Computer Problems Over

I am happy to be back online with no problems now. I ended up having to reformat the hard drive, but everything is working smoothly again. I know everyone complains about their slow computer. When my neighbors complained, I let them use my computer and was always told "mine is not so bad after all". It was aggravating, and I did lose a few programs. I had tried everything else. I could have taken it somewhere to be checked out. The cost of that would have been more than the cost of the two programs. I am not certain that the outcome would have been any different.

I am pleased to say that I have posts lined up for the next week. I apologize for my absence and hope the computer will cooperate from here on out.

Growing Tomatoes

I do not claim to be a gardening expert. I lean toward the method that if it does not the first time just try something different the second time. That is how I discovered that Celebrity tomatoes grow best in my area. I do grow other types including an heirloom variety. Over the years I came up with a few other tips.

First when planting the tomato plants, remove the bottom leaves. If you notice all along the stalk are "hairs". I plant the stalk as deep as I can. Roots will form all along the stalk giving you a healthier plant.

Tomatoes need at least 6 hours of sun and a good amount of water. During the summer here I often have to water my plants twice a day.

One common tomato problem is blossom end rot. The bottom part of your tomato will rot while it is still on the plant. One solution that has worked for me is milk. If I have some milk that has spoiled, I pour it around the tomato plant. The calcium helps prevent this type of rot.

Tomatoes are an excellent container plant. I do cage mine to give the plant some extra support. I used a mix of compost, manure, and a little potting soil.

Last year we picked our last tomato for eating just a few days before New Years. I realize not everyone has such a long growing season. With a little care and attention, you can have beautiful tomato plants and delicious home grown tomatoes.

Growing A Pineapple Plant

I recently saw a medium sized pineapple plant in a store for $15. I suppose this is not a bad deal. If you enjoy eating fresh pineapple, you can get a plant for free. A few simple steps all are that is needed to grow your own plant. I did some research and then adjusted it a bit.

When you cut the top off your fresh pineapple, remove as much of the fruit from the top as you can. Next pull off an inch or two of leaves from the bottom. The third step is the important one. Set the top aside for two or three days to allow it to dry a bit. This will go a long way to prevent the top from rotting. I let mine dry a bit too much, but it was still fine. Next set the pineapple top in water. I used a pint mason jar to hold mine. Wait for roots to appear. I had good, long roots in a few weeks' time. Finally plant your pineapple plant.

I will admit that mine is not as pretty (yet!) as the purchased plant. However for the same price I can buy 5 pineapples. That will give me five plants to grow and five delicious pineapples to eat.

Fruit Trees

We are trying to increase the amount of fruit we grow. We already had a decent sized pear tree on our land, but it never did much since it was overshadowed by a pecan tree. Since the pecan tree was not a good producer and was where my new greenhouse will be, DH cut it down. Now the pear tree can get more sun, and hopefully we can get more pears.

Earlier this year I shared a picture of our peach/plum tree. It was loaded with plums that as usual blew off with the first spring storm. We do have peaches still. They are a bit buggy as I am still searching for an organic way to keep the bugs off. For this year we will eat around the spots.

Lastly is our smallest pair of trees. Pictured below are two kumquat trees. I started them from seeds. We have a long time to wait before we are rewarded with kumquats.

Gardening Progress

I apologize for the lack of pictures today. I took a bunch, but the computer will not upload them. Hopefully I will get the kinks worked out by tomorrow. This past week in spite of suffering from a cold I got the garden planted with help from my dad and my DH. We planted cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, watermelon, and cantaloupe plants. My cousin gifted two dozen tomato plants from the nursery where he worked. They were leggy and needed planting. Those went into the garden as well. I hope to have pictures of this and the rest of the yard/garden later this week.