Preserving

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Tomatoes Planted at the Plots

I have been very busy since Monday morning, toatlly tied up until late today. Although I didn't make many comments to the Harvest Monday posts, I did read many of them and appreciate everyone stopping by and commenting on my post.

After posting on Monday I spent the entire day at the plots only coming home to eat dinner and then returning. First I planted 24 tomato plants in Bed #3 a/k/a Tomato Alley and then an additional 8 plants in Bed #5.

Tomato Alley is planted with 22 of the later tomatoes and 2 early tomato plants that I had left over. The nice big one on the left is a Paul Robeson, seeds compliments of EG. The later tomatoes have really improved since the re-potting and look exceptionally happy! I am convinced that there was a problem with my second bale of starting mix.

One of the later maters...looking much much better!!


Bed #5 with the 8 additional tomato plants. The Little Marvel English Peas are coming up, slowly but surely. I am hoping that all of the rain since Monday night has helped them along. One zucchini will be planted at the end of this bed and there is still quite a bit of room for some other veggies behind it.

The Fava Beans, Precoce A Grano Violetta at the end of the strawberry bed. When the beans are ready, I am going to plant some more celery in this spot.

The strawberry plants are developing some fruit. I know that many of you don't let them produce the first year, but I want to eat some!!

I started 2 Three Sisters, one at the end of Bed #2 and one at the end of Bed #4. For those of you who don't know what the Three Sisters planting is. It is a way that the American Indians planted corn, pole beans and squash. First you make the mound, and plant the corn in the middle, then in a week or two you plant pole beans that will climb up the corn and then you plant squash at the base. All of the plants are supposed to compliment each other. I have never tried it before but thought it might be fun and pretty two. I sowed Japanese Hulless Popcorn in the middle of both mounds. I thought it would be fun for my "Little Garden Helper". I know I just loved it when my mother started planting popcorn at the farm when I was young. I think that the mounds look like volcanoes especially with the little piles of composted manure around the edge.

Here are Beds #1, 2 & 3 on Monday all cleaned up and  here


are Beds # 4, 5 & 6 on Monday. You can see the Three Sisters mound at the end of Bed #4 on the right. I just hope that this rains stops soon and everything doesn't start to rott and my mounds don't wash away! Please Mother Nature....give us some sunshine!!

17 comments:

  1. It's hard to believe that just a few months ago the plot was full of weeds. Look at it now! Fantastic!

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  2. You must be exhausted! Don't kill yourself before you get a taste of the produce.

    The plots look amazing.

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  3. What a garden of Eden! You've done it! Pssst, you're putting your neighbors to shame. Not nice for the new kid on the block to do that ;-)

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  4. Hi! I'm back. I forgot to check the box for comments :-D

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  5. Amazing transformation of your garden!

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  6. You have done a wonderful job on your garden plots...everything is so nice and neat. I hope you post lots of pictures of your progress. Beautiful!

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  7. How many total tomatoes again? You're insane :) (says the pot to the kettle!) Everything looks great, at least all the rain is making the soil happy. I think I might try the mounded corn, the rows never work here. Yep, thanks a LOT, more for me to do now LOL

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  8. robin, that there is sure a lot of maters. Your plot is amazing.

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  9. What will you do with all those tomatoes. We have only 20 total and that's a lot! I can't wait to see your harvest!

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  10. AG is right-you're making the neighbors look bad. You have to leave at least THREE weeds in there.
    Seriously, it's looking wonderful. Your canner is going to be BUSY this fall!!

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  11. Envious that you can grow tomatoes outside. Our plants just succumb to the dreaded blight.

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  12. Liisa, Thanks, I think that I forget how bad they were until someone mentions it to me.

    Ali, Monday was the first time that I spent a full day there. It's a good thing that I did. It has been raining since I left.

    Thanks Granny, I've done it when I get some good harvests from there!

    Patricia, I only wish the weather and my schedule would cooperate for a few days so I could sit down over there and enjoy it a bit!

    Erin, I hope that the 3 sisters plantings work out. I think it will looks pretty cool. I planning on you to call search and rescue if needed!!

    Lorie, My husband is Italian and we never have nearly enough canned tomatoes to make it through the winter.

    Jody, Last year I harvested 220 lbs of tomatoes and canned a lot of them. We ran out of tomatoes half way through the winter! This should be enough for us and my in-laws to preserve for the year. I will can alot of mine plain, make salsa to can, make some ketchup to can and hopefully my husband will make some sauce to can. My in-laws will freeze their tomatoes from the plots.

    Sue, I will take a picture of how many thistles will be in a couple of those beds when I go over....hopefully today. Yep, it's going to be a busy canning season!

    Greenfingers, We had the blight here two years ago. It arrived late in the season...it was devistating to say the least.

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  13. It's looking so good. The frames around the beds are great for defining the space. You should be very proud of your hard work.

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  14. Thanks Marcia, I think that I would be going crazy if we didn't frame out those beds. Hopefully they will some day become raised beds!

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  15. The garden is really coming into it's own now... and the plants look quite happy. Congratulations on getting so many tomatoes planted up. That is a big task.

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  16. Laura, I'm very pleased with how well the plants are doing at the plots. My peas aren't doing all that great....but, everthing else is. I think that this year will be a learning experience over there as to what should be planted there and here.

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  17. Whew, your working ypur little butt off :o) but just imagine the harvest ..girl ;you will be sweating :o)
    but what joy that will bring..everything is looking beautiful..I copied your basket idea with a couple of my tomato's and I like it..Next year I'm going to use it for peppers too..thanks.

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