Dig This!

5 Tips for Growing Tomatoes in Pots Article from The Spruce by Kerry Michaels, updated 4/16/20 Illustration: The Spruce / Maritsa Patrinos Tomatoes can be challenging to grow in containers, but they continue to rate among the top summer plants in gardens. Here are five controllable factors for successfully growing tomato plants in containers. A great benefit to growing plants in portable containers is that they are moveable and you can adjust their growing location and several other factors to adjust the growing process. Although, if you have very large containers, you cannot do much against unfavorable weather conditions,  late blight , or critter problems. Control   what you can and hope for the best! Use really big containers One of the most important things you can do to ensure tomato success is to use a big enough container—the bigger, the better. For one plant, you need a container that is at least 1 square foot, but 2 square feet is b...

HOW TO GROW BUCKETS FULL OF BELL PEPPERS Edited from an article published: May 2, 2018 · Modified: Mar 16, 2020 by Susan Patterson   There is nothing more beautiful than a basket full of homegrown bell peppers but there are many reasons to love bell peppers besides their beauty. For starters, they are really easy to grow, they are loaded with nutritional value and they taste amazing raw and cooked. If you are a first-time gardener, peppers are a great place to start. Bell peppers, also known as sweet peppers can be red, yellow, orange, green or even lavender and white. Bell peppers are the only members of the genus Capisicum that does not produce capsaicin, the extremely hot chemical that we are familiar with in hot peppers. To grow this tender tropical warm-season plant in Kansas you can either start seeds early indoors or purchase plants after the risk of frost has passed. Plants will need between 6 and 8 hours of sunlight daily. STARTING SEEDS Starting see...

Tips for tomato growers  Ward Upham, K-State Department of Horticulture Transplanting Tomatoes Early If you would like to have your tomato plants produce earlier in the year, there are certain things to keep in mind. Most people who try to get a jump on the season set their tomatoes out early and hope they do well. However, that is often not a good plan as tomatoes have to have certain requirements before they will grow well.  Those requirements are an acceptable soil temperature for root growth and an acceptable air temperature for both plant growth and fruit set. Root Growth: Tomatoes need a soil temperature of at least 55 degrees to do well. Plastic mulch is most commonly used to warm the soil. Several days may be needed to raise the soil temperature. Check the soil temperature 2.5 inches deep in the soil at about 11:00 a.m. If that is not possible, check the temperature before leaving for work and again when you return and use the average of the two. It i...

Advice for first-time gardeners: Start small From Purdue Extension Master Gardeners, Allen County, Indiana As so many of us are spending much more time at home these days. this might be the perfect time to think about starting a vegetable garden! In addition to adding fresh produce to your diet, gardening can offer both physical and mental therapeutic benefits. Good planning is essential to successful gardening. Start your garden off right by selecting a location that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, if possible. Good drainage of excess water is critical. Observe the site during rainy days to avoid areas where water tends to stand. Try to steer clear of trees and shrubs that would compete with your garden plants for water, light and nutrients. Decide how big the garden will be, what crops you want to grow and where to place them. Beginners tend to go overboard, not realizing how much work lies ahead. It's best to start out small and gradually ad...