Topsy-Turvy Tomatoes

Have you ever tried growing tomatoes upside-down? I haven't. I saw pictures years ago of hanging tomato plants, but it wasn't until last week that I gave them another thought. My husband's uncle said he was thinking about growing his tomatoes upside-down this year but didn't know how to keep them in their pots. He doesn't have internet access so I did a little research for him.

People seem to like growing them in 5-gallon paint buckets with handles. Drill a hole about 2 1/2 inches in diameter in the bottom of the bucket. Set the bucket, right side up, on something so as not to cover the hole. Gently insert your seedling into the hole so that about 2 inches of stem is protruding from the bottom. While holding the plant in one hand, pack material around the plant to keep it from falling out - something like newspapers, coffee filters, or sphagnum moss. Continue to hold the plant while you add soil to the bucket. Add enough soil to cover the roots by about 2 inches, then add about 2 cups of compost, then fill the bucket with soil to within an inch of the top. Hang your bucket on something STURDY and water thoroughly. If the soil settles to more than a couple inches from the top, add a little more soil.

Water and add fertilizer to the top of the bucket. Keeping a lid (sitting loosely) on the top will help prevent moisture loss, but must be removed every time you water your plants. Some people grow herbs in the tops of their buckets. Check the soil level every few weeks and add more if the level has dropped much.

I don't think I'll try growing my tomatoes this way this year, but I may try it sometime. If you've tried it, I'd love to hear from you. How well did it work for you? Did it work better than growing your plants in the ground?

WalMart Woes

This evening I was at WalMart. As always, I had my reusable shopping bags with me. I've never had anyone give me trouble about them...until today. Naturally my bags were buried underneath my purchases, so I unloaded a few things onto the conveyor belt to get to them, telling the cashier that I had brought my own bags. Meanwhile, she's swiping stuff and putting it in plastic bags. Grrr!

I bought several bath towels and she said "I can't bag these. It'll take too long." Huh?! Fold them in half and stick them in the bag! So I did it myself. She likes the plastic bags because they're already hanging on the little racks for her. She was also counting the minutes (13, to be exact) until she got off work and lamenting the fact she was called in from the garden section to check out customers.

WalMart has huge boxes as you walk in the store for recycling plastic bags. They sell reusable bags. They were also (and may still be) giving you a free reusable bag with goodies if they failed to ask you whether you wanted to apply for a WalMart credit card. So why the attitude?

Sorry...I just had to vent :)

Is It Spring Yet?

The other day I got a couple of seed catalogs in the mail. Nice, big, THICK catalogs filled with flowers, herbs, fruits, and veggies. When I sit down with a seed catalog I find tons of plants I just HAVE to grow. 10 varieties of tomatoes, 5 kinds of carrots (Don't YOU want to grow some purple carrots?), 3 colors of basil, etc. I have to force myself to face reality: I only have so much time to tend to plants. I've also got laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, kids, and a husband.

One of the catalogs was from my favorite seed company, Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply. If you're looking for organic seeds, check them out. They have a huge selection and wonderful prices. They have more than seeds, though. Peaceful Valley also carries bare-root plants, gardening tools, greenhouse supplies, natural insecticides, beneficial insects, bees, fertilizer, seed starting supplies, and books.

I plan to have a modest garden this year. My rosemary is thriving. My oregano, peppermint, and sage are still alive. I would like to add tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, basil, parsley, green onions, marigolds, and zinnias. Maybe some sugar snap peas? I may also include an "experiment." Something I haven't grown before, just for fun.

Note to self: Just because there are 2 dozen zucchini seeds in a package doesn't mean I have to plant 2 dozen zucchini seeds. Ditto for yellow squash.

Dr. Mom

As a mother, I'm on call 24 hours a day. Olivia, 5, usually doesn't need me during the night. Jesse, 20 months, is not quite weaned. Occasionally he'll sleep through the night, but more often than not he'll get up once for a snack.

It looks like I'll really be on duty tonight. Olivia is sick. She was fine this morning. It was nice outside, so the kids went out and played. They had a great time running around and playing in the sand pile. They came in and had baths. Jesse had lunch but Olivia wasn't too interested. At the time I thought she just wasn't interested in what we were having. This afternoon we ALL took naps. That RARELY happens. Then Olivia vomited. My poor baby! I hate when my chidren are sick.

We visited my parents this weekend and my sister and niece came over. My niece had a cold so I was prepared for the possibility that my kids would catch it. I started listening for sniffles right away. I was not expecting puke. I got Olivia cleaned up, changed the bed clothes, put her back to bed, and washed all the dirty stuff. That's where she's been ever since. I've checked on her several times and she's had some water. I don't think she feels like trying anything else just yet.

Hubby's going by the grocery store and he'll be picking up some fruit and other things for her. I'll be giving her lots of fluids, Vitamin C, echinacea, and TLC. Hopefully she'll get over this quickly. And hopefully Jesse won't catch it.

Hot Potato!

I read some interesting things about potatoes the other day. They taste good and they're fun to grow, but I had no idea they were therapeutic. Apparently, potatoes have many uses. Have you ever heard of these?

For heartburn: Juice 1-2 large potatoes (with skins). Take 3-4 tablespoons half an hour before meals. To improve the taste, mix with another vegetable juice (such as carrot or beet) or add it to soup. The alkaline juice neutralizes stomach acid and relieves upset stomach, heartburn, and peptic ulcers.

For healthy intestines: Wash and dice a large potato. Steep it overnight in 1 cup of water and a pinch of sea salt. Strain and drink every morning on an empty stomach. Repeat for several weeks. This helps cleanse your intestines and reduces the amount of acid in your gastrointestinal system.

To eliminate toxins from the body: Eat one large, plain baked potato with the skin five times a day for 2 days. Drink plenty of water. (I would be sick of potatoes after this!)

To improve liver function: Peel a large potato and boil the skin in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes. Strain and drink the tea. This can relieve gall bladder problems, thereby enhancing the liver’s ability to clear waste products and toxins from the body.

For pain relief: Boil 1 lb of potatoes in their skins until tender. Place in a linen sack and mash. Apply the sack to the affected area, placing a towel underneath the sack if it’s too hot. Attach tightly to the body with a woolen blanket. Remove only after it has cooled down completely. Potatoes retain heat for long periods of time, allowing the warmth to penetrate deep into the tissues.

For inflammation: Raw potato slices bring fast relief from swelling (and itching) caused by contact dermatitis and insect bites. They are also effective for bruises as well as sties on the eyelids. Peel and slice a potato and apply a slice to the affected area until the potato warms up. Repeat as necessary.

For slow-healing inflammations and wounds: Grate 2-3 raw potatoes and moisten with milk. Wrap in a linen cloth and apply to affected areas.

Happy New Year!

2010 is just around the corner. I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but I thought I'd try it this year.

1. Lose 20 pounds. Well, at least 15. Okay, I'll be happy with 10. Why did I look better 6 months post-partum than 19 months?

2. Get ready for my spring garden. I was a slacker last year. I want to start my seeds on time, prepare my soil, and keep weeds at bay. I like being able to walk outside and gather a salad. I don't like paying for organic veggies at the store.

3. Prepare for 1st grade. No, I'm not going back to school, but Olivia will be starting 1st grade. I'd like to get a schedule worked out and a general idea of what we'll study. I won't make detailed lesson plans for every day, but I think we both need a little structure.

4. Build a house. We've been planning to build a house for almost 7 years. I've got my fingers crossed that THIS will be the year.

5. Finish my house plans. See #4.

6. That's enough. If I can do #1-5, I'll be happy.

What's on your list?

Reflections

During the holiday season, we tend to look back over the year that's ending and look forward to the one that's about to begin. We spend time with family. We count our blessings.

We're a family of four living on one income, but we pay off our credit cards every month. Our vehicles have 140K, 280K, and 320K miles on them, but they run (most of the time). Our mobile home shrinks a little more each year, but we've got a roof over our heads, hot water, air conditioning in the summer, and heat in the winter. We've got a fridge full of food and plenty of clothes in our closets. I'm relatively healthy, have a loving and faithful husband, healthy and happy children, and a caring family. I get to stay home with my kids, watch them grow, and help shape them into little people. I've even got a little extra money for hobbies (all I need is more time!).

I hope your life is even half as good as mine!