Heirloom tomatoes!

Hey ladies,  

 

A few of us attended the Cedros Gardens Heirloom Tomato class.  It was fabulous.  Naomi had a great insight(which I probably won’t say as well as she did but you will get the jest.)   -- "this whole gardening thing really is a science - so I guess we have to learn the science in order to do it right."  

 

Here's what I learned:

 

.Heirloom tomatoes have good amount of sugar - that's why the taste is so great

.Tomatoes we get at the grocery store have already been harvested for 6-8 weeks by the time you buy them.  Those tomatoes are picked green, hard and then “gassed” to make them red before they are put out at the store. 

.Commercial fertilizer leaves salt in the soil and are only effective temporarily (anywhere from 3-4 days to a month).  .Organic fertilizers can stay and fertilize up to 6 months.

.Two groups of tomatoes - "Determinate" - shorter stalks, more bushy - better of the two groups for planting in a container.  They also usually produce all at once.  "Indeterminate" - longer stalks (up to 20 feet) and are better grown in ground.  Usually produces gradually.  

.Planting in pots:  Use Azalea/Camelia plant mix by E.B.Stone (1.5 cubic feet costs $8.99) with a little organic compost and "soil Optimizer" made by John & Bobs.  

If you are growing in beds you can layer the following components to get a great return on your garden and you don't have to dig in these layers, but can immediately plant in:  

1^st layer:  Soil

2nd layer:  "Biosolmix" (fertilizer by John & Bobs  - 6 lb. bag covers 1,000 sq. feet and costs $19.99)

3^rd layer:  "Soil Optimizer" (soil conditioner by John & Bobs – 3 lb. bag covers 1,000 sq. feet and costs $18.99)

4th layer:  Worm Castings (normally you have to dig these in and let sit before planting by Agrwinn  - 10 lb bag covers 400 sq. feet and costs $9.99). 

5th layer:  Mulch ½ - 1” deep

 (All these products can of course be purchased at Cedros Gardens.)

 

Biosolmix takes care of a whole bunch of potential diseases/pests including nematodes

 

If you are buying a tomato plant you don't want to buy it with any flowers on.  If there are flowers on your plant, pull off most of the leaves and flowers leaving just a few at the very top and bury the plant including most of that stem up until the leaves you left on.  This forces that plant to go back to the growing stage.  It will force the plant to grow more roots instead of fruit.  (When the flowers are on - that is the fruiting stage - you want your plant to have the whole growing stage first.)  

 

Plant only one plant per container (at least a 5 gal container for "determinate" and at least a 15 gal container for "indeterminate" plant)

 

In the ground:

1.  Plant your tomato plants at least 3-4 feet apart. (Don't break apart the roots - hopefully you won't have a pot-bound plant anyway).  

 

2.  If using organic fertilizer - you may fertilize it the same day you plant.  

 

3.  Watering!  (THIS IS THE BEST INFO I GOT AT THE CLASS):  water thoroughly and slowly for 30 minutes.  Repeat this process 7 days later for a total of 4 times.  If you are using a container - water until it leaches out 3Xs after you plant.  

 

Now about watering - We water because we feel guilty.  We need to water only because the tomato plants tell you to water.  So this how you listen to the plant:  After that first month in the ground go out IN THE MORNING and see if the plant is wilting.  If it is - water it slowly for 30 min.  (Not in the middle of the hot afternoon).  Look every morning AND IF THE PLANT IS WILTING - water it slowly for 30 min.  (You might go 7-14 days between watering at this point).  Just listen to the plant talking in the morning!  

 

If your leaves drop or are yellow - you are watering too much!  

 

Stake your tomatoes before you put the cage around them.  And keep wiring the plant to that stake as it grows to support each flowering branch.  (If the plant gets taller than the steak - wind it back down the stake as it grows.)  

 

A little word about diseases and pest control.  There's a great book called "Tomato Diseases".  This guide provides descriptions and pictures of the more common tomato diseases and disorders.  For each disease and disorder the reader will find the common name, the cause, where it occurs, symptoms, conditions necessary for development and control measures. 

 

A few treatments were recommended as follows:

 

.White flys - "Organic Leaf Wash" by San Diego Organic Supply (SOS) – 1qt costs $24.99 (this also works for fungus problems - it is a soap)

.Tomato Hornworm (Man these are nasty looking creatures) -  “BT Worm Killer” by Greenlight (You need to spray 2 nights after the full Moon.  This will actually kill the newly hatching eggs)  

 

.General bug and aphid killer – “Envirepel" (4 oz. per gal plus 1 tsp vinegar to help the treatment stay on the leaf longer - vinegar actually is good for every kind of application in keeping it on the leaf longer)  This product will kill bees if you spray the bee so use it early in the morning or late in daylight hours to avoid the bees buzzing around.  Gloria Hamson also gave us a recipe for a similar garlic based aphid killer – you may find that on this blog. 

 

The last treatment for soil in general might be helpful for you.  It is a product called "Penetrate" by John and Bobs 8 oz. covers 1,000 feet and costs $17.99.  This breaks up clay soil (sometimes as fast as 48 hours).  It contains the very important beneficial bacterias.  A fabulous product in preparing your soil for planting.  

 

 Have fun gardening with tomatoes! 

If anyone wants to join Naomi and myself at the next free gardening class at Cedros Gardens it is on Herb Container gardening.  You have to register on their website.  It starts this Saturday, March 28 at 10 a.m.

 

 

 

Resources, Resources, Resources

Hey ladies,

I found the preparedness blog that will meet all your preparedness needs FOREVER!  http://letsbeprepared.blogspot.com/.  This has pages and pages of info.  It also has a whole bunch of other websites and blogs on the subject you can tap into.  

I also found another lecture of Wendy DeWitt that you can all view.  I think it's the exact same presentation she gave back east that we viewed at Heidi's.  It is in 9 segments and the sound isn't so great.  http://letusprepare.blogspot.com/2009/01/wendy-dewitt-food-storage-seminar.html

You can also find the booklet I copied for you at http://ourldsfamily.com/madsengarden/EverythingUnderThe Sun.pdf  I do have about 5 copies left if anyone wants one.  (It's 26 pages) I charged $2.50 to cover the copying.    

Sister DeWitt also has her own personal blog that gives a little detailed info on her presentation and also provides a place you can ask her questions.  http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com/

Now having said that - she does talk about canning butter.  On the "letsbeprepared" blog we have another opinion about canning butter and potential bacteria than can develop if you don't can it right.   So I will do some more research and let you know what I find out.  Unless any of you have some info to share about that particular topic.  I think that might be the same problem with canning some of her prepared breads/desserts.  So I'll try to find out more.  

The last website is Sister Madsen's (whoever she is?)  She has a lot of gardening info.  (Although a lot of it has to do with gardening in Utah - it's still worth the read.)  http://ourldsfamily.com/madsengarden/

Organic homemade garden spray

This is the spray I used last year and it seemed to work. I used it on both roses and vegetables. Be sure to try it on a small spot first just to make sure. And, it is always good to spray early morning - not in the heat of the day.

3oz minced garlic
2T mineral oil
1tsp liquid ivory soap
2 C water
Mix well and let sit over night.

Strain small amount through coffee filter and measure 2T into spray bottle. Add 2 C water and shake well. Spray away. (Can use any size sprayer - just keep the same ratio 2 T mix to every 2 C water.

Soil

The referal I have for good top soil (I haven't tried it yet) is A-1 soil. I understand that they are reliable and you can count on it being good:
A 1 SOILS HANSON AGGREGATES
858-577-2727
9229 Harris Plant Rd
San Diego, CA 92101

A couple of years ago, I ordered a big load of top-soil from Evergreen and couldn't grow anything in it. Upon investigating, I found out that they are recycling various things and you don't know what you are getting. After about a year of leeching with water and doing soil tests and adding amendments, I am now able to grow ice plant in it and some other things. Now that I know, I will go get my soil from a reliable source.

Garden Tour 3/14/09 at Lisa Beaumont's

We visited Lisa's magnificent gardens this morning.  You won't find more inspiration anywhere.  Lisa truly is a master gardener as well as builder/bee keeper and chicken landlord!  We picked her brain clean.  Now hopefully we can use that knowledge to get our garden going!  

Here are some of Lisa's favorite resources:

-two favorite seed catalogs:  Johnny's Select Seeds and Territorial Seed Company

-Lisa wants to order large chickens and would invite anyone to join her in her order - McMurray Hatchery (give her a call if you would be interested)

-Bees - Dadant

-Straw - Mary's Tack

-Berries - Indiana Berry (favorite raspberry is Heritage which is Everbearing)

-good small rotary tiller is "Mantis" - you can order it online.

-BJ's Rentals - rollers for laying Decomposed Granite between your beds to walk on

-Decomposed Granite (tan) Evergreen Nursery

-Soaker hoses - Home Depot

-Top Soil - try A-1 Soil (Nancy will report back about where to get good top soil)

-Motivating books to read about growing your own food:  Barbara Kingslover's "Animal, Vegetable Miracle" and Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Dilemma".  Mostly it will change the way you eat.  

-Grapes recommended to grow - Thompson seedless Grapes

I can't wait to see the pictures of Lisa's gardens and her bees being hived from her garden shed wall.  It's really amazing.  Thanks Naomi for posting.  I'm excited to see Nancy's garden next month and learn all about her food storage and 72-hour kits.  See you all later!

Pictures of Lisa's Gardens and Bees

This is a faraway view of Lisa's amazing vegetable and raspberry garden. She taught us all about how to install a drip system of watering.




This is a swarm of bees. When they get too big for their home, they leave as a swarm and attach to something. Lisa had a beekeeper help her get them into some new bee boxes in her garden. Some still try to return to their home in the garden shed, but she has tried to repel them with dryer sheets stuck in the walls.






Lisa discovered bees in the walls of her new garden shed (which she is building herself!). She called a beekeeper to help her get them into hives.

March Madness meeting 3/12/09

What a tub full of information we received today at our 2nd Provident Living Enrichment Group!  Yippee!  Thank Naomi for navigating us through the blog.  We can all share now what we learn.  

Today I made a little list of what I want to do together as a group -- here it is:  

- can meat (I need to get a pressure canner/cooker!)

- learn how to use our solar ovens

- learn how to use our dutch ovens

- learn how to use a smoker

- get Naomi to teach us about her Greek yogurt (Is that what it is called?)

- get Gloria to teach us about sour dough starters

- go get some of that mushroom mulch

-dry pack some of the Knox geletin (to be used for egg substitute)

- cook and dry pack all the delicious desserts Sister DeWitt taught us about on the DVD

- storing butter (we'll finish learning that at our next meeting)

- storing fresh eggs (we'll finish learning that at our next meeting)

-learning to dry pack at Nancy's next month

-putting together new 72 hour kits (I have diapers in my current kits - my youngest is 15 -- yikes!)  we'll see Nancy's kits next month 

-make cheese and store

Thanks ladies for jumping on the provident living bandwagon with me -- it's so much nicer than to go at it alone!  

Organic homemade sprays

For information on making your own sprays (using those nifty coffee filters Christine gave us) go here

Mulch - free for the digging

Free mushroom mulch available for your garden

Mountain Meadow Mushroom, Inc.
26948 N. Broadway
Escondido CA 92026

Mr. Robert B. Crouch, Owner

5.8 miles north on North Broadway from Valley Parkway and North Broadway in Escondido

Available 7 days a week – big dark pile inside gate on left

Free if you bring your own bags/buckets and fill them yourselves.

Will load pickup with skip loader on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings for $15.load

Here is some info from the American Mushroom Association.

Commercial mushrooms grow in a specially formulated and processed compost made from wheat straw, hay, corn cobs, cotton seed hulls, gypsum and chicken manure. The 3 to 4 week long composting period is closely supervised and managed to assure that the composting temperatures exceed 160°F for a few days in addition to a steam pasteurization which occurs about one week before mushroom spawn is mixed with the compost. Finally, a layer of sphagnum peat moss mixed with ground limestone is top dressed onto the compost, and mushrooms grow on the peat.

When the harvest if finished, farmers steam pasteurize everything in the growing room and dispose of the peat moss and compost that remain. This product is sold as mushroom soil, spent mushroom compost (SMC) or spent mushroom substrate (SMS). Mushroom soil is great for gardens as a slow release organic fertilizer (2-1-1, pH 6.8) when mixed into soil or as a mulch one year and a soil amendment the next. With SMC there need be no concern about heavy metals or pesticides since the compost ingredients have very low levels of heavy metals. Mushroom farmers have used integrated pest management practices for decades and pesticides are rarely used on mushroom crops. With steam pasteurization, all weed seeds are dead as are any insects and other pests that might be present. It is best not to plant or transplant directly into SMC, mix the SMC with soil at 50-50. Many garden centers on the Southeastern Pennsylvania have SMC available by the truckload or bushel, or a listing of sources for truckload quantities can be obtained from the American Mushroom Institute.

For more information, google mushroom mulch and read to your hearts' content.

Emergency Preparedness and storing fuel

On the Church's Provident Living Website there is a section on Pandemic Planning under Home and Family Preparedness.  That website also gives you government websites that talk about Pandemic Planning as well.  http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8041-1-4414-1,00.html  -- 

Elder Perry gives us insight on storing fuel:  "We have been hearing a lot about fuel and energy-about their high cost and limited supply, our unsafe and unpredictable dependence on their suppliers, and the need for new and sustainable sources of energy.  . . .The fuel I want to discuss is spiritual fuel.  The Lord has given us a beautiful plan about how we can return to Him, but the completion of our mortal journey requires spiritual fuel. . .What is required to maintain a sufficient store of spiritual fuel?  We must acquire knowledge of God's eternal plan and our role in it, and then by living righteously, surrendering our will to the will of the Lord, we receive the promised blessings."  I believe when we are surrendering our will to the Lord we are open to get direction of how he can protect and guide us.  I believe he is guiding us in this provident living endeavor.  I'm so glad you all are with me on the journey!    

Soil Test Kits

Buying Test Kits
Some of you had asked about the soil test kits. The test kit I used to use, I bought at Home Depot, but they are no longer available. I ordered a similar one off the internet and it looks like it works the same (I haven't had time to use it yet). It provides 40 tests, 10 each of pH, N, P, K. Also includes a list of what pH various plants like and how to add amendments. Following is one source for getting them:
http://cgi.ebay.com/RAPITEST-SOIL-TEST-KIT-pH-NPK-GARDEN-TESTER_W0QQitemZ360132306307QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item360132306307&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A2%7C240%3A1318

Benefit of Using Test Kits
It is really helpful to know what nutrition your soil contains and what pH your plants like when you add soil amendments in preparation for planting. When they are in the environment they love, they thrive!

Using the Test Kit
You can test the soil in areas that you are about to plant, if you are planning on adding amendments and in areas where the plants are struggling. You can test various areas of your garden, and also at intervals during the year. You don't really need to test soil if your plants are doing really well. I began testing because I wasn't getting good basil but everything else was fine. With testing, I found that basil likes a lower pH and my soil needed some adjustment. After doing that, my basil is huge and lasted for months and months!

Tips
Most garden veggies are in a similar pH range (6.0 to 7.0) and can be grouped together which is particularly important for crop rotation. Some, however, prefer a different soil and can't be rotated in. For example, potato likes 4.5 to 6.0, basil likes 5.5 to 6.5, chives 6.0 to 7.0 and mint likes 7.0 to 8.0. If your plants are struggling, you can use a test kit to see if something needs to be adjusted! It is very satifying to make an adjustment and see a plant thrive!

March is Planting Season!

People who set aside extra time for gardening in spring and again in fall find that their gardens require less maintenance during the cool winter and hot summer months.
-Plant artichokes, chayote, corn, green beans, New Zealand spinach and tomatoes.
-If you have room there's still enough cool weather left to plant a few cool-season crops: i.e. beets, cabbage, head lettuce, kohlrabi, mesclun, and potatoes.
-Of course you can plant year-round crops: i.e. beets, carrots, chard, radishes, turnips.
-Plant herbs

Gardeners with low-lying or mesa-top gardens should still be aware of cool temperatures at night and the possibility of frost until March 15.

Control Snails and Slugs

March is a good time to plant Citrus, Avocado and Macadamia trees.

Continue to fertilize Citrus and Avocado trees.

Begin to fertilize Macadamia trees

Red and Green

Nope, this is not a Christmas message. It is about the colors of the lettuce currently being harvested from my little garden. Where we live, I am able to grow lettuce year round. I also have chives, arugula, and peppers growing now. An Anaheim pepper (slender, yellow oblong sweet peppers) and a sweet red pepper were both planted February 2008. They never did die so I just pinched them back and they are growing away. The Anaheim has had peppers continuously since last May. They are yellow when ripe, but if left on the plant will turn orange and then red - while remaining sweet and tasty. They make colorful additions to a salad. The red bell pepper had fruit through January and now has blossoms starting for the next crop.

Just a warning, if you prepare your soil, plant, add water and sunshine, you know what will happen. You will be pulling weeds very soon!

One more thought, someone ask about my composting method. I keep a small bucket with a lid in the kitchen and put fruit and vegetable peelings, leftovers, etc. in it (no meat or dairy and I don't put in egg shells. They seem to attract raccoons.) Every other day or so I take the bucket out to the garden, dig a little hole, pour the stuff in, cover it up and I am done. I have been doing this for a couple of years and it seems to work fine.