Into the Trenches! How to Trench Plant Tomatoes.

You know the adage about the shoemaker's children? The same holds true for the gardens of nursery owners. Our first responsibility is to ensure our green babies thrive and find happy homes. Then, and only then, can we take a moment to put our own selected babies to bed.

Spring 2012 wrecked havoc on my plants...and my nerves. The seedlings grew beautifully in the new greenhouse—lush and full of promise. But then, our spring vanished in a blink, and we faced unseasonably warm temperatures. Those lovely little seedlings became behemoth, towering monsters...far too early. Yes, I—like most gardeners—was excited about the prospects of early tomatoes. But then, suddenly, the plants grew too large to ship. Or transport to market.

I sold what I could, gave away plants to friends, and searched for community and school gardens to donate the plants.

After hours and days and weeks and months of work...the majority ended up in the compost pile. 

Heartbreaking.

But—this is not a tale of woe. (Well, maybe it is a little bit of a pity party...but let's just shake that off, shall we?)

This is a tale of how you can take a too-tall tomato plant and turn it into a strong, healthy, fruit-producing machine!

I admit, this is the first year I've tried trench planting tomatoes. I've never needed to contend with ultra-tall plants before. However, I've always been a believer in planting tomatoes as deeply as possible to develop a strong root system. Trench planting embraces the same premise.

The tiny hairs along the stem of the tomato plant will develop into roots upon contact with soil. By planting more of the stem underground, you're providing more opportunities for root development. By growing more roots, the plant can absorb more water and nutrients to produce a greater crop. And—the additional roots provide a sturdy support, bracing the plant against strong winds and storms.

Trench planting is ridiculously simple.

Step 1:

Remove the plant from the container—unless it's grown in a biodegradable pot, like I use. If your plant sports a biodegradable pot, tear off the top lip of the pot to the soil line.

Step 2:

Dig a trench approximately 4 inches deep, and as long as your plant is tall.

Step 3:

Pinch off or snip any suckers along the stem, leaving at least four sets of leaves at the top of the plant. (Must have those leaves for photosynthesis, of course!)

Step 4:

Place your plant horizontally in the trench, gently bending the top portion of the plant upward. Be careful not to pull too hard, or you might snap the stem.

Step 5:

Cover the root ball and stem with soil, gently firming the soil around the plant. The top of your plant will lean a bit—but as the plant adjusts to its new home, it will straighten.

Step 6:

Stake your plant. Remember—you want to keep those leaves off the ground to prevent disease.

Step 7:

Water well.

Now, wasn't that easy?

A few tips when planting tomatoes:

I always add lime into the soil to provide a boost of calcium to the plant. Calcium helps prevent blossom end rot—that nasty black spot on the bottom of tomatoes. It's best to add lime into the soil a few months ahead of planting...but honestly, I add it at planting time, and it's never failed me. (Crossing fingers.)

Also—remember to water consistently. My rule is: stick your index finger into the soil, approximately one inch deep. If it's moist—don't water. If it's dry, time to water! Inconsistent watering also leads to disease and poor tasting fruit, so make certain to keep those babies hydrated.

While we're on the topic of water—avoid wetting the leaves, which also can cause disease. Drip irrigation is best—it allows the water to get straight to the roots.

And—don't forget to feed your babies. If you prepared your beds with good, organic components—you don't need to fertilize at planting. However, tomatoes are heavy feeders. I use fish emulsion or a good, organic fertilizer high in phosphorus as fruit sets, and then I feed them again about every two weeks throughout the season.

Take a look at the N-P-K ratio, the numbers you see on commercial fertilizers:

N = Nitrogen, which promotes tissue development and big, green, leafy growth. Too much nitrogen, and you'll have a lovely plant—with no fruit.

P = Phosphorus stimulates root growth and helps the plant set buds and flowers. This is key in developing delicious tomatoes!

K = Potassium improves overall vigor of the plant. It helps the plant make carbohydrates and provides disease resistance.

The key to selecting an organic fertilizer is to choose one with a higher “P,” such as 5-10-5.

So, my gardening friends, your tomatoes will have strong roots, adequate calcium and water, and enough good nutrients to produce delicious summer harvests for your dinner!

I'm growing 60 varieties of tomatoes in our gardens of the 160 varieties I grew for the business. (I just need more sunny beds so I can grow them all!)

What varieties do you plan to grow this year? And what's the most delicious variety you've ever eaten? I'd love to know...(I'm craving bruschetta right now...for breakfast! Hurry up and grow, tomatoes!)

Happy gardening!

XO ~

Julie

The Art of Raising Beds in the Veggie Garden.

Have you noticed that we always have a project or two happening at our home?

Our projects begin like this:

Me: “Wow, Peter, look at this great photo of this lady's raised bed vegetable garden.”

Peter: “Hmmm....”

Me: “You know, we had a lot of problems with disease last year. I think we really need to consider raised beds, because I'm sure our soil is diseased.”

Peter: “Mmmm...”

Me: (Pulling out the Gardener's Supply catalog). “Wow, take a look at these raised beds. They're cedar, so they won't decompose, and they're completely easy to install!”

Peter: (audible sigh, then choking noises when he sees the price tag for the raised beds.) “I'm sure we can build something...”

Thus began the most recent of our projects: six, 4-foot by 10-foot raised beds.

I'm honest enough to admit that I want instant gratification from our projects. Once I decide on something (like a raised bed garden), I want to install it that day so I can start planting.

Peter, however, is a bit more...practical. And precise.

I think I've mentioned once or ten times that he's Swiss. Well, you know those Swiss. Those lovely people who gave us the finest chocolate and the world's most precise time keeping instruments are not going to rush head-first into a project.

Oh, no.

Instead, very methodically, Peter reminds me that our garden slopes.

I don't remember this. He's just stalling.

I look. Wow, when did that slope get here?

Ah well, we'll just put the beds down and deal with the slope.

Patiently, he explains that the beds won't lay flat. We need to create beds that are adjusted to the slope and that can anchor into the soil.

This is becoming complicated.

While Peter measures and plans and Swiss engineers his design for the raised beds, I gaze longingly at my ideal, too expensive and impractical-for-a-sloping plot Gardener's Supply cedar beds.

Me: (Audible sigh.)

As is par for the course with all of our endeavors, my idealized quick weekend project turns into a month-long, all consuming PROJECT.

This is how it works at our house: I come up with Great Ideas, and Peter somehow makes these ideas a reality.

I just need to work on my patience.

And, I must say, all of the measuring and sawing and Swiss perfectionism is always, always worth the wait.

TA-DA! Our new raised beds!

Our sloping garden is now tiered—we still need another delivery of top soil to fill in the gaps, and then we'll mulch between rows.

But today, I'm making soil.

There's a lovely formula for making soil for raised beds. First, though, we need to calculate the volume for each raised bed. Remember back to your junior high geometry class? Length x width x height? We're determining how many cubic feet each raised bed will hold.

As an example, our raised beds are 10 feet (length) x 4 feet (width) x 6 inches (height). My formula will look like this:

10 x 4 x .5 (half a foot or six inches) = 20 cubic feet.

The raised bed will hold 20 cubic feet of soil.

But wait—I have SIX raised beds.

20 x 6 = 120 cubic feet.

That's a lot of soil.

Particularly when you own a Prius, not a truck.

Once you calculate the volume for your beds, it's time for more math.

I'm sorry.

When building raised beds, there's an excellent formula to use to ensure you're making good, rich soil for your plants. If you follow Square Foot Gardening, the author claims it as his own mix--and has even named it for himself.

Interesting. I learned the formula in Master Gardener class years ago, and no one tried to claim a copyright.

The mix is a rule of “thirds”: 

 

1/3 peat moss

 

1/3 vermiculite

 

1/3 compost.

Peat moss is typically used to provide a light, airy texture to heavy soils. Compost provides nutrients and microorganisms for your plants' health, and vermiculite helps to retain moisture.

Using several forms of compost provides diverse nutrients to the soil. I'm using our homemade compost, comprised of decomposed kitchen scraps, leaves, chicken manure, and grass clippings, as well as purchased mushroom compost. (And I may try to load up the Prius with well-rotted horse manure from Bramblewood Stables, where the kids ride. But we'll see. I may not be brave enough to have it in the new car, even if it's in a covered container.)

So, by rules of “thirds,” I calculated what I needed:

40 cubic feet of peat moss

40 cubic feet of compost

40 cubic feet of vermiculite

Armed with my list, I went to my favorite feed and seed store and stocked up.

Did I mention that I drive a Prius?

As soon as I made the purchase, I drove straight to one of the big box stores to rent a truck to haul my loot home.

Hooray! The truck was waiting in the lot!

Despair! Someone just rented it.

Have I mentioned that I've never driven a truck?

Oddly, I was strangely excited to drive the truck. Perhaps it was the empowering notion that I could follow through on one of my wacky plans without Peter needing to intervene and save me.

The rental person assured me that the truck would be back in 1-1/2 hours. This was at 9 a.m.

By noon, I panicked. Still no truck.

Thank goodness for friends who know of my crazy plans. And thank goodness for my friend Brandy, who volunteered her husband and son to pick up and deliver my stash.

And, honestly—thank goodness that I didn't have to unload the truck!

Seriously. There are good people in this world.

Now, though, my task today is to move this pile to the back garden.

And fill those lovely, Swiss engineered raised beds.

By tonight, after a day of hauling and mixing soil, I'm certain I will be able to fit into my skinny jeans.

(Oh wait. I think I gave them away.)

Wish me luck! I'm determined to get the soil ready so we can PLANT.

It's time to play in the garden!

Do you garden in raised beds? In containers? In the good ol' Earth?

Stay tuned...I'll let you know tomorrow if I can still walk...

Happy Gardening!

XO ~

Julie

Ready, Set...Grow!

I've been remiss. Lately, I've blathered on about winter blooms, eating more veggies, and assorted garden/life meanderings. It's time to get serious.

The countdown is on.

It's a mere 20 days until spring.

Yippee!

(And--eek!)

Hopefully, you've rested up over the winter, snuggled with your seed catalogs, and designed your dream garden.

Now, it's time to get to work.

For the next few weeks, we're going to be each other's support systems, OK? I'm up to my eyeballs in seedlings and plan to live in the greenhouse until all of the babies are potted up. (Wish we had installed a fridge and a potty in there, darn it...and I hope the kids remember who I am when I finally rejoin family life.)

Still, I'll try to share a few pre-spring gardening tips to help you get ready for the BIG DAY. If you'd do me a favor and stop by, say hi and check to see that I haven't been buried alive by the 160 varieties of tomato plants, I'd be really grateful. Right now, my sole greenhouse companions are old episodes of “30 Rock” on Netflix...on my phone.

I love Tina Fey.

Anyway, before we get busy, we need to determine exactly when your BIG DAY is.

And by BIG DAY, you might think I mean the First Day of Spring, which is, emotionally, such a relief after winter.

Actually, the BIG DAY that impacts everything you do in the garden is....

The LAST EXPECTED FROST DATE.

That just doesn't sound as sexy as “First Day of Spring,” does it?

So, let's acronym it: LEFD.

Hmmm. That's even less sexy, I think.

Still, LEFD is the most important date on your growing calendar. By determining when your area's last frost is projected, you can plan when to start seeds indoors, how soon you can sow seeds directly into your garden, as well determine when to set out hardy versus tender transplants. After all, we want to get a jump on spring without murdering our green babies with a bout of sub-freezing temperatures, right?

Recently, there's been much publicity about the USDA's new hardiness zone map. The map serves as a guide to help determine which plants are most likely to thrive in your location. 

 

The updated map redefined zones based on climate changes and temperature increases. My zone, 7b, remains the same—but just 30 minutes away, a friend's zone changed from 7b to 8a. You can enter your zip code here to find your zone. (Personally, I found the slight variations in colors a little challenging when looking for my zone.)

The map is a terrific resource when deciding which perennials are best for your area, but it doesn't provide the all important LEFD, which you need to know when planting a vegetable garden. Instead, the classic Old Farmer's Almanac goes high tech with this fantastic interactive chart. Simply enter your zip code and up pops a schedule outlining when you should plant specific vegetables according to your area's last expected frost.

For instance, the results for my zip code search indicate that there's a 50% chance of frost after April 4. Personally, I like to hedge my bets, so I never plant our warm weather crops until April 15. (Also, to be honest—I don't have time to plant our garden until the end of April, because I'm too busy getting plants ready for customers. Yet another example of the “Shoemaker's Children”...sigh.)

Once you determine your LEFD, you can pull out the plans for your amazing kitchen garden.Take a look at the list of plants you want to include, get your seeds packets (or hurry up and order!), and then start counting backwards from your LEFD. Some seeds are best started indoors. Some hardy plants can be directly sown into the garden prior to the last frost. And some need to be planted after the soil warms a few weeks following the LEFD. 

For your planting pleasure, here's a cheat sheet:

Seeds to Start Indoors Prior to LEFD (transplant after last frost)

Chives, Globe Artichoke, Leeks, Onions--12 weeks prior to last frost date

Celery, Lemongrass--10 weeks

Eggplant, Peppers, Tomatillo, Tomatoes--8 weeks

Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Basil, Fennel--6 weeks

Cucumbers, Melons, Okra, Pumpkins, Squash--3 weeks

Direct Seed in Garden BEFORE Last Frost (hardy plants)

Onion Sets, Seed Potatoes--6 weeks prior to last frost date

Kale, Kohlrabi, Spinach, Turnips, Mustard--5 weeks

Beets, Carrots, Chinese Cabbage, Endive, English Peas, Radish--4 weeks

Lettuce, Swiss Chard--2 weeks

Direct Seed in Garden AFTER Last Frost (tender plants)

Beans, Celeriac, Cowpeas--1-2 weeks after last frost date

Corn, Muskmelon, Watermelon, Okra--2 weeks

Pumpkins, Squash--2 weeks

Cucumbers, Peanuts, Amaranth--2 weeks

You probably noticed a few items, like cucumbers and okra, are listed twice--to start indoors or to direct sow after danger of frost has passed. By starting seeds indoors, you're getting a jump on the growing of some fruits and veggies that require a long growing season until harvest. (We'll chat about harvest schedules next time...)

So, are you ready? Do you have your seed starting mix and some trays? Have you divided your seed varieties into similar starting times? Do you have a good light source?

Are you ready to unleash the stars of your ideal kitchen garden?

Then—let's GO! It's time to start some seeds!

Have fun! Plant what you love! And—I highly recommend “30 Rock” reruns to keep you company. Laughter helps plants flourish...I'm sure I read that...somewhere.

Happy Almost-Spring Gardening!

XO ~

Julie