Hi friends and family,

Mama and I are going to be chiming in with practical gardening tips that mostly Mama has learned along the way. LOL!  We look forward to hearing from you.  Please comment and share a post with your gardening tips as well.

Tip #1  Spring - Healthy Growth

In the spring cut away old leaves and stems so air can move easily around the plant.  This is a great way to retard mildew growth and plants will produce new growth that is healthy and strong.  

Tip #2 Geraniums

Did you know you can add 1/2 cup of Epsom salts to the soil?  Make sure to mix it well.  The Epsom salts give your Geraniums a boost.  Down the road when you're watering them, add 1 tbsp to each gallon of water.  Your blooms should be b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!

 Tip #3  Crop Rotation

My garden is a relatively small 25' x 25' size with 9 or 10 rows.  I mainly grow tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers and squash.  Each take different amounts of nutrients such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus or nitrogen from the soil.to complete their life cycle.Each year I make a map before I plant and rotate the rows from the year before.to help improve and maintain nutrient balance in the soil.  It also takes the guess work out of, "oh boy, where am I going to plant this one!"

 Tip #4  Companion Plants

Here's some great information from America's Master Gardener, Jerry Baker's book, Great Green Garden Secrets.  Companion plants help each other out by supplying nutrients the others need, or by warding off insects.  Following is some examples:

VEGETABLE            COMPANIONS

Beans                        Beets, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, potatoes

Beets                         Beans, kohlrabi, onions  (If you're short of row space, plant onions and beets "side by side" to save space in your garden)

Cabbage                     Chamomile, dill, mints, potatoes, rosemary, sage

Carrots                       Chives, leeks, lettuce

Corn                            Beans, cucumbers, melons, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, squash

Cucumbers                 Cabbages, potatoes, radishes

Eggplant                      Green beans

Lettuce                        Carrots, radishes, strawberries

Onions                         Beets

Peas                            Beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, radishes

Potatoes                       Beans, cabbages, corn

Pumpkins                     Corn

Tomatoes                     Celery, marigolds, nasturtiums, parsley  (Marigolds repel Nematodes, very tiny insects that will attack almost anything. Marigolds and Nasturtiums also attract insects that eat aphids and other pests.)  

This year you may want to plant a "friends" garden with your flowers and vegetables and watch the results. 

Tip #5  Tomatoes

The tomato is America's primary vegetable - we eat more tomatoes than almost any other fruit or vegetable.  Did you know a home grown, vine-ripened tomato has twice the vitamin C and beta-carotene of a commercial, gas-ripened fruit?  No wonder they taste soo much better fresh from the garden!  They are also WARM weather vegetables, as are peppers, eggplants, melons and squash, so plant AFTER Memorial Day when the soil is warm.

Tomato plants are classified as Determinate or Indeterminate.  Determinate plants stop growing and produce all their fruit at one time.  Indeterminate plants continue to grow and produce fruit throughout the season.

When planting, if your plants are quite tall or "leggy", you can lay part of the stem in the soil.  They will grow roots along the stem to add a solid root base.

If you don't have a garden, tomatoes will grow in containers.  Be sure to use large containers and stake or cage early so you won't damage the roots later.  Remember to keep them evenly moist and place them in an area that gets plenty of sunlight. 

No matter how you like your tomatoes, this vine-ripened summer fruit is well worth the wait!!

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