The Garden: April 19thLess than 12 hours back from our wonderful vacation to Italy, I was on my way to Merrifield to buy some plants and get with the planting program. My eyes are always bigger than the space in the backyard so I had to contain myself while I ran up and down the herb/veggie aisles like a kid running through Toys R Us.
My first task was picking out tomatoes. I knew I wanted to grow four varieties. After last year's huge success, I wanted another patio tomato plant. The plant grows bushy rather than tall and thus makes it nice for a small growing space. I picked out a big boy variety tomato and a supersweet 100 tomato breed. The supersweet is a small variety that resembles a cherry tomato. I think this would be great for salads and caprese. The fourth tomato I want is an heirloom tomato. Heirloom tomatoes are very oddly shaped but very delicious. I couldn't find any heirloom plants, so I'll keep looking throughout the week. The garden center gets shipments almost daily.
After the tomato draft, I grabbed my standard herb varieties. Sage, oregano, rosemary, and basil all made it into the shopping cart. Before I knew it, I was elbow deep in potting mix and planning the layout for the garden.
A good tip for planting your tomato plants: bury them!!! When you set it in the pot or ground, you want to stick it deep in the ground so the roots will be further down. Deeper roots makes it easier for the plant to find water and nutrients in the ground. I bury almost half the plant under ground. Don't worry if you cover some of the young branches. They'll find their way back to the top.
I also planted a jalapeno plant. I include two stakes in the pot to help support the plant when it gets large and begins to bear fruit. Adding stakes/support when you FIRST plant is key. Once the plant gets too big and has no support, it is too late to try and add a stake. Trying to jam the stake into the soil through the roots is not easy and harmful to the plant. So have a little forethought and put the stakes in early. As the plant gets bigger, you can tie it to the stakes.
Thank goodness we got all the backyard work done on Sunday because the skies have opened up today. Perfect timing for rain if you ask me.
Get the plant deep into the pot...
A good tip for planting your tomato plants: bury them!!! When you set it in the pot or ground, you want to stick it deep in the ground so the roots will be further down. Deeper roots makes it easier for the plant to find water and nutrients in the ground. I bury almost half the plant under ground. Don't worry if you cover some of the young branches. They'll find their way back to the top.
...and then fill the potting mix halfway up the stem
I also planted a jalapeno plant. I include two stakes in the pot to help support the plant when it gets large and begins to bear fruit. Adding stakes/support when you FIRST plant is key. Once the plant gets too big and has no support, it is too late to try and add a stake. Trying to jam the stake into the soil through the roots is not easy and harmful to the plant. So have a little forethought and put the stakes in early. As the plant gets bigger, you can tie it to the stakes.
Thank goodness we got all the backyard work done on Sunday because the skies have opened up today. Perfect timing for rain if you ask me. 
3 comments:
Thanks for the witty and insightful blog! We started our (first) container garden just last weekend (also with plants from Merrifield Garden Center). Have you found any heirloom tomato plants yet? Look forward to following the progression of your garden!
No heirlooms at Merrifield. But one of the workers said they will have some when they're available. Here's a tip: I find the best selection is on Thursdays or sometime during mid-week. They usually get truck deliveries then and you don't have to fight the throng of people on the weekends. Sometimes the weekend selection gets picked through and you're left with less options.
Good luck on the garden. It may feel like a lot of work right now, but come June, you will love the rewards of your hard work.
Merrifield got a batch of Old German seedlings in yesterday! I'm still holding out for Brandywines but am getting antsy to plant some kind of heirloom tomato soon.
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