Maine Garden Ideas
  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers
    • Perennial Flowers
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables
    • Cool Season Vegetables
  • Herbs
  • Gardening Basics
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables

What Garden Centers Don't Want You to Know about Tomatoes

8/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
If you have been gardening for a while, you probably have a list of your favorite tomato varieties and wish you could keep them growing all year long. Seed catalogs and garden supply stores want you to think you need to depend on them for your seedlings or to order those special seeds each year. The truth is: There is another way.

Tomato Secret #1 - Tomato Plants are Perennials and Do Not Need to Die Off in the Fall!

Tomato plants are actually tender perennials that will grow for several years in tropical regions.and only die off in Maine because of the cold winters. That means you can cut back tomato plants grown in containers in late summer or early fall and keep them alive all winter inside your home. Follow these steps if you decide to give it a try.
  1. Check that your tomato plant is free of insects, such as aphids. If you notice insects, wash the plant in soapy water before bringing it inside.
  2. Cut your tomato plant  back to within 2 to 4 inches from the soil so that the stalks have several small leaves on the stems. New growth will soon appear and your tomato plant will send up a flush of new growth.
  3. Place the container in an area that receives full light for 6 to 8 hours a day. You may need to use plant lights for your tomato plants during the winter.
  4. Pinch the plants back frequently to keep them small and to force dense, compact growth.
  5. If your tomato plant blooms during the winter, you will need to hand pollinate the blooms to produce fruit. Fruiting should not be the goal, but it can be a fun to try and who knows you may produce hothouse tomatoes of your own.


Tomato Secret #2 - You Don't Need Seeds to Propagate Tomato Plants!

Taking cuttings from healthy tomatoes plants will produce plants identical to the parent plant. That means you can start your own seedlings and don't need to rely on the greenhouse or garden supply store. By taking cuttings now you can start new plants and keep them alive during the winter to plant them in the spring. Here's what you will need to do.

  1. Take a 4 to 6 inch cutting from the growing tip of your tomato plant.
  2. Remove the foliage from the bottom 2 inches of the tomato cutting.
  3. Place rooting powder in a paper cup.
  4. Dip the bottom 2 inches of the tomato cutting into the rooting powder. Tap the cutting on the rim of the cup to remove the excess rooting powder.
  5. Insert the cutting into a pot of seed starter or moist peat moss. Tiny roots will form along the stem within a week or two.
  6. Place the tomato seedlings in an area that receives full sun and provide supplemental lighting during the winter.
  7. Repot the seedlings as necessary.

Note: You can root tomato cuttings in a glass or vase of water, but the roots may be brittle causing stress to the plant when you pot it in soil. Rooting them in soil encourages strong root formation.
The object should be to keep the tomato plants alive throughout the winter so you can plant them in the garden in the spring. I intend to give it a try this year. If you enjoy experimenting with your garden, I encourage you to give it a try too. Remember you don't need hoards of plants, but trying two or three to see how well it works for you may prove fruitful.
0 Comments

Metal Flowers Bloom with the Sun

8/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
When engineer Gregory Mathy created the first bimetal flower, his goal was to present his mother with a unique gift. These flowers respond to the heat from the sun to bloom during the day and slowly close again at night. While they do best when placed outside in the sun, Mathy says they can be displayed in pots or vases on a sunny windowsill, too.

Mathy's flowers, called Bimetal Creations, are part of a KickStarter initiative to fund their production. In return for a donation of $39, Mathy will hand produce a flower in the color of your choice at the end of the initiative.

These amazing flowers contain no solar panels, batteries or motors. They work by the expansion and contraction of the two bimetalic strips that respond to temperature changes.While attractive, they do have a bit of an otherworldly effect. Check out the video to see these flowers in action.

0 Comments

Infographic: What's the Difference between Partial Sun and Partial Shade?

8/6/2015

0 Comments

 
If you are like a lot of gardeners, you may find the light requirements in plant descriptions and on plant labels a little confusing. Terms like partial sun and partial shade may seem like they should mean the same thing, but they don't. Learn how to read the label correctly so you will always give your plants the light they really need.
sunlight infographic
                                                                               Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!
0 Comments

Hummingbird Building a Nest - Video

8/2/2015

0 Comments

 
I discovered this adorable video today and thought you might enjoy it. While this is an Anna's Hummingbird that isn't found in Maine, she looks similar to our Ruby Throated Hummingbird and builds a similar nest.


I once found a hummingbird's nest tucked into the branches of an evergreen tree located near a school. It was made with twisted hair that I assume it gathered from hair the young ladies had discarded from their brushes. 


I am told that my great grandmother cautioned her daughters never to empty the brush and let the hair fly in the wind because birds would use it to build nests and you would get a headache. While the headache part is questionable, birds will, and do, use hairs found outside to build or line their nests.

Hummingbird Nester

Hummingbird Nester
Duncraft Hummingbird Nester
If you are interested in encouraging hummingbirds to nest near your home consider Duncraft's Hummingbird Nester. Although you can't see it in this image, the platform contains two pegs and a hole to mimic a natural setting for building the nest. It also includes nesting material within easy reach for hummingbirds. 
This nester is designed to mount under the eaves or on a covered porch where hummingbirds are protected from wind and weather.


I don't have one myself, yet, but it is definitely on my wish list. This nester would make a great gift for the hummingbird lover in your life.
Shop Duncraft Wildbird Superstore for Everything You Need for Backyard Birdfeeding!
0 Comments
    Now seeking 
    Blog Sponsors 
    Find out how you can sponsor one blog post or the entire Garden Thyme Blog.
    Become a Sponsor

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    June 2017
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



Photo used under Creative Commons from MyArtfulLife
  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers
    • Perennial Flowers
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables
    • Cool Season Vegetables
  • Herbs
  • Gardening Basics
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables