~Sunday, April 14, 2013
At
long last—the time we’ve all been waiting for: Growing Tomatoes (Part Two)!
It’s always fun when my dad
gets involved in the scene! The day
began with my dad getting up early in the morning to prepare the tomato garden area
with an “All Natural Garden Soil” so my mom and I could get to work when I arrived
with my camera and notebook ready for “class.”
(If you happened to make it to my event at Vroman’s Bookstore last
Sunday, my mom explained to the audience how my dad does the “hard part” first in the garden for her, and then she takes
over!) However, the fun part is when
my dad finishes his “job” but hangs around to watch what my mom’s doing and
starts asking questions: “Where are you putting the San Marzano tomatoes? What about the Cherry tomatoes? Why don’t you put more in that spot?” In the meantime, my mom keeps on digging—maintaining
her composure—and then finally answers, “The San Marzano tomatoes are the most
important! They need their own
space!! I’ll find spots for the other
tomatoes later!!!” By this time my dad
spotted the neighbor outside by the fence and was already asking him, “Do you
want some tomato plants?”
To plant tomatoes:
1. Sprinkle “Tomato and Vegetable Plant Food”
into the prepared soil: Use one tablespoon per square foot and work into the soil
with a small garden tool.
2. Dig four-inch-deep holes in the soil,
two-feet apart from each other, to place your plants into. (My mom’s planting area is roughly 15 feet in
length.) Your four-inch plastic containers should have the four healthiest
seedlings left that grew into plants about five-inches in height.
3. Gently squeeze plants out of their containers
and divide them into two halves so you are left with two plants in each half.
4. Place each half into their designated
four-inch holes carefully covering
with dirt up to the first layer of leaves at the base of the tomato plant. (Refer
to the picture where my mom is pointing with her purple glove!)
5. Form a watering basin around each plant to
ensure water will soak deep into the roots.
At this time, water each plant well, filling basins twice.
To maintain:
The tomato plants will need
deep watering at least three times a week while they are growing; however, when
plants are fully grown deeply water every four to five days (depending on the
weather).
To the left of the tomato plants are the fava bean plants--my mom just picked a ten-pound bag full of fava beans and shelled them this afternoon. (And shared with me that once shelled, they only weighed three and a half pounds!)
