Rooting tomatoes

I've been a bit late in trying to get my tomatoes properly supported, so they've been growing in all directions.  The unseasonable heat is encouraging growth!

The first order of business was to get in the tomato supports and twine the leader shoot around them (I like to use the curvy poles in the raised beds, although I'm also training some up trellises in the side beds).

In wider beds, I like to use sturdy tomato cages, but in the narrow raised beds that I have here in the mountains, the poles look nicer and don't take up as much space.

But, in pinching back the exuberant axillary shoots, extra branches, etc., I thought I'd propagate an offshoot of one of the Cherokee Purple tomatoes, which was already showing plenty of root primordia on the stem.  As I harvest beets, carrots, and onions, there'll be more space for other things, whether more tomatoes or more shade-tolerant veggies like chard.

I just received a nice e-newsletter from Fine Gardening, a favorite gardening magazine, with an excellent article about pruning tomatoes -- more than I usually manage to do, but informative!

I was delighted to see that my shoot (tucked in a very deep pot) managed to survive a hot afternoon, and perked up by evening.  It'll be ready to plant in a week or two.

lower bed looking towards ravine

Here's a view of the lower raised bed (with the original tomato plant marked).   It doesn't really get enough sun to be very productive for tomatoes, but I've planted several, along with some squashes.  We'll see!

Chives, seeding, and other vegetable gardening activities

It's so heartening to see buds swelling on the blueberries, oaks, and buckeyes.  Not to mention the spiky clumps of chives.  I was thrilled to see an asparagus tip poking up in the small asparagus bed, and happily mulched that bed and my onion & garlic beds with partially broken-down straw (it had served as a Mocha barrier from compost through the winter).

Additional tomato and pepper seeds came on Saturday, so I went ahead and sowed an assortment in trays on a germination mat.  I'm following Renee's Garden methods this year, and will transplant the small seedlings to larger pots as needed (rather than allocating valuable germination space to more pots!)

I dug up a new bed for potatoes, cut them up for sprouting, and am ready with more straw (I'm planning to cover them with straw this year, rather than soil).

I hopefully sowed a few more vegetable seeds in pots (chard on the germination mat, spinach and mustard spinach in containers) and called it a good day in the garden.

Raised bed gardening

One of the first gardening activities I did back 'at work' today was helping plant and get ready to plant two raised beds at the Clemson Child Development Center. One is for the 2 and 3-yr olds; the other is for the 4 and 5-yr olds.

This is a grant-funded activity, but supported by volunteers.  I'm there in my 'official' capacity, but am donating all the plants and seeds personally.

It was such fun to get the potting mix ready, mixed with sustained release organic fertilizer and mushroom compost.  Then we helped the kids dig small holes, as I showed them how to plant the collards, broccoli, and lettuce transplants, and sow radishes and carrots.

A great afternoon.