My mom bought and planted a cherry tomato plant a little over a week ago, so our veggie garden is all planted. We don't have anything ready to be eaten yet but the plants are growing nicely and the two pepper plants each have a flower on them. It has been raining regularly since we planted so I haven't had to worry about watering. I helped my mom do a little weeding on Saturday. We had to remove some trees from our flower boxes.

Zucchinis already? Wow.

This month has been extremely wet and generally cool - great for crops like lettuce and peas that bake once it gets too hot - but not so good for things like tomatoes (this year we're trying a couple of those 'topsy turvy' upside-down tomatoes. So far so good, given the cool conditions).

But everything - flowers, grass, weeds -are growing unbelievably fast right now, and it's green outside everywhere you look. But sooner or later summer will come.

this year we're trying a couple of those 'topsy turvy' upside-down tomatoes. So far so good, given the cool conditions

You must let me know how this works out! I've been very interested in them the past few years, but everyone I know that's tried them loses the tomato. And yet not only is the product still on the shelves it seems to be increasing in popularity. Which makes me think that the people I know that killed their tomato didn't know what they were doing.

My husband thinks that the inherent problem with Topsy Turvy tomatoes is that the roots are more exposed to the heat of the sun if you don't hang it somewhere shady and keep it well watered.

For the first time this season, we've actually had vegetable plants grow quite well.
We purchased the Buzzy Seeds pack that comes with seeds, pot, soil and all. (These being Cilantro, Tomato, and Cucumber.) I would have liked to pick what kind of Tomato, but I'm not so skilled a gardener yet, and this was satisfactory for first-time. The tomato and cucumber plants have shot up and now the roots of the 3-4 plants in there are sticking out of the bottom. The instructions just said, "Whne 3", transplant to bigger pots and give plant food."
1. I don't know if they mean the root/stem/stem + leaves in 3"
2. How is plant food administered?
3. Is there any specific care for the plants, because I'm suspecting that's not quite it.
I also recall something about tomatoes being extremely hungry plants, so...
Help!!! I mean, tips? Thank-you, most reliable garden thread!

Heya Aitb I've been wondering if you'd turn up in this thread eventually (I saw your botany post on my sister's Facebook page.)

"Whne 3", transplant to bigger pots and give plant food."

They mean from the top of the soil to the top of the plant, if it's 3" tall. Don't include the roots. Course tomatoes are one of the less sensitive plants I've worked with and can take a bit of a beating. I usually transplant mine when they're a lot smaller than that.

How is plant food administered?

Does your plant food come with directions? Usually I mix it with water and pour it in, but you'll want to be careful not to overfeed your plant cause that can zap it.

Is there any specific care for the plants, because I'm suspecting that's not quite it.

You know, I've found that vegetable plants are amazingly not that picky. (Course it depends on which one, but tomatoes and cucumbers are ok.) Most often causes of death are lack of water or too much watering. I'll check too see if my plants need water by putting my finger on the dirt. If it's wet, leave it, if it's dry, check just under the surface. Again, if it's wet, leave it, if it's dry, then it could probably stand to be watered.

Are these plants ever going to be put outside or will they be kept indoors in pots?

Hullo to you too, f_k! Ahee, I was intending to drop by. ^.^

They mean from the top of the soil to the top of the plant, if it's 3" tall. Don't include the roots. Course tomatoes are one of the less sensitive plants I've worked with and can take a bit of a beating. I usually transplant mine when they're a lot smaller than that.

Oohh, okay. Phew, I was thinking they meant the roots and thought I was craazy behind in transplanting them. Tomatoes are pretty strong, hey? Good to know, good to know! Ah, ok. I'll probably transplant them this week. For transplanting, should I put the plants in pots seperately to avoid further headache or it is fine to put them together until they grow larger?

So it's a easy as that; put water and pour? I was thinking there's some looong process of feeding. Thank goodness. I'll be sure to check the directions when I buy the plant food, yes. *stores in memory not to overfeed it*

Mm, I see. I'll keep in mind to do that; oftentimes I end up flooding the plant or leaving it parched.
Well, thank-you a ton for answering my questions!! I feel much calmer about planting the vegetables, knowing that they're not incredibly hard to manage.

Currently, they're outside. Is that pretty much okay for young plants? :/ However, as they grow eventually, we might put them out daytime and bring them in at night to avoid racoons, pigeons, and squirrels from taking them. Now to see if cucumber, cilantro, and tomato plants are safe for cats....

Ahhh! It's been raining so much here. Our plants are begining to turn yellow and drown That is the plants that haven't been eaten by deer and bluejays are. I was planting corn the other day and I got stuck inthe mud. I had to pull my feet out of my shoes jut to get out!

At least my mom's flower garden is raised so that should survive. It's close to the house to so its safer from the deer. But we'll be lucky if we get any vegetables this year.

*Edit:
here's a thumbnail of what my shoes looked like after getting stuck in the mud. Click to enlarge. They were black.

For transplanting, should I put the plants in pots seperately to avoid further headache or it is fine to put them together until they grow larger?

In the winter, I will start anywhere between 50-100 tomato plants (not kidding) for a lot of family members and friends. I never have enough pots so I'll put two or so per pot. But if you have the option of one tomato plant per pot, I highly recommend it. They will be happier, you will be happier... yeah.

So it's a easy as that; put water and pour?

Yeah, usually the plant food I get will say something like "mix one tsp of plant food in one gallon of water and feed to the plant over x amount of time."

Currently, they're outside. Is that pretty much okay for young plants?

Sorry, I meant, planted in the ground outside. Yeah, it's completely fine to set plants outside in pots.

It's been raining so much here. Our plants are begining to turn yellow and drown

here's a thumbnail of what my shoes looked like after getting stuck in the mud.

Nice.

Meanwhile, after nearly flooding here two weeks ago, it has suddenly gotten HOT. (Heat index today.... 99F ) So my tomatoes and peppers have taken off like crazy. I must be sure to remember to water tonight. I checked my garden and it's looking rather parched.

So plants are repotted, I'm worrying, and they look fine. I was pretty scared when seperating the roots...and it was two days ago and they're not wilting, so I think I've done well.

Ahaha, your boots, wolfloversk!

My word, 50-100 plants, F_K?! That's...amazing.

Following your instructions, I put two tomato plants and a cucumber one in seperate pots and am waiting for results. I'm quite elated! To think of fresh tomatoes... But now I'm going to ask a really dumb question-- the potting soil said, "complete, ready-to-use, etc, etc." but do I still need to put in plant food? I haven't fed them yet, but I've been wondering... (And, the plant food looks so synthetic! I was expecting dried herbs, or something... )

Aslanisthebest, I'm by no means an expert but I have used Miracle Grow vegetable potting soil and then feed my peppers with Miracle Grow as well. I'm not sure if that was what I was supposed to do or not. The plants grew great but took forever to bud. This year I used the same pots with the same soil as last year for my peppers but I just feed them and my other plants for the first time tonight. I was almost afraid to feed them because they have been doing so well with out it. My pepper plants and two tomato plants each have at least one veggie growing and all of my plants have many flowers. It could be that we had been having rain often but not in huge amounts and that helped them grow. I tend to be sporadic in my watering.

I have a question. My cucumber plants always attach themselves to my tomato plants. They won't attach to the lattice behind them. This year at least one of the thingies that grow out to attach to things (I'm sure there is a name for it but I don't know what it is) attached to the tomato's cage but two attached to the plant. Does anyone know how to get those thingies to attach to things? I've tried in the past to take them and wrap them around things but they end up shriveling up and breaking in a few days. Anyone know if it is harmful for the tomato plant to have a cucumber plant attached to it?

But now I'm going to ask a really dumb question-- the potting soil said, "complete, ready-to-use, etc, etc." but do I still need to put in plant food?

Does it say anything on the potting soil bag? You probably won't need to give them plant food any time soon if you're using fresh potting soil but EVENTUALLY you'll need it. As in, several months later.

Anyone know if it is harmful for the tomato plant to have a cucumber plant attached to it?

The only problem I see is the cucumber pulling it over and snapping it, but aside from that, not really. Just out of TOTAL curiosity, are your tomato plants closer to the sun than the cucumber plants? I've never actually tied up cucumber plants before, I always just let them run.

Now it's my turn for a question, though I don't know if there are many hard-core gardeners around to be able to answer, but I'll ask anyway.
I'm having a horrible problem with tomato blight this year. When I look up tomato blight online, the obvious solution is rotate the tomatoes around every year so they're not in the same spot blah blah blah. Well, the problem is I don't have a lot of room to rotate and while they're not in the same exact spot this year that they were last year, they're apparently too close or something. If we get another week of this 100F+ heat, they're done. I'd prefer to keep them going a bit longer, but that may not happen. Anyone have any solutions to tomato blight aside from crop rotation?

Just out of TOTAL curiosity, are your tomato plants closer to the sun than the cucumber plants? I've never actually tied up cucumber plants before, I always just let them run.

Here's a picture of their positioning (sorry it is a little blurry):
By the way, how does one know if cucumbers are ready to be picked? How does one know when green peppers are ready?
Here is a picture of my cucumber plant attached to the tomato plant.
The last two years I have had a horrible time with my cherry tomato plants. I buy them already partially grown. Last year my cherry tomato plant was a grape tomato plant and this year it is a regular sized tomato plant.

Sorry I can't answer your question, fantasia_kitty. I don't even know what tomato blight is.

I ate my first tomato yesterday and today. I had to throw away some of it because it hat a big bad spot.

Well I recently obtained a few more indoor plants. My roommate's family got me a cactus and I bought a tropical plant... (can't remember the xact name, I'll look it up later)

the tropical plant is doing quite nicely It recently started to grow new flowers. I hope my parents remembered my poor ivy plant that I had to leave at home, I have a feeling they didn't... I'll find out if its alive on Tuesday...

*pulls this topic up to the first page because of certain folk who are itching to begin gardening again now that Christmas is over*

*pulls this topic up to the first page because of certain folk who are itching to begin gardening again now that Christmas is over*

It'll be late March at the earliest before I can plant anything, and I'm in the south. We have Hawaiians on here or something?