Ideal containers for tomato seedlings:Plastic yogurt cups
Plastic or styrofoam drink cups (we have been using plastic Solo 16 oz. cups)
Aluminum drink cans with the top cut off
Anything else that'll hold dirt
Get your potting soil ready. Have plenty on hand because it'll probably take more than you think.
Fill the new container with soil. Gently remove the tomato seedling from its present container and transfer to the new container. Bury the seedling deep - up to within an inch of its bottommost leaves. Add more soil as necessary.
Give your seedling a good drink. Continue to grow it indoors, under the lights, until outdoor night temps reliably remain in the 50s.
This weekend is also our weekend to plant potatoes.
We don't plant our 'taters in the ground. We plant them in tires.
To plant potatoes in tires, you'll need:
- Seed potatoes (Co-Op has them. Also check with your local farm store. Do NOT use potatoes from the grocery store because they've been treated with growth inhibitors and aren't guaranteed to be disease-free)
- Tires (try the junkyard or trash heap)
- Dirt (doesn't have to be the best, just as long as it's fairly loose)
Fill the tire with loose dirt, compost or even chopped up leaves. I usually use the leaves from the previous fall that haven’t yet finished composting, mixed with some dirt. Be sure to fill the tire completely, including the sidewalls. You don’t want to leave room for standing water that could serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.As the potato vines grow and reach 6" in height (basically tall enough to clear another tire stacked on top), add another tire and fill with leaves.
Repeat with a third tire as the potato vines grow. What you're doing here is forcing the potato plants to grow and extra long taproot, along which will form several potatoes.
When the top of the potato plant dies, you can dig around in the top layer and fish out new potatoes. After a week or so, you can knock over the whole stack to harvest your potatoes. It's not unheard of to have a 20 pound yield per stack.
You are unbelievable! Every time I visit you I learn something new-growing potatoes in tires. After reading about it-it makes perfect sense. We never have good luck with our taters-think I'll be looking for some tires!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a great way to grow potatoes! It makes perfect sense. We are doing our first garden this year, just started the tomato seeds this week, so I guess we're running behind. I guess we're going to have to look for some discarded tires. Fortunately, that shouldn't be hard to find, since a lot of city folk seem to think it's okay to just go out in the country somewhere where nobody can see you and throw them by the side of the road.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks for the great info. We're even now for the fried grits tip... ;o)
You are the Martha Stewart for southerners.
ReplyDeletecan you use sawdust in youre tires
ReplyDeleteHi, Griff
ReplyDeleteYes, you can use sawdust, but I would mix the sawdust in with something else - leaves, regular dirt, hay, or compost. Sawdust can be a little acidic and your potatoes might not give as big a harvest.
what can you use too get rid of acid
ReplyDelete