White TomatoesRecently, an image of white tomatoes has been circulating on Facebook. Of course, that picture has been digitally altered and isn't real. As usual, it led me on a search to find out if white tomatoes actually exist. I am excited to say: White Tomatoes are real. They aren't pure white like some of the pictures you may have seen. They look more like the photo above from Johnny's Selected Seeds. White tomatoes often have a tinge of yellow and may even develop a slight pink or red on the shoulders, but for the most part they are white. I'm thinking of ordering the white cherry tomato seeds to add to my cherry tomato collection this year. Seeming I already have chocolate (more purple than brown), red, yellow and orange cherry tomatoes, I can't see any reason to stop now. Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!
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A friend of mine just sent me this picture that is apparently making the rounds on Facebook. The blogger who posted the picture on her site claims that you can tell what sex of a pepper is by turning it over and counting the lobes. It's a fascinating idea, but It's NOT true! Here's why. Peppers produce complete flowers that have both male and female parts. The resulting fruit is the swollen ovary of the plant. Fruit, like the pepper, is always female. (There are some exceptions in the plant world, but peppers are not one of them.) The number of lobes on a green pepper is due to the variety of pepper. There are three, four and five lobed peppers but don't be fooled by those Facebook posts All green peppers are female. Until next time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!
I've put off trying the topsy turvy tomato planters mainly because I think the bags look cheesy, but to a lesser degree because I'm not convinced tomato plants will actually do well in them.
A combination of events has changed my mind about trying them. You see, my husband came home with one the other day and seeming I have more tomato seedlings growing than I can possibly plant in my garden, I decided this was the year to give them a try. Update: As suspected this isn't a productive way to grow tomatoes. Unless it is your only option, seek other methods. Although I did get a few tomatoes from the upside planter, the stems tended to break and production certainly was much less than for tomatoes grown either in the ground or in more traditional containers. Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING! If you are like me and like to add new and unusual veggies to your garden, I just found the ideal addition that is sure to be the talk of your friends and neighbors. These Mexican gherkins, sometimes referred to a cucamelons or mouse melons, look like miniature watermelon but taste like cucumbers! Most of us think of gherkins as tiny cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) made into pickles, Gherkins aren't really cucumbers but they are closely related and have similar flavor. Most true gherkins are from East India and have a spiny skin. These tiny gherkins (Melothria scabra) are from Mexico and look like tiny watermelons. Reports say that the flavor resembles an already pickled cucumber as they have a sour lime-like aftertaste. Gherkins require the same care as cucumbers and can be grown anywhere that cucumbers thrive. Consider a trellis for growing cucamelons to show off these adorable Mexican gherkins in your garden this year. Update: I have grown these several times with varying success. They tend to germinate poorly and the foliage was small. I did get some fruit, but not the bumper crop I was hoping for. I will try these again this year (2019) and update you on my success. Until next time . . . HAPPY GARDENING! Here in Maine, we refer to straight neck and crook neck summer squash as simply "summer squash" while we call the green fruits zucchini. But what happens when you grow yellow or golden zucchini? I tried growing golden zucchini for the first time a couple of summers ago and was surprised by the number of visitors who didn't recognize it as zucchini because of its color. I does, after all, still look like zucchini. If you are wondering how to tell the difference between a straight neck summer squash and zucchini, you might find the article What's the Difference Between Yellow Straight Neck Squash and Yellow Zucchini? interesting. The answer might surprise you. I'll be honest with you, I wasn't impressed with the golden zucchini. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I couldn't get past the thought that zucchini should be green or if it was the flavor. My golden zucchini was sweeter and a bit softer than the traditional green zucchini I typically grow. Because my favorite way to eat zucchini is sauteed with yellow summer squash and smothered in pasta sauce, it just didn't look right either. Perhaps if I had grown both yellow and green zucchini I would have judged it differently. I bought the yellow zucchini seeds late in the year after my first seeds failed to germinate. (I'm still not sure if the squirrels and chipmunks had a tasty snack or if I planted them before the soil was warm enough for zucchini seeds to germinate.) At any rate, I choose the yellow zucchini simply because there were no green zucchini seeds available in my area and I didn't want to wait to order seeds. If you grow yellow or golden zucchini, I'd love to hear how you think it compares to the green. Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING! Pinching back plants typically forces new foliage to form along the stem of the plant. It results in dense, compact foliage that improves the appearance of your plants. For garden vegetables like tomatoes this causes the plants to become 'stocky' and discourages tall spindly growth. The decision to pinch back my tomato seedlings is always wrought with a bit of hesitation. I know that it is needed, but somehow pinching out healthy new leaves never feels quite right. I bit the bullet yesterday and pinched back all my cherry tomato seedlings and assured them it was for their own good. They had reached a height of six inches and I knew it was time. If you are growing vegetable seedlings inside this spring, don't skip this important step in preparing them for the garden. How to Pinch Back Tomato Seedlings
Until next time . . . HAPPY GARDENING! Hummingbirds teach us to transcend time, to recognize that what has happened in the past and what might happen in the future is not nearly as important as what we are experiencing now. It teaches us to hover in the moment, to appreciate its sweetness." - Constance Barrett Sohodski Lately, I've been dreaming of the return of hummingbirds. Even though they won't arrive in my area until the first week of May, I am excited to know they have started their journey north. According to the Ruby Throated Hummingbird migration map, they have made their way into the southern end of Georgia and are working their way north. These miniature birds follow the path of blooming flowers up the coastline until they reach their summer home. Planting flowers and offering nectar feeders when they arrive practically guarantees they will stay nearby all summer long. I've added a Hummingbird page with lots of photos and a few links to resources for attracting hummingbirds that I hope you will find helpful. Until next time . . . HAPPY GARDENING! One of the most common questions among gardeners is: "When should I start fertilizing my seedlings?" Fertilizer isn't necessary when starting the seeds because the tiny seed contains everything the plant needs to germinate. However, once seedlings emerge and begin to grow, they need supplemental nutrients to promote healthy growth. Purdue University recommends applying a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer, such as 15-30-15, mixed to 1/2 strength a few days after the seedlings emerge. Apply the mixture at the recommended strength in approximately two weeks and repeat at two week intervals. It should be noted that young roots are easily damaged by fertilizer. Make sure the soil is moist before applying fertilizer to avoid injury to roots. Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING! I ran across some interesting research that surprised me the other day. According to Douglas C. Sanders and Larry Bass from the North Carolina State University Extension, growing cucumbers on a trellis increases the yield of cucumbers by two to three times. It also produces straight, well formed cucumbers that are uniform in color with no white spot on the underside of the cuke from resting on the soil. My mother tried growing cucumbers on trellises in her Maine garden years ago and was disappointed with the results. She claimed that they did not produce well. She said the reason for reduced production was because cucumber vines root along the vine when they contact the moist soil, but couldn't do that when trellised. Respecting her garden expertise, I had no reason to question it. I tried growing cucumbers in a cylinder of chicken wire a few years ago and although they grew well, the vines were damaged as they grew over the top of the wire. I realize my errors, now. The cylinder was too short and I failed to prune the vines. I'm going to try some cucumbers on trellises this year and find out for myself how well they produce. If you'd like to join me, here are the basic instructions for growing cucumbers on a trellis. |
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