Planting tomatoes

    It is time.  Maybe it is true. The weather has turned from the rainy season to the complex days of spring weather.

     Recently, I looked at one of my raised beds for tomatoes as I earnestly try to rotate where I planted tomatoes and potatoes.   This meant that the kale beds of two years had to be harvested and pulled out to make room.  As I studied the plants that have feed us much of two winters and now are in bloom I could not think of the waste.  I moved the plants to save the plants going to seed that will be my own little reserve if I ever need them in the future.  Seed saving is becoming more of a goal of my gardening practice.

      These plants number about 10 or 12, three feet tall, were moving to open flat garden area that I usually grow garlic, potatoes and beans.  I can let this kale varieties go to seed and then I will use this space later in the season for some warm weather vegetable.

       In the meantime, I have planted two raised beds of tomatoes with companion pepper plants I have started from seed.  These will spend most of the growing season under a hoop house unless Olympia has a hot summer this year.

        I planted my tomatoes by laying them down as if they were going to sleep in a bed at night.  Pulling of all the leaves except the top cluster and running the stem only a inch deep, warmer soil at that level.  Allowing the top inch and half each plant to have it head up, they are planted down the line this way.  This little ditch got some chopped up eggs shells for calcium to prevent end rot, some Mycorrhizal fungi to develop a strong root system and a general vegetable organic fertilizer.

        It has been about ten days and all seems to doing well.  Today is going to be warm and I have one more beds of tomatoes to go into the ground.  These will be planted closer with much care but I have many seedlings left, my desire is to have a bumper crop for canning.

        Yesterday I harvested two types of chives, parsley and asparagus from the garden.

         Just a note of interest.  Last night on Master Classes on the OWN channel, Ted Turner made comments about his land.  He was eloquent about the use of land, the connection of insects, birds, mammals and the cycle of life needed for this planet earth.  I find it amazing that at 72 years old he is still refreshing honest and passionate about his beliefs in working for peace, nuclear free world and his love of this earth.