How to Grow Perfect Tomatoes.

 Gardening Australia's Phil Dudman has condensed a whole book full of knowledge into a one-page article on How to grow perfect tomatoes.

I'll run through his tips and see how he goes.

The volunteer tomato seedling that sprang up in the depths of winter is starting to stretch it legs.

So there are a few jobs I needed to tend to.

Over the last 52 days, it has grown from 5.5cm to 23cm but I expect the growth will get a wriggle on from here on in.

The Tale of Two Tomatoes

I got around to editing The Tale of Two Tomatoes video yesterday so here it is.

It's a bit rambly but I hope it makes enough sense.

Bottom line is I hope I get some tomatoes this year.

The tale of two tomatoes is about overwintering two tomato plants grown from cuttings taken from two self-sown tomatoes to see if I can get a jump on the tomato growing season.

How's The Frost Out On The Pumpkins

Post by My Veggie Garden.

And This Is why

It's Freezing

 It's Freezing

 It's around one degree here at the moment and very frosty which has me thinking this might be the end of my 'growing tomatoes in winter,' experiment and after reading a facebook post by Jerry Coleby-Williams saying "Tomatoes stop growing when the ambient temperature drops to 5C or below,"  I think the jig is up.

 Optimistism

Being the optimistic little bunny that I can be from time to time I'll persevere and see what happens.

Cheers 

Stewart

The Chronicle story.

It just goes to show, you never know who's reading these bloggie things.

Yesterday I received an email from an The Chronicle reporter, that's our local newspaper, asking if she could have a chat to me about a story she is putting together about local veggie gardeners.

Seems she put the question to Dr. Google and up came the 'My Veggie Garden' blog.

Anyway, a time was set a chat was had and we're, that's me, the blog and the veggie garden, supposed to be in the paper tomorrow (5/10). You can be sure I'll post a link to the story when I find it and in the mean time I might have to go and do a little house cleaning for the rush of new visitors coming my way.

Sadly for me I have work tomorrow but the good news is I have all day Sunday and Tuesday to get veggie gardening and at this time of the year there's always something to do and plant.

Zucchini, Sweet Corn, Climbing Beans and some Spring Onions for starters will be getting planted along with the regular jobs of weeding, mulching, watering (is it ever going to rain?)

There's two tomato cuttings that have struck and a Gross Lizzy Tomato that need to be planted out as well.

Plenty to do, cheers and happy veggie gardening

Stewart.

Bright Idea.

I hardly ever watch TV but sometimes out of the blue something draws me to it.
In this case it was a story on landline and I thought what a cracker of an idea. And as the bloke on the interview said it's not rocket science.
I can't embed ABC video on my site but follow this link, make sure you click on the 'Play Video' Link just above the main story, have a look and I'd love to hear what you think.

From the ABC landline site:-  PIP COURTNEY, PRESENTER: Experts tell us that just 2.5 per cent of all the water on the planet is fresh and very little of that is accessible, locked up in ice caps and deep down beneath the earth. And with so much of the available fresh water used up by agriculture, it's becoming an increasingly scarce resource.

A group of international scientists. which has based itself in outback South Australia, has devised a system of growing crops which doesn't rely one bit on that diminishing fresh water supply.

And as Pru Adams reports, they're now ready to take their ground-breaking technology to the world.

Touch wood

Touch wood. Today is the best I've felt for at least the last six to eight weeks. The 'low dose naltrexone' I've been taking for my UC since the fifteenth of August seems to be working on certain areas of my illness and I'm beginning to feel hopeful 'we' (my doctor and I), are onto something. What I've been calling my 'silver bullet'.

Six weeks ago it was painful to walk, it seemed all the bones in my feet ached and I had sore lumps forming under my skin. Today both these symptoms have gone. I don't feel as bloated and my cramps are not as painful as they were. I'm feeling a little excited right now but I still have my fingers crossed for a good end result (cautiously optimistic). I don't want to get too far ahead of myself though in case it doesn't work on all my symptoms, ie the UC itself.

Burke's Tomato seeds I planted at the end of August. 

On a lighter note I had a lovely morning in the veggie garden before I had to set off to see my doctor. I chipped the weeds out of one of my veggie beds that I've been trying to get to for the last month and I managed to get eight seed spuddies planted. Also cleared a few beach heads in the war against weeds and cleared a space for where I'm going to plant the Burke's Backyard Tomato seeds I planted that have sprouted (here's the video of me planting the seeds). And now it's time to go back out and do some whipper snipping and mowing. The weather is warming up quickly so I hope I can keep some of my new improved health and get this veggie garden tamed before the up coming Summer.

Cheers and wish me luck

Stewart.

Just a little video on planting tomato seeds.

 Just a little vid to show how I plant my tomato seeds.
( I've been trying all day to put a backing track on this video but youtuba are taking forever so I'll post it as is.)


The seeds I planted here are the free 'Santorini' heirloom tomato seeds attached to the cover of September's issue of 'Burke's Backyard' magazine.

  According to the mag the seeds 'are from the famous Greek island of Santorini in the Aegean sea. We (Burke's Backyard) sourced this heirloom variety from an old Greek farmer who has been saving his own seeds for 50 years.
  On the dry, volcanic soils of Santorini, the old grower says he never waters his plants and his tomatoes are sensational, so in most areas of Australia normal, natural rainfall will be enough. They're very sweet tasting, 5-6cm smallish fruit produced on a knee-high bush that doesn't need staking.'
  

The magic cup of tea.

Afternoon cuppa tea time on Sunday and I took my cup for a walk with me into the veggie garden and when I was finished I put it down and went on weeding not giving the cup another thought.

A while later and it was time to pack up the tools and go inside (because it was getting cold and dark, yes I know, soft) and when I went to get my cup it was full of yummy little cherry tomatoes. Magic.

Cheers and may the magic be with you,

Stewart.

Oxheart

Planted these guys over here on the left today. And to save me a whole lot of typing and to show you the effort and the amount of info Green Harvest supply with their seed packets I scanned the front of the seed packet fyi.

If you click on the photo it will bring up a bigger photo that should be readable.

Cheers and Happy Tommy growing

Stewart

Getting better all the time

Hi all,

I'm in between Math assignment at the moment so thought I'd do a quick blog.

I'm slowly getting more mobile day by day though having a good sneeze is still out of the question.

I had mums hubby come down to the Toowoomba organic community gardens yesterday to help me get the potato patch ready.

He must have been impressed with the show because he signed up for membership on the day.

I couldn't do much myself but I managed to separate the Leeks and replant them for further growing on.

The weather here has been unseasonal warm to hot so I've been getting optimistic and have started some of my spring seed plantings including the free Tomato seeds that come with September's Burke's Backyard magazine. I've also sown a full range of lettuce including Drunken Woman, Red Leprechaun, Red Cos and Red Iceberg. I've also sown some Florence Fennel, Celery, and some seeds I saved from a shop brought tomato.

I'd better get back to math and finish my assignment and I'll see if I can update some more early next week. They (weather forecasters)are predicting some rain early neat week also so fingers crossed here. It's been 8/9 weeks without rain now so it will be good to get some as it is all getting a bit on the dry side of things.

Bfn

Stewart

Tomato Casual

Hello fellow tomato lovers.

I just wanted to share with you a site I've been enjoying for the last few weeks and thought you might find it enjoyable also.

I'm lovin' these guys at the moment (Tomato Casual).

A collaborative effort between fellow Tomato lovers who come up with all sorts of interesting stuff about tomatoes.

If you like your tomatoes as much as I do then I suggest you shuffle on over and check out their site.

Their current post is about growing tomatoes in space (Space Tomato More Drought Tolerant).

Below is a description about Tomato Casual I lifted from theri site.

About Tomato Casual

Are you passionate about tomatoes?

We are too! In fact, it’s why we created this community dedicated to “Everything Tomato for People Who Love Tomatoes.”

At Tomato Casual we are not only obsessed with growing, eating, cooking with tomatoes, we’re also obsessed with all things tomato whether it be art, music, wallpaper, recipes or movies.

Our expert Tomato Casual team will help you grow a better tomato, discover new ways to cook and enjoy tomatoes, and will keep you in the know about all things tomato.

We invite you to be a part our community and share your tips, stories, photos and passion with those of us also enjoy this most perfect fruit.

Cheers and happy tomato growing,
Stewart

Three thumb's up Italian Tomato

Oh dear, what have I done?

After years of professional jealousy I've finally let curiosity get the better of me and decided to try Burke's Backyard Italian Tomato (voted best home grown tomato).

And damn it, it's a pretty good Tomato.
Easy to grow with reasonable vigor and disease resistance. I'm not sure of potential yield per bush as I didn't give it the best of growing conditions, but even where I have planted it I look like getting at least 10 to 15 medium Tomatoes from the one bush.

From Burke's Backyard fact sheet.

Burke's Backyard Italian Tomato

A form of the popular Rouge de Marmande, the Burke's Backyard Italian Tomato is a large fruited, ribbed variety which is delicious eaten fresh in salads or on sandwiches.

It is an early fruiting tomato variety that will grow well in cool or warm districts. Being a tall grower (called indeterminate) it needs to be staked when grown in the garden.

It does have a very classic 'tomatoey', taste and is easy to slice without being over juicy making it tops for sandwiches and I suspect salads.

As for other uses like sauces and jams I'll let you know next year when I try a few more of these beauties.

Easily passed the corned beef and tomato
sandwich test.

Highly recommended.
Cheers and happy veggie gardening

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Home grown tomatoes

April from her Digging in the Dirt blog has a great post about her, 'Home grown Tomatoes', as well as putting me onto a song from John Denver. Hope you enjoy it.



There ain't nothin' in the world that I like better
Than bacon 'n lettuce 'n homegrown tomatoes
Up in the mornin', out in the garden
Get you a ripe one, don't pick a hard 'un
All winter without 'em is a culinary bummer
I forgot all about the sweatin' and the diggin'
Every time I go out and pick me a big 'un

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What would life be without homegrown tomatoes?
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes.

You can go out to eat and that's for sure
But there's nothin' a homegrown tomato won't cure
Put 'em in a salad, put 'em in a stew
You can make your own tomato juice
You can eat 'em with eggs, eat 'em with gravy
You can eat 'em with beans, pinto or navy
Put 'em on the side, put 'em in the middle
Homegrown tomatoes on a hot cake griddle.

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What would like be without homegrown tomatoes?
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes.

If I's to change this life I lead
You could call me Johnny Tomatoseed
Cause I know what this country needs
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see

When I die don't bury me
In a box in a cold dark cemetery
Out in the garden would be much better
'Cause I could be pushin' up a homegrown tomato.

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What would like be without homegrown tomatoes?
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes.

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The Ripening of the Tomato

I saw this done on another site, although differently, so I had a go myself.
It's the same bunch of Tomatoes ripening from 18/1/09 to 3/2/09.
I hope you enjoy.

Big thanks to Crafty Gardener and her Sow then Grow blog for showing me the way on the slide show thingy.