Getting Dirrrty in the Garden
I am probably going to be the worst vegetable gardener in the history of gardening. Let me put it this way: I kill houseplants. Regularly.
But I’m giving gardening another a try!
Somehow I got it into my head that I want to grow tomatoes in my backyard this year. So yesterday I headed over to my local Walter Andersen’s Nursery and a nice lady named Carol helped me out and indulged my stupid novice questions and now I’m the proud caretaker of two tomato plants.
Room to grow
I decided to get one plant that grows little cherry tomatoes, so I chose the Yellow Pear variety. And then I wanted one heirloom tomato so I got a Druzba plant. Apparently, I can expect to grow so many tomatoes from these two plants that I will have to give them away. Carol said I won’t be able to use them quickly enough. Yippee!
(Whoa! I just looked at the photo of a mature Druzba and they’re kind of ugly. They better taste better than they look!)
I hated getting my hands dirty because I’m a priss. But hopefully the dirt under my fingernails will be worth it when I’m cooking this summer.
Next up on the mental radar: Blueberries! Any tips for a brand new container gardener would be much appreciated. Help me not kill my plants!
I heard you say that you kill house plants. Haha…I do too. But, I found a magical product that is the size of a kitchen appliance, sits on your countertop and produces cherry tomatoes, green peppers, fresh herbs, flowers. Most of all, it is fail-safe. Even ME, I am able to grow SALAD GREENS…..HOORAAYY… It is called an AeroGarden. It grows 5x faster than dirt, uses no dirt, mess. You can get it at www.aerogrow.com or at your Sur La Table Stores….TRY IT! It is Absolutely Amazing.
Comment by Dawnestelle — April 19, 2006 @ 3:53 pm
Tomatoes are the best veggie to grow in SD. You can neglect them and they will still provide! I recommend using good fertilizer as I believe it affects the taste and quality of the tomato. Have fun!
Comment by Kady — April 19, 2006 @ 5:40 pm
Good luck!! I have a family history of gardeners but I’ve never had much luck. My tomatoes all got eaten and my courgettes went mildewed last year so I’m trying green beans next. I think you’re doing the best thing starting small with two plants!!
Comment by Jenny — April 20, 2006 @ 7:05 am
Use composted manure and fish emulsion for fertilizer for your tomatoes and you cannot go wrong on the flavor. Make sure the plants get more than six hours of sun per day, and don’t overwater them–tomatoes get a bit tastier if you water them sparingly.
As for blueberries–they like an acidic soil, so if you know where you can get sawdust or wood shavings to add to the soil when you plant them–it is a good thing. I have friends who grow blueberries in boxes that are filled only with compost and sawdust.
Water blueberries well–they like it damp, and they should produce nicely for you.
Comment by Barbara — April 20, 2006 @ 7:07 am
My Mom used to grow blueberries and the only problem we had was keeping the birds away. I think if you throw some cheesecloth over them it will prevent the little buggers from eating your crop.
Comment by Jen — April 21, 2006 @ 9:58 am
I kill houseplants too but for some reason herbs and vegetables are a lot easier for me. Good luck!
Comment by Susan in Italy — April 22, 2006 @ 1:49 am
Good luck with your gardening. I can’t wait to see how your tomatoes turn out. I much prefer yellow tomatoes because they are less acidic.
I noticed you mentioned being a priss about getting dirty. I’m never happy cleaning out the dirt from under my nails when I dig so my mother, the ultimate gardener, taught me a trick that, if done right, works like a charm! Take a bar of soap and claw it until you have soap shoved under all the nails. Go garden. When you come back to wash your hands, tada, no dirt or very little under the nails. I just used the technique yesterday. Still works.
Comment by Nerissa — April 22, 2006 @ 8:15 am
You have one of the best blogs I’ve seen in a long time. A foodie who loves gardening. You’re definitely a kindred spirit! Thanks for the blog. I’m subscribing to your feed now!
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