Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Courting Spring

I wanted to have bragging rights and have the first tomato on the block but instead my premature sowing failed miserably, twice. San Marzano was the lone survivor of December 15th's seed sowing session.

Check out the stem on my tomato! Tomatoes are the only seedlings I pot up. I buried my soil block deep into a container. Doing this makes for a healthy petiole.

I pulled out all mature onions but left behind Onion-Yellow Granex. They’ll be in good company since tomatoes and onions are best buds. You can’t tell from this picture but the soil has been worked. I tilled the New Zealand White Clover previously sown between row plantings and added compost.

I trimmed off several leaves and buried most of the stem. In case your keeping track this is the second time this seedling has been buried deep. This should grow a slew of new roots and the plant will grow strong and steady.

It's also time to pluck off flowers. This will prevent the plant from devoting energy to forming fruit before its roots and foliage have filled out.

Lastly, mulch. Last season I used black plastic mulch. This season I’m simply using compost as mulch. Why? Because I have a bale of the stuff. I’ll eventually feed my tomatoes Sea Magic Organic Seaweed Growth Activator and patiently watch for the first sign of spring.

Resources: Organic Gardening

2 comments:

Lisa said...

I'm looking forward to a small herb garden this year. I know you can't wait until the first tomato from your own yard!

sheepish one said...

i LOVE this post, as i suppose that tomatoes are my favorite part of my own garden...
next year, i will be starting my seedlings in december, too... as it was, i started mine in january, but they are measly little things now, compared to yours. and yes!! that stem is a veritable trunk!
even if only one plant has survived your sow, it looks like a promising young plant now! may it reap a bounty.