All posts filed under: tomatoes

Ultimate Guide for How to Acclimate Your Seedlings to the Outdoors

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jjjj Why is it important for seedlings to be exposed to the outdoors? The air movement and light is important for development of strong stems, promoting leaf growth, and healthy root growth Also important for preventing root rot, disease, and mold If weather does not allow for setting your seedlings outside, you can also set them in a sunny window with a circulating fan set on low about 5 feet away from the trays. Remember to rotate the trays so your seedlings will not grow crookedly as they reach for sunlight. Why is it important to move seedlings outside gradually? Young seedlings that have been started indoors, are very sensitive to extremes in light, temperature, moisture, and wind. Too much shock early on can cause your seedlings to be stressed, which makes them more prone to diseases, and vulnerable to insects, all of which can cause stunting, rot, or death. Introducing seedlings for limited amounts of time to the outdoors during gentle conditions will prepare them for the tougher days ahead, without killing them before …

When Should I Start Tomato Seeds?

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When DOES one start tomato seeds? That’s a good question!  I have had many people ask me about this, especially momma friends who would like to do this as a project with their kids. When should I buy tomato seeds? Usually, the best time to buy them is in January of the year that you plant to grow the tomatoes.  That’s when the seed catalogs start rolling out, and garden centers start putting out the seed racks.  I would recommend taking your kids to the garden center to help you select seeds they think would be fun to try!  But if you would rather just order on line, I have provided a few links for you. How long does it take to grow a tomato plant from seed? To get a tomato plant that is big enough to grow outside, similar in size to a plant that might come in a 4pack at the garden center…..8-12 weeks Growing Time Depends on what variety of Tomato You Grow, so look at the back of the tomato …

I Garden Because I Can….Pun Intended

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Why do you like gardening? This is a poem I wrote about what gardening means to me, during the summer of 2012, when my family and I took on a huge garden plot…we planted around 100 tomato plants, thinking only a few would survive…but almost all of them did! I was in over my head, and it was so much work, but it was an experience I’ll never forget! Since then, I have taken on much smaller gardens, only planting about 6 tomatoes a year.

Best Heirloom Tomato Varieties

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So what is an heirloom tomato, anyway? According to The Seedsavers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, an heirloom seed is one that has been passed down from one family to the next for many generations. In my experience, heirloom tomato varieties are selected more for their flavor than their looks. Grocery store tomatoes often look nice, but are lacking in that mouthwatering flavor of an heirloom tomato. Learn more about the Seedsavers Exchange How to save tomato seeds My Top 5 Favorite Heirloom Tomatoes: Click on the variety link for additional information and photos of each variety. If you’re still not quite sure which varieties to try, you can attend an heirloom tomato tasting event in Decorah, Iowa at The Seed Savers Exchange and taste from a selection of hundreds of heirloom tomato varieties. Heirloom Tomato Tasting and Seed Saving Workshop: August 31, 2013 My picks: Kellogg’s Breakfast: This is one of the strangest, largest tomatoes I have ever seen. The flavor is out of this world, if you are lucky enough to harvest one before …