Archive for the ‘Plant Supports’ Category
July 8th, 2011

COMMERCIAL TOMATO GROWING EXPOSED: Convincing reasons why you should grow your own tomatoes!

Here are some REALLY good reasons why you should grow your own tomatoes. Read “Tomatoland” by Barry Estabrook. Or be convinced by these excerpts from the NY Times book review…

Daniel Barry for The New York Times

“South Florida, where nearly all of America’s winter tomatoes are grown, is nearly…(an)…alien…environment for farming. It’s insane that tomatoes are grown there at all.

“Florida’s sandy soil, Mr. Estabrook writes, is as devoid of plant nutrients as a pile of moon rocks. “Florida growers may as well be raising their plants in a sterile hydroponic medium.”

He continues, witheringly: “To get a successful crop, they pump the soil full of chemical fertilizers and can blast the plants with more than 100 different herbicides and pesticides, including some of the most toxic in agribusiness’s arsenal.” Migrant workers are coated with these chemicals too. The toll that’s taken on them, in the form of birth defects, cancer and other ailments, is hideous to observe and should fill those who eat Florida tomatoes with shame.

And all this for what? Hard, tasteless, uniform green balls that barely dent when they fall off a truck at 60 miles per hour and that must be gassed to achieve the sick-pink hue they present in supermarkets.

To read the full review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/books/tomatoland-barry-estabrooks-expose-review.html?_r=2&ref=books

To find the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Tomatoland-Industrial-Agriculture-Destroyed-Alluring/dp/1449401090/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310152463&sr=1-1

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August 24th, 2010

Vertical Planting Design

When many people hear the word “gardening,” they probably summon a vision of a landscaped yard, a large lot filled with blooms, foliage or even vegetables, or maybe an English cottage surrounded by flowers. Most folks think about things growing “out,”  not “up.”

Vertical Planting Design

If you have a deck, patio, porch or even just a balcony, it may be time to think about vertical planting. You can design a secluded place to relax, or block out an unwanted object with some screening between you and the rest of the world. Add height to your gardening efforts using vertical planting design to help you achieve that goal.

An ideal way to grow “up” is a modular vertical planting system that utilizes a framery system accommodating stacking planter boxes for flowers and foliage. These versatile modular read more

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July 22nd, 2010

Tomato Planting Made Easy

Even gardeners who aren’t gardeners love to plant tomatoes! Seeds and seedlings are readily available. Tomatoes are easy to grow in large and small backyard plots, or in a pot on a balcony. Perhaps it’s because tomatoes appeal to almost everyone…in a fresh salad, in spaghetti sauce or just atop a cheeseburger.

So, here are some basics
Tomato plants can send out roots all along their stems. Strong roots are a good thing, so you should plant seedlings deeper than normal; as high up as the top set of leaves. These extra roots will help the plant grow quickly. Dig a hole deep enough to bury most of the plant. Some gardeners even dig a tunnel or trench and lay the plant sideways read more

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June 24th, 2010

Vegetable Garden Design

So, you’d like to start a vegetables garden. Where do you begin?  It’s probably best to figure out what you want to plant, how much you want to plant, and where to plant it before you do anything.  Here are a few tips and guidelines to get you on your way.

Tickle your tastebuds
Your goal should be to plant the kind of garden that will yield the homegrown vegetables that you know you and your family can enjoy. Don’t over plant. There’s no sense spending time and effort growing things you won’t use or must give away. Focus on your favorites and enjoy them yourself.

Hatch a plot
There are many ways to plan a garden. Let’s assume that you have sufficient land and space to grow vegetables. Don’t worry, we’re not talking about acres here. For people who have plenty of time and space, the traditional garden plot is acceptable.  Normally, a manageable garden is thought to be about 10 feet by 10 feet. These gardens can be created with long rows or partitioned into grids. Sketch a diagram where each vegetable is to be planted. But remember, large plots can be a chore when it read more

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