plans for garden stuff... and Tomatoes!

[gryphynshadow.livejournal.com]

Yesterday I did a little work in the garden. aaahhh...

With Monkey's help, I cleared a section of a circular bed. Previously, this bed was planted with clover. I did not know that cover roots looked like that. (boggle) Small round tuber nodule things, all squished up together. Very interesting. So, I broke those up, and peeled some of them out (some stayed, because they were very insistent that they not come out.)

I added quite a bit of mostly complete compost, and worked that in. Then, I showed Monkey how to get herb starts out of their pots. He's a good learner, I just need to reinforce that holding a plant that you want to live by the leaves and stems isn't a good idea. eep. Anyway, we planted the greek oregano, basil and sweet marjoram. Then, we mulched with some of the leaves left over from the fall. Lovely!

I think I've finally gotten him to understand that you can't water the garden every day. He loves to help water. (It occurs to me to note that Monkey is three...) I explained to him that just like people need air, and too much water will drown us, plants also need air, and too much water will hurt them. He seemed very interested in that idea.

While looking at my tomato plants, I decided, very spur of the moment, to go ahead and transplant the container tomatoes into the bed at the side of the house. So, I prepared space for them (Monkey was very helpful, even pulling up some bulbs that weren't really in the way. Another learning experience! I showed him that grass and bulbs look totally different, and that the grass growing in the bed was a weed, but the bulbs were not.)

With the addition of more soil scavenged from the back yard beds (soon to be demolished), more compost and leaves, I raised the level of another four feet or so, and moved three tomato plants. I moved both Rutger's and the Arkansas Traveler.

What motivated me was really comparing the plants. I had stuck one Arkansas Traveler in an EarthBox self watering container, and one in the side bed. The container tomato hadn't grown very much, hadn't put on new leaves, and was slightly yellowy colored and starting to get brown spots on it's lower leaves. The stem was still strong, and it had put on new roots, though. The Ar.Traveler in the side bed, however, was a bright green, had added multiple new leaves, and was a good two inches taller than it's brother in the pot.

I'm starting to wonder if the earthboxes are why the peppers aren't as tall or fruitful as I'd like. By this point, they should be two feet or more in height, with peppers coming on all over... I wonder if I should try to move them, too. Should I wait until the peppers currently on them are ready, snip them off, or just move them... think, think, think...

It's a puzzle.

Tomorrow, before running off to work, I'm planning on pulling the broccoli and brussels sprouts. I think I'll let that soil rest just a bit, possibly after loosening it up a bit and adding more compost. Compost! good for what ails soil!