The toms were getting bushy again, so it was time to give them a 'haircut', so to speak...and do more tying-in. They just keep growing up, up, up. Before... ....and after Some up-close shots of the work. They are coming right along.
Your plants look very happy after their hair cut! Imagine how big and yummy all those toms are going to get!
Lovely plants, look at all those green soon-to-be-delicacies! Hm. If I ever get a green house I shall have to hire somebody to come and show me how to take proper care of the tomatoes. It just seems so difficult to grasp. Probably because I've never tried, right?
Hiyah Gardenmama-- The cups are buried directly over the root ball. They are for giving the plant so that it doesn't run away. As you probably know a tom plant "feeds" with the shallower roots and "drinks" water with the lower ones. I plant my toms almost horizontally with the root ball slightly lower than where the plant curls up to grow up the stick. One time I water only in the cup to let it drink...another time on the soil between the cup and trunk of the tom(because I know that's where the more superficial stem roots are) to "feed" it food. Have a look here--just scroll down to the tomato section: http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoorn ... age22.html
that certinally answered my question too about the cups. Your info pages are great, I also read down about the asperagus. Not knowing anything about them I learned how to go about it. Since we been late on getting things in here, (with our unpredictable weather) we just put asperagus in about a month ago so I do hope it'll still come along next year.
Well, petunia, it should do... the first year is usually a "lost" year in terms of harvesting; however, the roots are busy doing their job. Be sure to post some pics and comments when things get going. I am glad that you found those pages helpful, Petunia. I feel all proud. You are welcome Gardenmama. I often forget to make a comment about those cups. Just pure oversight--of course folks can't know what they are for unless they happen to do things the way I do. Of course you understand that the cups have small holes in their bottoms to let the water out, right? I hve used opther things over the years... things like plastic quart or half gallon bottles, plastuc tubes...all sorts of things. I even bought a couplew of perforated, pointy things one can screw onto the top of a drink bottle...then stab it into the ground and add water. They work well too. I have not yet tried the water collection-drip system yet. I may do one day, but things are going ok now. My problem is that I read alot about gardening techniques and I wind up with all these things in my memory and I often as not want to try things I have no experience with. DROOPY: Seriously though, All the tom techniques are not difficult to grasp once you understand the plant and it needs...and how it does what it does. Like you understand your flowering plants and thus know what to do to take care of and get the best out of them. Of course, you know that a person can just grow toms. Period. No special or fancy techniques and most of the time, things will turn out ok. My partner is always telling me that I go OTT with plant care. heh heh heh. I tell her that of course we could just grow things, but if we understand the plant our chances of success are much better.
They look wonderful Sjoerd. There's nothing like fresh toms out of the garden. Oh how I miss my dads.
We planted asparagus last year and what we have read about and learned is that you cannot harvest until the 3rd year. Mine has come back the second year now I can't wait until next spring to finally get to eat some! http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgar ... ragus.html
Good luck GM-- Having your own asparagus to cut fresh in the morning is really nice, isn't it. I wish that I had the room for a bed. BTW...which kind do you grow...and how do you grow them--in a hill or flat out of the ground? Do you harvest them white or green, I mean so say?
Mine are green...we did the method where you dig a deep trench and then build little hills in the trench and put the roots on top of that...and slowly add dirt as they start to grow....the directions we had were to dig it 18 inches deep...we have several small aparagus spears this year, they are tiny and weak but over the summer and fall the root system will improve and next year I should have some to eat.
I've tried to grow Asparagus and only got pencil size ones. This year I planted purple ones and again got pencils. I keep hoping they will "grow up" and make ones I can actually eat. More fertilizer perhaps? Thanks for the pics of the tom babies. My plants have set some, not as prolific as yours in their little spa. I've planted a second crop of beans and lettuce. Hope they do well in our long growing season. Will also plant a fall crop of beets, spinach, carrots, others. Will you be able to keep your lotties? Gardengater
Yes...I'll be able to keep my lotties--as long as I am a member of this organization. The way it works is that you pay a small annual fee, and for that you get a parcel of land to cultivate. As long as you pay the nominal annual fee and adhere to the rules, you can use the lottie(s). Does that make it sort of clear?
