is a must have herb.  It does well in the warmer season and the more you pick, the more you get. I have no luck drying the basil so I use it fresh with tomatoes as often as possible.

Oregano, a hardy herb that survived the winter between the Evelyn Roses.  It is also time to cut it down so that it will renew itself and grow again.  I use the oregano in soups and stews and it easy to air dry.

A common Mint is also a survival and it reappears every year around one of the small orange trees.  It has a tendency to travel more than I do.  I use it fresh as a garnish in my fruit salads, tea, and wine.

Finally, I got a pot of common Thyme, divided it into three parts.  I use Thyme as need for fish and egg recipes.  It does well during the heat of the summer.  It gets the early morning sun as does all my herbs.

Happy Gardening!

Thank you for visiting my blog.

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I use my blog as a journal to record what is going on in my Back Forty Garden and Park.  It is not my intention to tell you how you should garden, grow your fruit and berries, herbs, or take care of yourself.  The content is my own ramblings and so are the pictures unless otherwise stated.  I hope that I have sparked some interest in gardening and related subjects, but it is imperative that you do your own research.

Visit from the Owl

I was organizing the seed packets in the Sun Room when I saw this fast soaring shadow outside and I wondered what could make that and had to go outside and take a look.  There he was, sitting on top of the small bird house that my granddaughter had built and painted last year.  She and her granddaddy had put it up.  So it is leaning a bit, but that's OK.

I went inside to get the camera and the owl was still there waiting for me.  He kept turning his head to the right and left so that I could only see the back of his head.  Let me see your yellow beak!

The owls are special creatures with "silencers" at the tip of their wings.  It seems to be extended, if not additional, feathers at the end of the wings that silence the swooshing.  When they do fly, they do not make any noise.  They just appear.  (Info from a PBS program.)

The owl seemed to be very curious about me as I looked at him.  Do we have an understanding here?  How about a smile?

The owls keep coming back to their familiar places and I am sure that the owl recognizes us.

We had a few days of warm weather, but it is back to socks in the crocs.  It is supposed to be warmer next week so that I can go back to gardening on the Back Forty.  Until the, keep warm!

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Time for Contender Snap Beans

Spring is here, meteorologically speaking, and the Daylight Saving Time will be here in a few days.  It is definitely time to get the garden started.  New plants are available in garden centers and some of the cool weather plants have remained with us.  In addition, new vegetable and flower seeds are also nicely on display at the centers inviting the gardener to select a few packets.

Some gardeners turn the soil and let it be for a few weeks.This is so that the grasses and weeds will have a chance to decompose in the sunshine.  I have turned the soil but I don't think that I'll be able to wait.  The soil was relatively free from debris and I removed the dollar weed that invade my garden space and otherwise won't leave.

I prepared the soil for the high yielding, disease resistant, Contender Snap Beans, and under sunny skies the beans should germinate in about six days and I should be able to pick the snap beans in 40 - 60 days.

I doubled sowed a five foot long patch; meaning that I made two furrows where I otherwise would sow only one.  It works very well for me and the beans have plenty or room to grow.  I also planted two short rows elsewhere near the garden.

Seed Saving:  I asked the helpful lady at Standard Feed if their seeds were open pollinated, heirloom, and not hybrid.  She said that all their seeds were open pollinated and if they were hybrid e.g. tomatoes it would be stated on the packages.  I have plans to save some seeds from the Contender Snap Beans and hybrids will not work.

At the end of the growing season for the snap beans, I will let them dry on the vine until they turn light brown and the beans rattle inside the pods when touched.  At that time, I will harvest the beans, remove the seeds from the pods and make sure they are completely dry, and when they are I will store them in a container in the kitchen cabinet until next season.  I am curious to see how this will work out.  How about you?

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Most Delicious Strawberry Jam

In the gloom and cold of the day, we went to the Farmer's Market in Jacksonville Florida, something that my husband and I both enjoy.  I bought the sweetest strawberries that I have ever tasted and I just heard that the strawberry production is down in Florida.  What?

I also bought beautiful yellow lemons, vine ripe tomatoes, sweet onions, and . . .

Ingredients for the Strawberry Jam:

Four (4) dry pint baskets of ripe, washed, hulled, and chopped Strawberries
Five (5) cups of granulated sugar
Juice of one lemon, plus finely chopped rind of 1/2 a lemon

Combine sugar and strawberries in large pot and set aside for about 2 hours.  Stir occasionally.

Slowly bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add a tablespoon of margarine to reduce foaming.

Add lemon juice and rind, bring to a boil, and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Here is the tricky part for me:  The jam is now supposed to be ready but it is runny.  I let it simmer for an additional 20 - 35 minutes and spot checked now and then for jelling by dipping up a teaspoon of the jam to see if it would form a thin "skin" and drip somewhat slow.  If it does, it is "done".  Now, that is being scientific!

I filled my clean jars, sealed them with hot melted wax, and put the tops on them.  That is it for me.

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