RKayne's Blog
RKayne's posts about: tomato
Oct 3, 2007 | 11:11 AM PST
Tags: Tomato , Brussels Sprouts , Radish , schefflera , spinach , lettuce , Purple Kolhrabi , Walla Walla , garlic , Sugar Snap Peas , Jade , Black Prince Tomato , Brandywine tomatoes , jalapeño , Cold Stratify , Rain
So, we have a new cam, so pics will be forthcoming. We have been getting rather a bit of rain (about time) but it is finally the end of the 'real' gardening season. If I can figure out a way to do it with minimal dirt (I know I should use at least a 5 gallon container but am willing to take a risk) I may cold stratify some of the tomato seeds I saved and start them up here in the office. That would be kind of cool, having some fresh tomatoes here. I kept some Black Prince and Brandywine seeds, although who knows what they will end up being as there were a few different varieties of tomatoes out there and I did not bag them so they are no doubt cross pollinated. I really don't mind, as long as they are fresh! I am planning on starting up some of the Jalapeno seeds I saved, I know it will do fine in a relatively smaller pot. I have all this sunshine here at my desk so I might as well take advantage of it, right?
On another note, my wife just started her new job (she actually is going to get paid to learn, and sign language at that, I am stoked as I have always wanted to learn to sign so she is going to have to teach me...and several other people in my office LOL) and she does have her own office so I have another project. Nice pots and some plants for it. She wants to take the Jade and I am all for it, but we will have to get a full spectrum bulb and lamp as she doesn't have any windows and that bugger needs some light! I have some cuttings I have taken from my office building and her old one of this corn looking plant that I still don't know what it is, but do know that bugger will grow in the dark, haha and some Schefflera cuttings I took from her old building that have all rooted up nicely.
My favorite story about Schefflera's...A pal of mine owned a hotel on the NC coast and the hurricane wall they had put in was coming down after a particularly nasty storm so the hotel had to come down. The people who were hired to take all the furniture and whatnot out and put it in storage really were not all that smart as they put all the plants in the storage unit as well. Three months later we opened up the unit, having already assumed the plants were living in the movers homes (nothing to quibble about, this all had to be done fast so the owner just figured a home is a home) and there they were. No water, no sun, three months...they were fine. They were Schefflera.
Time to get going on some winter gardening. I got seed for Walla Walla sweet onins, Garlic cloves, Purple Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts and Spinach so far. I have cleared the sugar snap pea bed so now all I need to do is take down the trellis (I used screws so it is basically collapsible) and recondition the little plot o'dirt and wait for the maters to finish up, collect the radish seeds from the early radish's that I let bolt and do that soil as well and I figure that I will let our youngest help (he will love to) since I already told him the one side is all his! He gets to plant the garlic, onions, (he wants them now but I had to explain that they will be in spring!) Brussels Sprouts and Kohlrabi. I thought that he would get a kick out of being able to not only garden while it is cold, but they are very neat looking plants. He and I are the only ones in the house who will eat Brussels Sprouts so we will be having plenty of them, haha.
I will plant the spinach and plan on several lettuce varieties for this fall and come early spring in my tomato and radish bed, yum!
Pictures will be soon, I promise!
ps~ this blog post has been Cut and Pasted!
Sep 11, 2007 | 11:28 AM PST
Tags: brussel sprouts , Walla Walla , Sweet Onions , tomato , compost , manure , cold frame , broccoli , Bloomsdale Spinach , kohlrabi , sugar snap pea seeds , early radish seeds , forced bolting
Got our youngest excited about doing some cold weather planting, now I just have to figure out what else to put in when the tomato's are done! I know I will be planting some Walla Walla onions in between the maters as they need to be there now, and then get some of the best sweet onions in the world come spring. But for G-man's spot, there are the sugar snap peas that are done, and I need to go pick the seed off of them and the early radishes I forced to bolt for next spring and clear it out. He will help, he seems to love it (YAAAY!). So, we will clear it, take down the trellis and stir in some compost and manure. I got him some broccoli and brussel sprout seed, and there was something else! And I can't remember! OH! YES! PURPLE KOHLRABI! He is going to love this, wanted stuff he likes that has odd appearances, these will suffice, hehe. As the tomatoes are finishing (I have time) I Will probably throw spinach in..fresh spinach, yum! I am on the lookout for some material to make a cold frame as that is move able, we may lease on for the next year but if not I want to be able to move it! That would be a fun one for our youngest, he would get a kick out of the early growers and fresh lettuce all winter, this little guy can't get enough salad and he eats brussel sprouts with me, no one ELSE in the family will, haha.
Aug 15, 2007 | 10:03 AM PST
Tags: Radish , Tomato , Cherry Tomato , Tiny Maters , Freak Radish
So, we had some odd weather a bit ago...got to like 90 in the day time then would shoot back down to 60 at night (our sugar snap peas HATED it) and it seemed to do some odd stuff...hasn't rained in FOREVER, my lawn (well, the RENTAL lawn, hehe) is so dead it is developing dirt instead of just the browned grass. The only watering that is getting done at all it the veggy patch and my little tree's, to hell with the lawn. Anyways, to get back to my point. The cherry tomatoes did the strangest thing, the first ones decided to just not grow. The rest of them did, but then they started ripening...I am looking at them thinking wtf? Either way I ended up with a few handfuls of the CUTEST maters EVER!
And, well...this really needs no explanation...
Jun 11, 2007 | 12:52 PM PST
Tags: Black Prince Tomato , Brandywine , tomato , Farmers Market
I got two new family members and am so excited! My honey let me get a....wait for it...BLACK PRINCE TOMATO!!! WOO HOO!!! Not just that, but I got a Brandywine! She didn't quite get why I was all crazy when I saw them, so first chance I got I showed them (the actual tomatoes) to her (we were at our Farmers Market, the one in West Seattle ROCKS!) and then she got it. They are not the most attractive things but damn sure are when you are eating them. We bought a couple of Black Prince that were so wonderful, and I introduced her to a guily pleasure of mine for dinner, tomato sandwiches. Next it will be drizzled olive oil and herbs on halves, covered in mozzarella and a bit of breadcrumbs then Broiled, hehe...oh it is going to be grand to have REAL tomatoes this year!
While we were there I picked up a few things and our non veggie teen age boy is going to have a hissy fit tonight. I stopped and noticed I was arranging our dinner around His Tastes...oh dear, can't have that! So, we got garlic curls, sugar snap peas, baby bok choy and some broccoli and going to stir fry them up, hehe...
Apr 23, 2007 | 9:38 AM PST
Tags: Tomato , organic , garden fork , bulbs , spiders , jalapeno , Ladybugs , Praying Mantis , overgrown
Ok, so...grass, and a garden fork. Bulbs that do not need to be there...LOTSA spiders, me telling the youngest who was helping me by going back and forth the the yard waste bin for me (wait till I get the pics downloaded) that SPIDERS ARE GOOD, I am the organics kind of gal. He was like...ok...um...spiders good, fine but don't make me touch them! Haha. Kids. He did enjoy the ladybugs though, happy happy JOY JOY, I have breeding ladybugs! He held a couple (not the breeding ones!!) but I did point those out to my Partner because nothing is better than baby ladybugs! Well, maybe some baby praying mantis...my next want on my list. I will get a couple of Mantis egg sacks (love hatching them). So, after a nice back breaking session, the spot is HALF done and not completely done. All I want to get DONE right away is the spot for a couple of Tomato plants...I have not had fresh tomato's (at least out of my OWN yard) for quite some time. As soon as I get the pics downloaded (killed the batteries taking pics, hehe) I will post them. This spot, omg....way too left alone, and it looks like the onyy thing that has been planted there has been flowers and I want veggies, so if I have to recondition a garden spot at a rental house, I am GOING to have VEGGIES, dammit. lol. All I can say is. Ow. If it were not for the garden fork that my Sweetie has, I would not have gotten anything done, lol. Would have been POTTED maters. I got a Jalapeno that will be in a pot, just haven't decided how big of a pot. So, next week, maybe I will get that overgrown MESS finished.
Here is the Jalapeno,
Apr 5, 2007 | 11:07 AM PST
Tags: vermiculture , worm , vegetable garden , schefflera , carrot , tomato , wisteria , beans , peas , african violet , maple , hardy , prayer plan
So I get a veggy patch! WOOT! We move next weekend so I won't be much online for about 4 days (I won't be able to help but to login now and then, keeps the work email lighter and we are going to get Clearwire). First thing I will do is weed it, till it and work the vermiculture (worm poo) in. I plan on tomatoes, runner beans, some peas and maybe corn. If I have room left, I will put carrots in. I can't wait to get started, but my Bonsai's will take precedence as the move will not be kind. I have a lot of white wisteria cuttings that will have to be babied after the move as they will most likely shift in the transfer. I plan on sitting in the back seat with them to minimize this from occurring, but figure it will take a bit more than just the move to harm them for wisteria is notorious in it's hardiness! The maples will ride well, I am sure...the real fun part will be for C to find a new spot for her African Violets, she has two really healthy ones and they love where they are at, but I understand they are rather picky about their permanent living spot, so I bet she will have to move them...alot...till she finds the perfect spot for them ;) I do have a few schefflera cuttings that 'followed me home' recently, but it is almost impossible to kill them. The one cutting I worry about at this time is a prayer plant cutting I have. It is alive so that is all that matters right now, right?
Apr 4, 2007 | 4:29 PM PST
Tags: tomato , juniper , rhododendron , vegetable , garden , bonsai , landscape , japanese maple , yard , plant , sun
So it may be a rental, but it does have a garden area. Looks like we have decided to take the more expensive place, but we will have room to vegetable garden and I will have plenty of space to keep my Bonsai's. The only real downfall of the 'mature landscaping' is it has massive junipers and rhododendrons. Not particularly my favorite, and I will not have much option on how the yard looks...it does have two fireplaces and a great kitchen ( I GET GAS!!!) I do like the setup, but really REALLY wish it had a master bathroom. The boys will HAVE to use the downstairs bathroom because we are NOT going to have to clean the bathroom every five minutes in case someone drops by ;) Good news is the side of the house that has the veggy patch is in FULL sun, so I may be one of the only people who has ever had success with tomatoes in the Seattle area! If we get this house, I will so be taking pictures! Maybe I will be able to talk them into letting me plant one of my Japanese Maple Bonsai's...set it FREE, it would be such a boon to a yard as 'simple' as this one is, at this time.
