Chicken Wing in May

The garden just explodes this time of year. Now with the threat of frost gone, usually the last week in April in the Willamette Valley, every seed sprouts. And that includes weeds! Well, there are no such things as weeds... but I end up having to pull out a lot of plants that I like because they are taking over the plants that I am trying to grow. I only remove "weeds" when I am ready to plant somewhere or if they oare overcrowding other plants. But until then, I'll let the weeds do their thing. Weeds are there for a reason: they are mending the landscape. Some weeds bring nutrients up from deep in the ground, others break up soil. Some attract insects, while some keep them away. Keeping bedspace covered at all times, even if it is with weeds, help keep moisture in the soil because soil is not exposed to heavy rains or the sun. A weedy garden means the soil is good. If weeds don't grow, then you should be worried. Something is very wrong with your soil if you are not weeding in May.

Early Tomato Planting at Chicken Wing

Because of the unseasonably warm and dry weather ,and its expected continuation, I went ahead and planted the tomatoes in early may this year. It was getting HOT in the hoop house during the 80 degree days we've been having, where they had been for the last two months. In addition, my tomatoes plants were very large already, and were itching to get in the ground. I could tell because some were starting to flower. I quickly pinched off flowers and started lookin to plant!

When planting tomatoes, here is what I do...

Dig a deep hole - two feet or so. You want to plant the tomato deep in the ground in order to give the plant more stability as it grows. Tomatoes can be buried, and will grow roots out of its former stem! Don't try this with most of your other veggies, as the stem will rot.

Plant tomatoes with enough room to grow big. I like to plant densely, about 1 plant every foot and a half  to two feet.  I prune tomatoes heavily - down to two main stems per plant - so plants don't get too bushy and fruit gets bigger and tastes better.

I add some sea kelp for extra nutrients at the bottom of the hole. I also add compost.  Tomatoes like lots of nutrients.

I prune off the bottom leaves in order to plant the tomato deep into the ground. It makes the plant seem much smaller after you plant it, but it will be stronger and happier. Don't worry, it will get plenty big!

After pruning to bottom leaves off. It's ready to go in the ground!

The tomato goes deep in the hole.

Make sure the soil in nice and fluffy around the tomato so that water doesn't sit or puddle near the tomatoes.

Tomatoes in a line... hope they grow big!

Chicken Wing is lookin good!!