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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Call the Volunteers! Autumn Edition

Tomato plantSame thing happens every year, at least since we routed the kitchen/laundry drains to the back yard: tomato seeds get washed down the drain, they find their way into the yard, they sprout. This year’s a little different: they got started early enough that we might actually get some tomatoes off them this year. I don’t see any frost in the extended forecast — these days, first frost ends up being in November often as not — so that helps too.

As you can see, I’ve put some cages up for support. What you don’t see is the few shovels of compost I’ve thrown around the roots. Funny how the directions with potted tomatoes say “bury ’em deep!” when they have no trouble at all putting down roots from the surface.

I guess I really need to put a bed out here for next year, and see what happens when drain water gets to work with a planned garden bed for a change.

3 comments:

  1. My sister has decided not to bother planting a garden next year, because she had more volunteers than planned plants this summer! Truly free food - gotta love it. I miss fresh veggies - maybe one of these days I'll have a place for a garden again...enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The reason instructions for planting tomatoes say to "Plant deep" is that whatever is underground will sprout roots. More roots, stronger plant.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey all!

    Beth, that's pretty cool about your sister. I also like vol's because you know they're happy with the conditions if they come up on their own. As for your own garden, you could use your car as a greenhouse. ;-)

    Hi Cone, haven't seen you around much lately. The tomatoes here sprawled around a lot before I put cages around them; any stalk touching the ground put out roots. So needless to say, I was really careful about lifting them as I put the cages down.

    ReplyDelete

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