TLC Tomato Loving Care

Yesterday the boy and I got to spend a big chunk of time in the garden.  It wasn't enough but there were jobs that needed doing ASAP.  As mention in my last Blog, I bought 3 tomato plants from the VanDusen Plant Sale a couple weeks ago and transplanted them into these pots.  

The cooking style pot was bought at the SPCA Thrift store for about a buck for this purpose.  I couldn't find any other so the other two went into regular reused nursery pots.

I didn't drill any holes in the new pot hoping that the sun would keep the soil from becoming too saturated, but I failed!  I thought about it instead of doing it.  I've been reading the Organic Sister blog and I am learning from her policy of Doing not Thinking!  You can't see it in this photo the the poor tomato became very water logged, very quickly.  And it became sick, which weakened its immune and made it prone to...

APHIDS!  

Although these three plants are next to each other, only the one has been attacked!  To me this is proof that better gardening methods are a better way to keep away pests then chemical spraying!

These little guys have been feasting, enjoying my tomatoes before I even had a chance.

I drilled three holes into the bottom of the pot and let it drain.

I then topped up the pot with Keefer's Soil Energizer to make up for the loss of soil through the holes, and to compensate for soil compaction cause from the flooding.  

I added a small layer of organic matter, dried leaves, to cover the soil so as to protect from further soil damage from rain, and to reduce evaporation.  I maybe should have waited on this stage until the soil had dried out, but I'd hate to waste more water. 

I will add an organic layer to the other Tomatoes as well as the azalea's to protect the soil from the elements.  This may be another good example of a time to use Organic Sister's Doing not Thinking.

I think that I read somewhere that Marigolds detract pests like Aphids.  I know that cats don't like them but I will try and confirm that.  So I bought a small 2X4" tray from Choices and placed it next to the Pot of Tomatoes.  Until the plant is healthy again I am leaving it in isolation so that the aphids stay off the other tomatoes.  Once they are gone I will return the little guy with his friends and repot the Marigolds into separate smaller pots and boarder the Tomatoes with them.

I miss my Garden

I really do miss my garden.  I have been giving it 10 - 15 minutes of attention at a time maybe 2 or 3 times a week.  Not enough, but time well enjoyed.  I was at the VanDusen plant sale a couple weeks back.  Just me and the boy, no pictures.  Here is the plant sale in a nut shell.  Terrible parking, HUGE lines, awesome selection, and great prices.  

Because I am planing on moving I am not doing anymore planting in the ground.  I'm a container man for now. 

Two Azaleas on the rim of my fire pit.  These are the pots I transplanted them into.  Cheap!

When we moved to our present place in Sept 07 we brought this hanging Strawberry with us.  I hung it from the north side of the carport roof to get it up and out of the way.  There it sat and did next to nothing.  I took 2 minutes on my way out the door to move it into the sun.  That should help.

These three pots represent my food crop this year.  Two Beefy and one striped Tomato.  I received a recipe for catchup and was looking forward to trying it out this fall.  I bought these at VanDusen at a moment when Cillian was attempting to run away from me.  I asked the ladies for a couple Beefeaters and they handed them over.  I got home, read the tag and thought to myself, "Taxi" is a funny name for a tomato...  Opps, yellow catchup it is!