(DF) TIME TO PLANT TOMATOES ??????

Of course it isn't time to plant tomatoes ................. at least not out in the garden. However, if you read my earlier article, "GARDEN PLANTING TIME ................ ALREADY???", you may realize that I tend to get a little impatient. In fact you are probably shaking your head about now, and wondering what makes me think I can raise a garden.

Before you chalk this up as some kind of a joke, let me assure you that I am serious. So serious in fact, that I planted about fifty tomato seeds today, twenty of one variety and thirty of another. I fully intend to plant more varieties as well as some hot peppers in a few days.

No, I am not fooled by the mild winter. The worst months of winter here are NORMALLY February and March, and most of April can be a bit iffy as well. So knowing this, why am I starting seeds in January? Simply put, it is because of the word "normally". Normally, it would be too cold to plant tomatoes out by the time they are big enough. Normally, by the time they can be safely transplanted, they would be nothing but spindly, yellowing runners that would be hard put to survive in the best of conditions. However, this is eastern Oklahoma, where "normal" is a well known myth, at least where the weather is concerned.

Within this broad range of what passes for normal, I have transplanted tomatoes in March and they flourished, and in May only to have them frosted. I have also planted them in mid April (which is customary) to have them blooming nicely in time for weather hot enough to prevent production. There have also been years (last spring in particular) when near record spring rainfall almost drown the tomatoes, followed by record heat which pretty much finished them off.

With these things in mind, I tend to start the seeds early, in the house, with mini-greenhouses made of clear trash bags, (until we can get the greenhouse frame covered, probably next year). By starting a lot more than are really needed, there are plenty to plant out early if the weather looks reasonable, then plant some out at the "normal time", and more (which may have to be moved to larger pots for awhile) for planting late, just in case winter hangs on longer than hoped.

In the not so "normal" event that spring is early, long and leads to a warm, damp early summer, there will be a bumper crop. If that happens, there will be lots of canned and dried tomatoes to store for several years to come.

(DF) POTTING OF THE PEPPER

Remember the one surviving pepper plant from the recent frost? It is still alive and well, but with another frost not far in the future, the hope of fresh, hot peppers into the winter hinges on that little plant. With this in mind, and with the soil dampened by rain from the weekend, the time could not be better.

Yesterday afternoon I decided to take a break from preparing foraged pears and play in the dirt for a few minutes. The process of pushing a tile spade deep into the soil all the way around the plant, (out beyond the roots, of course), and gently lifting the plant from the ground took only a minute or two. The plant was then placed in a hollowed out space in the pot of rich, organic potting soil. Garden soil was then placed over the roots and filled in around the stem to the level it had been in the garden. After a good watering, the newly potted plant was left in the garden for the rest of the afternoon to soak up the available sunshine.

Early evening came around, and I expected to see some sign of transplant shock, at least a few drooping leaves. However, there were no signs at all, only a very healthy looking plant, which I moved into the house for the night.

The whole transplanting process took less than ten minutes. The prospect of fresh red peppers through the winter is more than ample payment for that amount of time, and the addition of such a bright, decorative plant to the home is an added bonus.

Now, it's back to the pears, but more on that later.

(DF) No Longer Just Frost

This morning found frost, not light or patchy this time, but serious frost at my place. By the time the animals were taken care of and the ice broken on the goat water, the remaining plants in the garden were looking a bit limp. The smell of frosted vegetation filled the air with it's pungent aroma and it was pretty obvious that the growing phase of gardening had ended for the season. The only plant unaffected is the pepper which had a bit better protection than the others.

With the forecast calling for warmer temperatures for a few days, I will let it warm up a little before potting the pepper. I have it on good authority that peppers will produce throughout most of the winter in the house and then start over in the spring for a head start on production. What I know absolutely nothing about, is how well full grown pepper plants transplant back into pots. With this in mind, I will try to give it time to adjust to one shock at a time, if the weather allows of course.

Now looking ahead, it is time for all the wonderful winter activities, in and out of the garden. We mustn't forget that spring will be here before we know it.