By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Sometimes the oddest things are the best things when it comes to the garden.

To prove my point, think of the reaction of the pilgrims when the Indians showed them how to plant corn with a fish.

Or in recent times, using gray water in the garden.

Sometimes it makes one go hmmm…

So here are some not so unusual items that are add to the garden soil and some quite unique items that may make one go hmmm…

• Banana Peels - These lovely kitchen scraps contain a bounty of potassium. This potassium is easily transferred into the soil and up the plant when the peel is placed in the hole before planting.
• Epsom Salt – This old drugstore standby is great for the garden especially where tomatoes are going to be placed. Simply put ½ cup into each hole before planting the tomato. Also, dissolving Epsom salt into water that is going to used on tomatoes is another approach.
• Eggshells - These provide calcium to the soil. Dry out the shells in an oven or in the sun, crush, and add to the hole prior to planting. Another approach is to place the dried, crushed eggshells to the water and let set for at least 24 hours. Then use this water when hydrating the garden. Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Gardening in the good old days was simple.

Gather the plants together that you want to domesticate and plant.

Hope for the best and wait for the results.

This approach worked some years and other years were a way of controlling the population.

Then, man made some connection that aided with the process of domestication. Animal and/or human fertilizer made plants grow better.

Staking plants up helped save more produce and removing plants that just did not look right seemed to save crops. But through this process we, as a modern society, decided that this was not enough. So the birth of Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Many years ago I discovered the epic tell of the paper, hand, and seed.

While it is not as impressive as the movie Titanic or as classical as Romeo and Juliet it still weaves a level of intrigue that only horticulture can bring to the big screen.

One may wonder how can paper, a hand, and seed weave a tale that could be compared to such great stories as those mentioned and the answer is it deals with dilemma that every gardener faces when it comes time to start seed.

The dilemma I refer to how deep to plant the seed.

Every spring the excited gardener gets out the equipment needed to start the first seed of the New Year. They fill the flats with soil, write the tags out, organize the seed packets, and start to plant. Some may purchase a store-bought seeder to handle those seemingly microscopic seeds that seem to be impossible to plant at the proper depth.

Some individuals may choose to wing it and cast caution into the wind along with their seed. This approach only works for Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Variety is the spice of life is a saying that not only applies to life but also the tomato garden.

Planning for this variety takes a little time, seed catalogs, and a little understanding about tomatoes.

Understanding the different types of tomatoes and how they can be used to create a full-season of tomatoes is the key. Growth habit of tomatoes can be a friend or a foe to any gardener.

Midget, patio or dwarf tomatoes are compact plants that grow in container or hanging baskets. They typically only produce for a short time and once that production is complete they are done for the season.

Determinate tomatoes go to a certain height, produce all their fruit early and in a short amount of time.

Once the fruit has been produced the plant is finished as far as fruit production. Then there is Read the rest of this entry »

By Guest Writer Penny Mohney of Penny’s Tomatoes

If you are thinking about starting your own compost pile think about this.

With just a little knowledge you can turn your everyday garbage into nutrient rich fertilizer for your yard or garden and the best part is…it’s organic.

Let’s start with your container.

You can buy or build something to house your compost pile.  A wooden frame (like a sandbox) made out of 2×10’s (or what ever) in the corner of our yard will work great. Add your scraps to it on a daily basis and “stir” or “fluff” it up 2 to 3 times a week.

Many materials can be added to a compost pile, including Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

The other day, my husband came home from work and said the tomatoes were not ripening.

His place of employment raises fresh vegetables that they in turn service to their employees.

The problem, it seemed, was that there were over 50 tomato plants sitting there with only green tomatoes and the tomatoes had been green for over one month.

The mystery widened when only 10 miles away, tomatoes were ripening on the vine in the Charlestown Community garden. To help explain what was going on started with the biology of a ripening tomato.

Tomatoes go through a developmental process or maturation.

During this time, several stages occur before Read the rest of this entry »