It is late January and I am getting restless. The days are just a little bit longer, the sun is losing that watery, wintery, white hue, the mama cows and sheep are starting to get ‘fluffy’ and seed catalogs are filling my mailbox.
Bob and I sat down to have our annual argument discussion about what seeds to order for the garden. I want heirloom vegetables, he is not as thrilled with the production of some of these varieties. I like lumpy, Italian tomatoes, he wants Big Boy Beefmasters. He grows them, but I can them.
Who decides? We have been married for 36 years……we compromised.
Speaking of tomatoes, I completed a Master Gardener series of classes this past fall. (8 weeks of intensive training about soils, woody herbaceous plants, herbs, invasive species and so much more. I am now a Master Gardener apprentice – after I complete additional, supervised work I will be a Master Gardener. If you are interested in becoming a MG volunteer, call your county extension service.)
I learned the difference between determinant and indeterminant varieties: Determinant is a plant that will only grow to a determined height and will produce fruit for a determined length of time. This type of tomato plant is perfect for canning when you want your tomatoes to be ripe at the same time.
Indeterminant will keep growing and producing for the entire season. This type is good when you want fresh tomatoes for your salads and hamburgers all summer long. The plant may end up 6 or 8 feet tall and spread all over your garden. Most, but not all, heirloom varieties of tomatoes are indeterminant.
Read the back of your seed packets or the information in the seed catalog before you purchase to decide what variety is best for you. (FYI: you may need to search in the catalog for this information. Baker Creek Seeds sub-heading describe all their tomatoes as indeterminant unless the individual plant description says otherwise but Burpee Seeds tell you which is which in the individual plant description below each picture.)
Some determinant varieties are:
Homestead Heirloom Tomato
Ace 55 Heirloom Tomato
Rutgers Heirloom Tomato
Bush Early Girl
Roma (paste)
Viva Italia (paste)
A few indeterminant varieties:
Nearly all Beefsteak and Cherry tomato varieties
Amish Paste
Better Boy
Big Beef
Burpee’s Big Boy
Cherokee Purple
Mortgage Lifter
Rutgers
Bob starts the tomato seeds in our solarium (an attached 4 season sun room) about 10 - 12 weeks before last frost and once the seedlings break ground, we use a full spectrum grow light for 4 additional hours/day. The plants need a rest period of darkness each day so turn off the lights at night. He will put 3 or 4 seeds in a little pot of plant medium (not soil or dirt) and waters lightly. I bought a $4.00 pressurized plant waterer from Dollar General 2 years ago and it still works great. Bob sets it to mist and keeps the soil moist. We heat with wood and our house is dry so he checks them twice a day.
Once the plants have 2 sets of true leaves, he transplants to individual soil cells and continues to water, fertilize, nurture as needed. He hardens (gradually increasing the time outside in direct sun) the plants for a week before planting in the garden. Outdoor planting will be in May.
Why am I writing about something that won’t come to fruition until May? Because NOW is the time to determine what your needs are and order the seeds.
Are you going to be canning? My last few years of canning tomatoes have been dismal because I didn’t realize the difference between determinant and indeterminant varieties. We planted heirloom Amish Paste as my canning tomato and when they came on in spits and spurts – I was SO FRUSTRATED. I could only make 4 or 5 quarts of tomato basil soup at a time. Not this year, buddy! I’ll be canning like a fool with my Roma Pastes. I’ll be drowning in tomatoes, I hope.
We also want tomatoes throughout the season for fresh eating and will plant those beefsteak and cherry varieties. Maybe I’ll slip a few lumpy Italians in there.
This information is also important if you are into preparedness and seed saving in case of disaster. I need to be able to plant tomatoes to preserve as part of my food storage prep. If I only have saved an heirloom variety that is indeterminant, I’m going to have a tough time getting enough to preserve and will need to dedicate a huge part of my garden to tomatoes.
Fruit trees should be ordered now, too. They are shipped and planted when they are dormant, bare rooted. The survival rate is higher if they are stressed during dormancy and not when in leaf. (The same thing goes with berries and grapes.) Box stores sell them in pots and often when they have leaves and maybe even flowers. These have a lower survival rate. Another fruit tree tip – order from a nursery that is in your planting zone OR a lower numbered zone. We are in Zone 6a, so we order from a nursery in Zone 4/5. The trees will be hardy in our zone.
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Spring is also the time for renewal and cleansing. There were reasons women did spring cleaning back in the day and it wasn’t because they had nothing better to do. Heating with coal was common and walls, curtains, and furniture would have a fine film of coal dust at the end of winter. When the weather was miserable the family was indoors and germs were freely shared between parents and kids. Meals were made from Mama’s pantry and fruit cellar and folks got ‘plugged up’ without fresh greens and vegetables. So the house got a good goin’ over and the family got some spring tonic.
When I think of tonic, I remember Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies chasing Jethro around with a medicine bottle and a spoon, but actually a spring tonic can be as simple as a bowl of fresh romaine salad with bitter greens added (dandelion, watercress, arugula, or endive for example) or a strong bitter tea. Bitters help cleanse the liver, gall bladder and GI tract. They have been used to purify the blood and aid in weight loss.
Dandelion Root Tea
Dandelion is high in minerals and vitamins. It is a bitter and a detoxifier, clearing blood and lymph systems by increasing elimination through kidneys and bowels. Think ‘liver’ when you think of dandelion, especially after exposure to toxins and in cases of hepatitis, cirrhosis, jaundice, or gall bladder problems.
Dandelion root is available throughout the year at your local herb store or online. You can purchase chopped roasted root and create a decoction or buy tea bags of roasted and finely milled root for an individual cup of tea. You can also wildcraft it - that means dig it yourself. It's best harvested in the fall when the leaves are dying. The energy of the plant goes to the root at that time. Another recommendation is to dig it after a full moon as it is waning - not necessarily at night but as the moon is waning it loses its 'pull' on the sap of the plant which then returns to the root.
To make a decoction – take one quart of filtered water and heat to near boiling in a stainless or glass container. (Never use aluminum, cast iron, or non-stick pans for your herbal creations.) Place approximately ¼ c. of dried and chopped roasted dandelion root / quart of water and simmer gently. You can also use a small crockpot on low heat to make the decoction. Allow to simmer for at least an hour, longer is better. Don’t rush the process.
You are making a very strong tea. Because you are using the woody root of the plant it is more difficult to extract the elements of the plant you desire so you use low heat over a long period of time. Decoctions are also created by placing the water and herb in a clear glass container in the sun for hours or even under a full moon. The moon creates a pulling effect. Many herbalists will tell you to use the process that your intuition tells you is best.
After your decoction is done, strain it through layers of cheese cloth or muslin. Cool, add a bit of cinnamon and/or cardamon for a delightful, warming drink. Sweeten with local honey as desired and sip through the day. You don’t want to just ‘drink it down’. Store the extra for up to a day in the refrigerator.
If you are using a tea bag, follow the directions on the box to make your tea.
Herbs are supportive and restorative. They work with your body returning it to equilibrium and health. Don’t consider them as medications ‘that kill germs and make you better’. For example, if I suspected an acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose, which destroys the liver and can be fatal, I would not rely on dandelion decoction to save the day. The patient would go to the hospital, be treated and then, when the crisis is over and the patient is back home, I would use dandelion tea/decoction to help them heal and restore the liver to health.
Grab a good plant identification book specific for your area before you pick and use any plant. There ARE look-alikes that can make you ill. This information is for educational purposes only and not designed to diagnosis, treat, or prevent any disease process. See your HCP when you are ill.
Warmer days are coming,
Polly
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