Planting Report

Disclaimer: this may be WAY more information than you ever want to know about my garden. Don’t think that I’m nuts and that I think that you are actually entertained by this (though some of you gardeners may be!). All this garden business is actually a log so I know what I did this year so I know whether or not I should repeat or amend for next year.

This was a gorgeous weekend to be out in the fresh air! First of all, let me tell you, there are no pictures of me digging holes in the ground. I’ll let you envision it all on your own: Me, sitting on top of weed barrier, on the ground, stretching, scooting and digging holes. Yup. That’s right. Hey? What do you expect me to do with a bad knee? This morning I laid out the soaker hose but I need a few pins to hold it in place. I’m hoping the soaker hose will water slowly and deeply without getting the foliage wet (which can cause fungus and disease to the plants).

I wasn’t able to get fish heads in time… so… maybe next year. This is what I put in the tomato holes (in order): 4 egg shells (crushed with spade in hole), 2 asprin, 1 handful of bone meal and 1 handful of Zoom organic fertilizer. I planted about ½ of each plant into the ground. They are all tied to a 6 foot stake using figure-8 loops.

Celebrity Tomatoes:
I had 2 pots of these. I planted one and the other pot had 2 plants in it so I separated them. One went in the ground and the other went into a bigger pot to give away. So far, so good. Just hoping the roots aren’t too damaged and will “take”.

Brandywine Tomatoes:
I had 2 pots of these as well. I planted one and the other also had 2 plants in it. I separated them as well. The one that is in the ground is doing well, but the one in the pot is wilting in the sun, but recovers overnight. I’m hoping it will permanently recover. I might have to give it a shot of fish & seaweed fertilizer to give it a boost.

Bush Goliath Tomato:
I bought a $25, 6 foot high, iron shepherd’s hook and a topsy turvy planter for this guy (who, so far, looks like my healthiest tomato plant). Once I got it planted and filled, I hung it on the hook and the hook started to sag. So I moved it closer to the deck and anchored it to the deck rails with some twine. So far so good. I’m very interested in seeing how this topsy turvy thing works out. It seems WAY too easy. Stay tuned for updates and reviews.

I couldn’t really remember what I was “supposed” to put in the pepper holes (besides a match head (for sulfur). But I do know that they are very close to requiring the same nutrients as tomatoes, so this is what I added to the pepper holes: 2 egg shells, 2 match heads, a sprinkling of bone meal and a sprinkling of fertilizer. These got planted at the same depth as they were in their pots. These are tied to 4 foot stakes using a figure-8 loop.

Cubanelle Peppers:
I planted 2 of these babies. One pot had 2 plants, but after the stress I had over the heirloom plant, I decided to plant them together in the sunniest spot of the garden (so that neither would suffer from shade. So, technically, I have 3 cubanelle plants.

Hot Banana Peppers:
2 of these are in the ground. Pretty much uneventful. They look good.

Strawberries:
Are doing FABULOUS! The berries are getting bigger by the day. I planted the runner in a small pot in the hopes that it will root and that I’ll have successfully cultivated a brand new plant! Some berries are actually showing signs of light pink.

Garlic:
I decided last week that I wanted to plant garlic, so I took 4 cloves out of my fridge and put them each in a small pot. Well, one week later and those guys are sprouted about 2 inches already! While I was at Mahoney’s, I saw garlic plants for sale and mine looked just as good (if not better) than theirs! I might transplant these into the garden and I might get a few more from Mahoney’s. I really want to make a garlic braid. I’d need at least 6 plants total to do that. I already have 4.