After two months of weeding and tilling the dirt it was finally warm enough for my plants to be planted outside in the garden. I think that my tomatoes were getting a little claustrophobic in my bedroom. I took them outside two weeks ago and put them in my garden. I wasn't sure how they would do, they seemed pretty weak when I put them in the dirt. In my over-enthusiasm for gardening I believe that I planted them indoors too early, I just couldn't wait to have some tomatoes! Part way through I moved my little tomatoes to bigger cups, but I still think that their growth may have been stunted a bit because the roots were so cramped and didn't have the room to grow deeper. I planted four tomato plants outside, one of the stems broke off immediately :( and I was down to three. I went out to check on my garden last Friday and noticed that another one had shriveled up, the manager of the garden was there and I asked him what I should be doing differently, he recommended that I plant my tomato plants deeper. So I dug up the remaining two and replanted them much deeper into the earth. I checked on them again this past Wednesday and they seemed to be doing well. We had a bit of rain over the last couple of days, and we must have had some serious winds too, because when I went out on Saturday morning there were pieces of wood scattered throughout my plot and only one tomato plant left-absolutely no remnants of the previous one were there. So I am down to one tomato plant. There is a plant and seed swap at the garden tomorrow, I am going to see if anyone has extra tomato plants they are giving away, if not, I will just go buy me some new plants. It is sad that they were in my room taking up so much space for so long and it was all for nothing! I guess this is what they call a learning experience. I will be/do much better next year!
As I spent several hours outside in my garden I noticed that I was never in the sun, this was nice for me because it kept me nice and cool in the shade, but this was going to be a HUGE problem for my plants-especially for the tomatoes. I'm told that it will get better as the season goes on because the sun will move and my plants will get more sun, I sure hope so! Can we please cut down the ugly pine tree though, just to be sure? I guess this is why they call it a 'beginner plot', nobody wants to stay in it for more than a year. I will toot my own horn for a minute and say that the manager's approached me other day and said that my plot looks better than it ever has in years! I was so glad to hear that, I really have spent countless hours preparing my plot and pulling out all the weeds, I will be very sad if it was all in vain and my plants don't grow. But I am going to have faith, we are still very early in the season and there is definitely time for them to grow. My squash seeds have peered out through the dirt and my lettuce and spinach are growing too! There is much to be thankful for!
