Comments for Alberta Home Gardening http://www.albertahomegardening.com The Documented Experiments of an Alberta Gardener Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:03:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 Comment on Seven Essentials to Growing Tomatoes by Jennifer http://www.albertahomegardening.com/seven-essentials-to-growing-tomatoes/#comment-497 Jennifer Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:18:25 +0000 http://www.albertahomegardening.com/?p=70#comment-497 great post...I think I ran out of the house and had to prune my tomatoes immediately! It sure helps! I would love to see a post on how to prevent worms/moths in radishes and turnips as well..... watering systems....greenhouse and outdoors! We bought some soaker hoses at Canadian Tire but they all seem ot have holes in them...Not impressed! I am so impressed with your greenhouse tomatoes.....I need a greenhouse NOW!..... :) great post…I think I ran out of the house and had to prune my tomatoes immediately! It sure helps!

I would love to see a post on how to prevent worms/moths in radishes and turnips

as well…..

watering systems….greenhouse and outdoors! We bought some soaker hoses at Canadian Tire but they all seem ot have holes in them…Not impressed!

I am so impressed with your greenhouse tomatoes…..I need a greenhouse NOW!….. :)

]]> Comment on Deer - My 2nd Worst Enemy by Jennifer http://www.albertahomegardening.com/deer-my-2nd-worst-enemy/#comment-496 Jennifer Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:13:55 +0000 http://www.albertahomegardening.com/?p=83#comment-496 My dad has a huge problem with this public enemy! He has fences/buzzers and they still come back - nightly! I'm wondering how the human hair would work.....hmmmm! I really enjoy your blog! Thanks for sharing! Perhaps next year I will check out some u-picks and provide a post....too busy with baby # 2 Keep on blogging! :) My dad has a huge problem with this public enemy! He has fences/buzzers and they still come back - nightly! I’m wondering how the human hair would work…..hmmmm! I really enjoy your blog! Thanks for sharing! Perhaps next year I will check out some u-picks and provide a post….too busy with baby # 2

Keep on blogging! :)

]]> Comment on Seven Essentials to Growing Tomatoes by Dave http://www.albertahomegardening.com/seven-essentials-to-growing-tomatoes/#comment-494 Dave Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:18:21 +0000 http://www.albertahomegardening.com/?p=70#comment-494 Be sure that the manure you add is fully composted before you add it to existing plants. If the manure is 'home-grown', it should be composted for at least six months. If it's store bought manure, it's most likely already composted. Fully composted manure can be safely added to the soil around your plants. (Ideally, fall is the best time to add manure when there is no threat of burning your plants with fresh manure. Plus you can mix it into your soil without disturbing your plants.) Hail damage is usually white spots or tears with brown edges. From what you described to me, it doesn't sound like hail damage. If you could take a picture and send it in to me, I could probably give you a better idea of the cause. (email to dave@albertahomegardening.com) Be sure that the manure you add is fully composted before you add it to existing plants. If the manure is ‘home-grown’, it should be composted for at least six months. If it’s store bought manure, it’s most likely already composted. Fully composted manure can be safely added to the soil around your plants. (Ideally, fall is the best time to add manure when there is no threat of burning your plants with fresh manure. Plus you can mix it into your soil without disturbing your plants.)

Hail damage is usually white spots or tears with brown edges. From what you described to me, it doesn’t sound like hail damage. If you could take a picture and send it in to me, I could probably give you a better idea of the cause. (email to dave@albertahomegardening.com)

]]> Comment on Seven Essentials to Growing Tomatoes by Linda Ouimet http://www.albertahomegardening.com/seven-essentials-to-growing-tomatoes/#comment-493 Linda Ouimet Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:12:56 +0000 http://www.albertahomegardening.com/?p=70#comment-493 Dave, thanks for your reply, I really do enjoy reading your website. I am a new gardener, and are growing tomatoes in raised boxes that are attached to the deck, in which I added the dirt that you discussed in a previous website. Can I put the manure, which is a mix of cow, chicken, horse, etc. on top of the plant, or will it burn it ? The other question I had about the discoloring of the leaves, could it be from hail, as we have had our share of it? Dave, thanks for your reply, I really do enjoy reading your website.
I am a new gardener, and are growing tomatoes in raised boxes that
are attached to the deck, in which I added the dirt that you discussed
in a previous website. Can I put the manure, which is a mix of cow,
chicken, horse, etc. on top of the plant, or will it burn it ? The other
question I had about the discoloring of the leaves, could it be from
hail, as we have had our share of it?

]]> Comment on Baby Potatoes Have Arrived by Amy http://www.albertahomegardening.com/baby-potatoes-have-arrived/#comment-491 Amy Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:22:10 +0000 http://www.albertahomegardening.com/?p=80#comment-491 I'm glad to see the straw method is working and you're getting some potatoes. Enjoy! I’m glad to see the straw method is working and you’re getting some potatoes. Enjoy!

]]> Comment on Those Are Some Very Baby Potatoes by Baby Potatoes Have Arrived | Alberta Home Gardening http://www.albertahomegardening.com/those-are-some-very-baby-potatoes/#comment-485 Baby Potatoes Have Arrived | Alberta Home Gardening Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:58:55 +0000 http://www.albertahomegardening.com/?p=62#comment-485 [...] been wrong before - and I’ll be wrong again. Just last week I wrote a post regarding baby potatoes. I had dug around gently in my straw looking for some potatoes, but only found a little pea-sized [...] [...] been wrong before - and I’ll be wrong again. Just last week I wrote a post regarding baby potatoes. I had dug around gently in my straw looking for some potatoes, but only found a little pea-sized [...]

]]> Comment on Seven Essentials to Growing Tomatoes by Dave http://www.albertahomegardening.com/seven-essentials-to-growing-tomatoes/#comment-484 Dave Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:46:54 +0000 http://www.albertahomegardening.com/?p=70#comment-484 Linda, let's see if I can answer all of your questions. First, the leaf curl - this is often a sign of stress and is quite common in outdoor tomato plants. If it were in a controlled environment like a greenhouse, then you might have other problems, but most often this harmless to your plants. There could be many causes - a severe pruning, over watering, transplant stress, etc... The color issue is likely a deficiency of some sort - I would guess maybe iron. Plain ol' manure should clear this up. As for whether or not to fertilize your "home-made" dirt, you shouldn't need fertilizer in the first year, but if you add a handful per square foot each year, that should be sufficient. However, depending on what compose material you use, your soil could be deficient of some things and fertilizer may in need. And lastly, I would still remove suckers on determinate tomatoes. As well, for indeterminate tomatoes, at about one month before frost, I would pinch out the growing tip at the top and let the plant put all of it's energy into existing tomatoes. Hope this helps! Linda, let’s see if I can answer all of your questions. First, the leaf curl - this is often a sign of stress and is quite common in outdoor tomato plants. If it were in a controlled environment like a greenhouse, then you might have other problems, but most often this harmless to your plants. There could be many causes - a severe pruning, over watering, transplant stress, etc…
The color issue is likely a deficiency of some sort - I would guess maybe iron. Plain ol’ manure should clear this up.
As for whether or not to fertilize your “home-made” dirt, you shouldn’t need fertilizer in the first year, but if you add a handful per square foot each year, that should be sufficient. However, depending on what compose material you use, your soil could be deficient of some things and fertilizer may in need.
And lastly, I would still remove suckers on determinate tomatoes. As well, for indeterminate tomatoes, at about one month before frost, I would pinch out the growing tip at the top and let the plant put all of it’s energy into existing tomatoes.
Hope this helps!

]]> Comment on Seven Essentials to Growing Tomatoes by Linda Ouimet http://www.albertahomegardening.com/seven-essentials-to-growing-tomatoes/#comment-483 Linda Ouimet Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:37:29 +0000 http://www.albertahomegardening.com/?p=70#comment-483 One more question in regards to your tomato growing tips, when you are growing determinate tomatoes do you still remove suckers, and if you do will that hurt the plant? One more question in regards to your tomato growing tips, when
you are growing determinate tomatoes do you still remove suckers,
and if you do will that hurt the plant?

]]> Comment on Seven Essentials to Growing Tomatoes by Linda Ouimet http://www.albertahomegardening.com/seven-essentials-to-growing-tomatoes/#comment-481 Linda Ouimet Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:33:04 +0000 http://www.albertahomegardening.com/?p=70#comment-481 I read your articles earlier and decided to create my own dirt, with 1/3 peatmoss, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 compost from 3 different sources. I am growing flowers, tomatoes and zucchini, and cucumbers in this soil. I am finding that the leaves of the tomatoes are taking on a lighter green color and have curling of the leaves and the leaves of the tomatoe plants are streaked a light green to white color. Can you help me to figure out what is happening with them? The tomatoes are growing well, other than one beefsteak tomato looks like it has many scratches on the bottom of it. I also was wondering whether I need to fertilize everything or not with such good soil? I read your articles earlier and decided to create my own dirt, with 1/3
peatmoss, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 compost from 3 different sources.
I am growing flowers, tomatoes and zucchini, and cucumbers in this
soil. I am finding that the leaves of the tomatoes are taking on a lighter green color and have curling of the leaves and the leaves of
the tomatoe plants are streaked a light green to white color. Can
you help me to figure out what is happening with them? The tomatoes are growing well, other than one beefsteak tomato looks
like it has many scratches on the bottom of it. I also was wondering
whether I need to fertilize everything or not with such good soil?

]]> Comment on Growing Potatoes In Straw by Heather http://www.albertahomegardening.com/growing-potatoes-in-straw/#comment-464 Heather Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:01:08 +0000 http://www.albertahomegardening.com/?p=52#comment-464 I'm looking forward to seeing how this works for you! I have mine in a really deep SQ foot garden box, but I didn't add straw as early as I should have, I'm afraid.. and next year I'd like to grow a LOT more, so putting them out in the big garden like this may be the way to go next year. I’m looking forward to seeing how this works for you! I have mine in a really deep SQ foot garden box, but I didn’t add straw as early as I should have, I’m afraid.. and next year I’d like to grow a LOT more, so putting them out in the big garden like this may be the way to go next year.

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