Articles and Tips February, 2008
Growing Tomatoes From Seed
If you don’t want to use tires to start your tomato seeds and you don’t have a greenhouse, then start your seeds indoors.
Tomato seeds ought to be sown 6 to12 weeks before the last expected frost date, most varieties will germinate in 5 to 12 days. For optimal germination, the soil temperature should be between 70 to 75 degrees F. Moisten the soil medium before sowing seed. Sow seeds and cover lightly with vermiculite. …
Hostas
I love Hostas. They just seem so elegant as they grow in their shady part of the garden.
I have not long moved house, coming from a very sunny site, to find that it is very shady in the front garden of my new home. So, what to do? buy hostas!
Sales of these plants has been increasing over the years, and I have lost count of how many varieties that now appear in the catalogues and …
When Should Compost Be Applied?
The principal factor in determining when to apply compost is its condition.
If the compost is half finished or noticeably fibrous, it could be applied in October or November. By spring, it will have completed its decomposition in the soil itself and be ready to supply growth nutrients to the earliest plantings made.
Otherwise, for soil enrichment, the ideal time of application is a month or so before planting. The closer to …
Grow Your Own Veggies
I have mentioned before the benefit, both financially and healthwise, to grow your own veggies.
There is nothing more satisfying in a garden, than to pull your own carrots, eat your own tomatoes and dig up your own potatoes. The principles of being able to produce good quality vegetables,
relies on good soil. A healthy soil is a living community of tiny organisms that cycle nutrients, which helps plants get those nutrients and overwhelm disease.
Green manures are …
