I missed the mark of having my tomatoes in the ground by Mother’s Day. I cleaned out pots, cleaned out beds, planted both seeds and baby plants, but it doesn’t look like my tomatoes are going to be in by the end of the day. I’m going to have to put the old adage to the test at this point before I risk planting the baby tomatoes outdoors. They need more hardening up, they haven’t had enough sun, it is still breezy and cool. I feel like I am letting my child go play with really mean kids and I just know he will get his little ass beat, but he is begging me to go. Ugh….
In spite of my nervous mom feelings, I did get a lot of planting done today, which I’ll document for you. I decided to plant the vegetables that would benefit from some bone meal, so I wouldn’t have to be mixing different soil formulas. Home Grown Veg on YouTube is a wealth of info and I encourage you to go and check him out. And he is from the United Kingdom, which I feel gives him instant potato street cred. The have potatoes in their bottles over there.
Let’s start with carrots….get your garden soil or compost ready for loading into the pots. You could also use a wheelbarrow to mix in, I used one of my empty raised beds. Bone meal!! You’ll notice on the front description, the phosphorus is very high, while the nitrogen is very low and potassium is at zero. Phosphorus is excellent for any root vegetables like carrots and potatoes. It encourages root growth, which in their case, is edible. Once you get your soil in your mixing area, grab a moderate amount of bone meal to mix in. It’s practically powder, some come in a more pellet form, either way, add about 1/3 of a small shovel full to your pot-worth of dirt. You can always add more later, if needed. When you are done adding your bone meal and mixing it in, pat it down in your growing container. You want the soil lightly packed, but still airy enough to support little plump baby carrots forming. Lay down your carrot seeds, sort of like a checkerboard pattern. Home Grown Veg showed a tennis racket netting being cut out and used as the checker pattern for laying down seeds. That ensures proper spacing. Once the seedlings are down, cover with the appropriate amount of dirt, based on the seed depth instructions on the back of the seed pack. Make sure to get even coverage, pat down loosely and gently water when done. Potato time!! Using a hodgepodge of pots. Potatoes don’t care. Drill a few holes in any and all pots that don’t allow drainage….that soupy dirt mixture in the bottom will breed nothing but disease and plants that can’t seem to survive. A few holes will ensure the roots aren’t sitting in moldy soup for too long. Mix that bone meal in again. Gently work your way around your pot, or in my case the solo cup, and loosen the dirt from the sides. You want to turn the cup upside down and the roots just fall out, don’t pull the stems at all costs!!Rough up the roots alittle before planting….it stimulates growth and let’s the plant know it is free to move about the pot, Potatoes are the opposite of sensible….place your root ball in the bottom of the pot, stabilize the stalks with one hand and fill the pot will dirt using the other hand. Fill the dirt all the way to the top (I am mixing a new batch as this pic was taken). The more of the plant you put under the dirt, the more potential potatoes you will grow.
So no, all the plants are not in the ground. I’m going to keep pushing this week to get the garden set up. Lowe’s is definitely better stocked with vegetable plants, the Bonnie truck has been busy. And those plants are usually hybrid varieties which are tough and already hardened to outdoor life. If you didn’t try seed yet, already sprouted varieties can be a very productive option.
So there is no excuses….this week should be mild (compared to what we have been dealing with). Let’s get out there and get this done!! It’s hopefully gardening time, so let’s grow together 💜🌱💜
Let’s Grow Together 