Growing tomatoes & Peppers

Successful seed germination for tomatoes and peppers can be ensured by providing optimal conditions of temperature, moisture and light

When you are ready to select the heirloom tomatoes or peppers you want to grow it is helpful to clarify your end use and select accordingly

Tips for potting up tomato seedlings to ensure healthy and robust tomatoes and peppers throughout the growing season

Growing tomatoes in pots can be tricky. Here are some tips to help make your container gardening of tomatoes more successful

Signs of Nutritional Deficiencies in Heirloom Tomato Seedlings and solutions to help prevent a range of tomato diseases

Detailed tips on how to achieve successful tomato & pepper seed germination, especially with heirloom tomatoes

This is a summary of the flavor, growth performance and unique qualities of what I consider to be the best heirloom tomato varieties. I have been growing, tasting and testing heirloom tomatoes since 1997 and this guide is based on that cumulative experience. What to Consider Before Buying Your Heirloom Tomatoes Before opening those enticing …

Many people who are new to  growing heirloom tomatoes in the ground start with a tomato plant, a bag of fertilizer and a tomato “cage” purchased at a garden center.  Many people also come back the next year with sad tales to tell about their experience with the cages. Here are some alternatives to the …

Tips on preventing cracking or splitting of heirloom tomato skins – why they crack, how to avoid it & best varietites to choose.

Blossom end rot is a common disease that occurs in tomatoes, particularly if growing tomatoes in pots. Here are tips for prevention and cures

Buying heirloom tomato plants can be confusing. Here are tips on what to look for in terms of health and growing conditions.

For many people in urban settings, growing tomatoes and edible plants in pots is necessary due to space constraints (or lack of an aread with 6 hours of direct sunlight). This video and post explains the 6 key requirements for growing food in containers or pots.  Benefits of Growing Food in Pots As noted above, …

Starting tomato and pepper seeds is a science and an art and this is a “how-to” post for successful seed germination

Weeding is definitely the bane of the organic farmer, especially on farms that are considered small (less than 50 acres). Larger organic farms are generally set up with wider rows that tractors can drive through with weeding implements, and small organic gardens are generally weeded by hand without too much trouble. Our farm is 23 …

By Cyndy Crist As we plan our gardens, we consider an array of things. We likely start by deciding what we’d like to grow (with edibles, this obviously is based on what we want to eat), then consider what we can grow given available space, growing conditions, and the time we can devote to gardening.   …