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Ten Things About Tomatoes for 2015 (Revised) Tomato Thing One: Two Types of Tomatoes Determinate and Indeterminate: There are two types of tomato plants. A tomato plant is either a determinate plant or indeterminate plant. A determinate tomato grows to a set height and stops growing. The fruits mature all at once or relatively close in time and the plant dies shortly after the final fruits mature. This determinate type of tomato is great for getting the first round of tomatoes from your garden (as they mature quickly) and they do well in containers. You might be able to plant two rounds of determinate tomatoes in your gardening zone. You can often plant them in May and again in July. The indeterminate tomato continues to grow and grow until frost. It sets fruit throughout the season. Only frost or disease will stop an indeterminate tomato from producing. Think of it this way, a determinate tomato grows to a pre determin ed size. Indeteriminate tomatoes often need to be staked and prun...

How to Build a Brick Rocket Stove for Fire Roasting Tomatoes, Peppers & Garden Vegetables  I love the idea of cooking over fire. I love camping with a huge fire put but don't have the place or time to get one going in my backyard. I saw these rocket stoves and thought they were very cool but wasn't sure how often I would use one. As I pulled out some frozen tomato sauce from the summer garden, it dawned on me. I could get fire roasted flavor on my tomatoes, peppers and other garden vegetables by using a rocket stove. They are easy to build, move and fire up.  A wood fire taste in a few minutes. A Rocket Stove for Roasted Garden Vegetables It will only cost about twenty to thirty dollars to build the rocket stove in the picture. If you have access to free bricks it will even be cheaper.  Use what you have around the house too to save money. The video details every step and goes over the parts but the cost break down is as follows. One Stone Paver 15x15  2-3 dollar...

The Rain Barrel:  Some of My Garden Related Poetry And one more older poem inspired by the work of William Carlos William and The Red Wheelbarrow.  My goal was to visually create a walk in a garden that one might see, feel and maybe even taste and smell. The Rain Barrel You might drink To quench the thirst of an early morning walk From the aged gray – black iron ringed rain barrel. The one filled with a cool night’s country rain. It collects by the corner of the old cottage house By the climbing rose and creeping red dianthus. Take the moss and stone covered path Just past the clusters of mint and lemon balm. The rain barrel stands with the daffodils and irises. A cast iron ladle sits on the fence post Plunge it through the floating yellow rose petals And watch your feet – the barrel is full from the night. Copyright November 2005 Gary Pilarchik Good Luck with Your Garden, Gary (The Rusted Garden) Join My New YouTube Channel Just for NEW Gardeners: My First Vegetable Garden J...

The Vegetable Garden:  Some of My Garden Related Poetry I find peace in the garden as I think most of us do. I could give you a 100 reasons from the warmth of the sun to the smell of healthy earth. I write a lot poetry and even paint abstract art. Often, a lot of it is inspired from the garden and associated activities. I wanted to share a poem I wrote this morning. I was thinking about what video I might do this weekend and felt more inspired to write. Poetry comes in waves for me... I think I am inspired to write a book of garden poetry. So here is the first poem. The Vegetable Garden I change the earth with simple seeds I grow my wealth and fill my needs I feel the warmth of coming sun I turn the beds until they’re done I mix the ground with seed and death To bring green life, the purest breath I watch and tend and shape with care My garden grows to live and bear I watch the cold and wait for spring I plan and see what life I’ll bring For gardeners define - a sense worth Not in ...

When to and How to Bottom Water Your Vegetable Plants/Seedlings/Seeds  in Your Seed Starting Trays I get asked all the time... When should I water my vegetable seed starts or How often should I water my transplants or How do I know I need to water my indoor seedlings? All very good questions. Bottom Water Vegetable Seed Starts - TRG 2015 I also get asked all the time... What is the best way to water my vegetable plants I am growing indoors or Should I use a humidity dome on my germinating seeds? Again great questions. So... I made a vegetable garden video that focuses only on watering your plants from the bottom. A practice I have been doing for 10-15 years.  The reason I water my plants from the bottom is that it saves me a ton of time and it really prevents the spread of disease. If you water from the top, you are wetting the leaves of your plant, splashing starting mix around and the stream of water might knock seeds out of the tray or even damage fragile seedling. Oh... an...

A Quick but Comprehensive Guide to Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors:  Lights,  Starting Mixes, Watering, Germination, Feeding and Transplanting! Vegetables and Herbs I Started Indoors - TRG 2015 The best way to get an early jump on the gardening season and save money is to start your own vegetables indoors. It is really easy once you understand a few principles. You can get vegetables to your table a good 4 weeks before seeds planted directly in your garden would be ready. The goal is to grow healthy indoor transplants to size, but not too large, while you still have frost and cold outdoors. The timing should be frost free or warm nights arriving when your indoor vegetable plants reach transplant size. And don't worry you have a lot of leeway. Herbs Under Grow Lights - The Rusted Garden 2015 Lighting: I get asked this question all the time and my answer for 2015 is 14-16 hours of grow light with bulbs that sit about 1-2 inches above your seeds or plant seedling leaves. Bulbs v...