Garden Tomatoes

Tips on growing tomatoes and gardening from Dave’s Garden.

Recently a large amount of aphids on my tomatoes. i got ladybugs to eat them, but the ladybugs left, even though i followed the instructions. so the aphids are still there, along with black ants. what can i use to get the pests off and still keep the plants organic? i tried peppermint soap, and that didnt work…………………thx!

I’m planning to use container gardening to grow tomatoes this summer. Do they have to be outside at a certain point to be pollinated? Or can I keep them inside in a sunny spot and have them grow fine?

Some gardeners worry how their garden will survive while they are away on holidays. With a little organization and preparation, you can go on holidays without worrying about facing impending doom in your veggie patch when you get home.1: Plan the timing of your holiday. Donâ??t decide to go lay on a beach somewhere when you know your gorgeous tomatoes will be turning ripe. Youâ??ll miss out on your harvest and be so disappointed (well I would!). I find the best time to go â?? if I must go in summer â?? is mid-summer. My spring vegetables are finished and my summer vegetables arenâ??t ready yet. 2: Adjust the planting of your garden. If you know youâ??re going to be away later in summer, then plant everything later so that it matures later â?? when youâ??re back and refreshed. This works well for tomatoes, capsicums / peppers, beans etc.3: Harvest before you leave. If youâ??re going to be gone a week or so, pick all your beans, even the ones that are too small to use. Beans stop producing when they are allowed to mature, so pick those that will mature while youâ??re gone. Do the same with eggplant. Tomatoes and peppers can generally either stay on the plant or fall onto the ground without harming the plants. Pick all the female flowers from your summer squash plants. Itâ??s amazing how fast a zucchini can grow into the size of a house when youâ??re not looking.

Take any fresh veggies along with you, especially if youâ??re visiting friends or relatives. Iâ??m sure theyâ??ll love it. 4: Get on top of the weeds. Pull out any larger weeds. You donâ??t want to come home to find your garden taken over by triffids. And gardeners know that one season of weed seeds, means seven years of weeding!5: Water deeply. Even if it has rained recently before you go away, you still should give your plants a healthy watering before you leave. Even better, is to have an irrigation system set up, with a timer â?? set and forget.6: Apply mulch. Mulch thickly (15cm / 6inches) with moistened pea-straw or similar after a good watering. Add some compost under the mulch as an extra bonus for your plants. The mulch will conserve water and prevent weeds. 7: Enjoy your holiday. Now you can leave your garden knowing that it has already been well cared for.

Imagine finding a way to save money, get some fresh air and eat healthier- all at the same time. The easy way to slash your grocery bill this summer is to grow a kitchen garden. A simple garden, that’s easy to tend to and maintain will supply you with an abundance of healthy vegetables and herbs all summer. Even a small investment of $50 in some basic supplies and seeds can result over $1200 in produce! That’s a huge return- plus you know it will all taste better than anything that’s been shipped to your local grocery store. There are three basic steps to get started. Plan, Prepare and Plant, it’s that simple. 1) Planning: It can be overwhelming to stand in front of a display of seeds and try to decide what to grab. First start with what you enjoy eating. There’s no sense in growing peppers if you won’t be enjoying them on your salad. You are in charge here and there is no obligation to grow certain things just because you think you should, or your neighbor is growing it. Sit down and really be honest about what you eat and enjoy. Start simple, maybe just go with two types of tomatoes, snap peas and green beans. Don’t go crazy and try to start with a dozen different vegetables, you’ll just get overwhelmed and not tend to the plants, or throw away excess. 2) Prepare: Head out into the yard and see what areas receive the most amount of sun during the day- Vegetable gardens need full sun! Now you’ll need to decide how much space you want to devote to your new garden. If you want to keep it simple, something as small as a 4 x 4 foot space would be enough. You could even get started with pots on a deck- the point it to just get growing! Next you need to dig up the soil and remove any sod (grass) from the area. Digging down about 6 inches to loosen up the dirt will suffice. Remove any roots, rocks and debris you unearth. To make sure you new plants are happy, you should amend the soil with some peat moss and compost. Compost is available for purchase, but starting your own compost pile is easy! 3) Plant: You know what you want to grow and you’ve got your seeds started, or purchased seedlings at your local greenhouse. Following directions for each to ensure proper spacing. Some plants will need some vertical support if they’re vining plants (i.e. green beans). You can string up trellis netting, or build a simple three-leg pyramid out of long branches. And keep up with the watering. Long hot stretches of dry weather will keep you plant too busy growing roots to find water, instead of growing up and producing! Put out some clean buckets and start catching free rainwater. Enjoying that warm juicy tomato you grew yourself will get you hooked on gardening forever. Maybe you want to have a more elaborate garden and are ready to take the next step beyond tomatoes and peas? Maybe you’re ready to get your own compost pile started so you can put that “black gold” straight into your garden? Go to: www.FirstLadyGardens.com for more tips and plans to create the kitchen garden of your dreams.