It’s that time again. You ask, and I pretend to know things and answer your burning questions. It really is so much fun to open my inbox and see the wide variety of questions you guys have. Reminds me that my readers are so diverse and pretty dang awesome. So keep those questions coming and I’ll keep racking my brain for answers. As always, please pipe up if you have any input or are knowledgeable when it comes to any of the following questions:
~Tracey L
Sometimes I let my tomatoes run crazy {like the picture above}. They’ll still produce, but always do better with pruning. I prune any leaves touching my soil, and then I clip off any “suckers.” {The sucker is the junction between your stem branch and a leaf, above a leaf.} For any tomato variety besides cherry, you should aim for 6 to 8 main stems. For cherry tomato plant varieties, you can have as many as 12 to 14 main stems. Prune the rest of the “suckers” off.
Your suckers will turn into main stems unless they are pruned. These stems will develop their own leaves and flowers, but you want to prune them in order to give your plant more air flow. This will reduce your risk for diseases and pests. Allowing more light into the center of the plant will also improve the flavor of your tomatoes.
You can also add straw mulch which helps keep the soil cool in the hot summer, suppresses weeds and reduces water needs. It also keeps soil from splashing up and contaminating the plant.
~Linda
Three radish tips that work every time:
1. Plant in fresh soil with a neutral pH level {6-7}. Too much nitrogen and you’ll get big fatty greens but no bulbs. And don’t plant too deep. Sprinkle right on the surface.
2. Thin your radishes so they are about 2 inches apart. Overcrowding is a big problem from getting radish bulbs to grow.
3. Keep your soil moist. Never let your soil dry out or you won’t see any radish bulbs form.
~David
There are still ways to cut down your grocery bill without a garden. Check out this post on How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half. Another great read is all about Small Space Container Gardening. And then check out Holly’s apartment garden on her tiny patio. You might have to get a bit resourceful, but a garden is still possible. Maybe not the size of mine, but my garden produces much more than my family can eat. So a smaller garden would work just fine.
~Terri
Hi Terry, I watched To Make a Farm last spring and LOVED it. Thanks for the reminder, it really was interesting to see people farming on a smaller scale.
Hi Mavis, I am wanting to can some low sugar jams for this summer. I have checked with some farms in Puyallup and found strawberries are just about done for the season and other berries are available now such as raspberries and blueberries. Do you know when other fruits are in harvest at a good price such as apricots and peaches? Thank you 🙂
~Patty
I was just in the Puyallup Valley yesterday and you’re right Patty, the berries are incredibly early this year {about a month ahead of schedule}. I too am on the lookout for a good deal on peaches because I am out of peach jam and would like to make a few batches to give away during the holidays. Fred Meyer usually has a good deal on peaches at some point every summer {probably real soon} as do Tacoma Boys. You may also want to stop the the Puyallup Farmer’s Market {it rocks!} and ask around too.
~Mavis
Denise says
Harbor Greens in Tacoma and Gig Harbor often will have great deals on peaches and other fruits at the height of the season.
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
To the person who asked about growing veggies when you don’t have yard space, I encourage you to find out of you have a community garden near you. You’d be surprised how many cities (of all sizes) have them these days. It’s typically inexpensive to lease the plot for the year and often comes with perks like free seeds and even seedlings. I iive in a city and have zero yard space but have had tons of success with my community garden plot!
KK @ Preppy Pink Crocodile