Greenhouse projects: grafting tomatoes

I’m on day two of my tomato grafting. Actually, it’s not taking place in the greenhouse just yet. 

So why graft tomatoes in the first place? For one thing, growers around the country are having trouble with soil borne fungal diseases, primarily from using the same soil for years and years. This has also been a problem for some home gardeners from what I’ve heard. The grafted root stock is of a wild variety of tomato and offers much better disease resistance, at least for now.

Another reason to graft or grow tomatoes that have been grafted (look up Mighty Mato) has to do with their vigor. Boy, can you grow a great crop of tomatoes with grafted plants! I learned this last year when I trialed the Mighty Matos. The production is easily double that of nongrafted varieties. For northern growers growing tomatoes that have been grafted on to a vigorous root stock also allows us to grow some varieties that would not normally ripen up here, such as Beef Steak and many of the heirloom varieties. In this case, I grafted the rootstock of a Supernatural tomato onto three different varieties of tomato: Super Sweet cherry tomato, Indigo Rose and an heirloom called Flame.

So back to my experiment, or should I say trial and error? After watching some YouTube videos I decided to use the method whereby you join the rootstock and scion together with grafting clips, then place them in a clear plastic container (the one I bought at Big Lots for less than ten bucks). I set it on a heat mat and I’m keeping the lid on for a few days, trapping the heat and humidity (near 100%) inside. The ambient temperature is only 70 degrees (the video from the Univ. of Arizona suggested 84 degrees), but I’ve got bottom heat, which I hope will make up for the cooler inside temps. Actually, the soil or medium temp is 71 degrees this morning and will warm up more as the sun streams through the window (after leaving the container in darkness for 24 hours, I now have it in a sunny spot in front of the patio door). I’ll leave the heat mat underneath it for a few days. 

I’ll keep you posted of my progress, or lack thereof. I hope you’re able to get out in the garden or yard and start doing some gardening. It’s a great time of year, cool nights and all!

Happy gardening,

Neil

Install a DIY Lawn Irrigation System!

Spring has finally arrived in the North! It’s time to get going on those spring projects.  It’s hard to believe right now, but before you know it we’ll be watering our lawn to keep it from drying out. If you’re tired of dragging out the hoses to water the lawn you may want to consider installing a lawn irrigation system.  

Okay, I know what you’re saying. Isn’t this the job of a professional? Not with the Auto Rain Lawn Gear system (I can even install one!). This DIY system is the first of its kind. It’s pretty easy to install for the DIY’er and doesn’t even require any special tools. The ARLG is also a self-draining system so you don’t have to mess with blowing out the lines in the fall. Detailed instructions and a CD comes with the kits (you can also visit the ARLG website for more help and information).

The system comes with popup heads (manufactured by Rain Bird irrigation components, a mainstay in the irrigation business for many years) and all the accessories needed to put it together, except for the black poly pipe, which is sold separately according to the length needed.

The system comes in six different sizes to accommodate different  lawns. Each kit contains written instructions and a CD to give you step-by-step instructions.

The minimum water pressure requirement for the system is 5 gallon per minute, a rate achievable in most homes, according to John Coyne, creator of the ARLG system. All that is required in the way of tools to install one is a screwdriver and round shovel. The trench that must be dug can be done with the round shovel—just enough to bury the poly under the ground. The heads are pretty easy to assemble and adjust.

I shouldn’t have to tell you what a good investment an irrigation system is. You’ll save time and money by installing a system, especially if you put the system on an automatic timer, which can be purchased for about $50. The kits themselves run between $100 and $300.

Disclaimer: I’m offering this product for sale. I only sell and endorse products I really believe in, which right now is only a handful of products. If you’re interested in a kit contact me directly at haylake@neilmoran.com or  visit www.autorainlawngear.com.

Starting Selected Wildflowers from Seed

                  

Over the past fourteen years or so I’ve been involved in propagating various native plants that are found in the forests and along the shoreline of the Great Lakes region. These plants are used for plant restoration projects by nonprofit groups as well as in home gardens. I’ve talked with groups and individuals who share my interest in native plants. From these conversations and experiences I’ve been able to narrow down what I believe to be the most popular and, with a few exceptions, easiest wildflowers to propagate.

I've presented a list of the more common native plants found in this region in my book, "North Country Gardening with Wildflowers, A Guide to Growing and Enjoying Wildflowers in the Upper Great Lakes Region. The list of plants in my book is by no means an exhaustive list of the native plants found in the region. I’ve presented these selected plants to give you the information you’ll need to successfully germinate and establish them in a flower bed, meadow, etc. I’m sure I’ve missed someone’s favorite wildflower or even a type that is easy to propagate and should be mentioned.

            It should also be said that propagating wildflowers is not an exact science. The propagation information presented below is simply what has worked for myself and others. Experimentation is the rule when propagating wildflowers. If a particular method of stratification isn’t working-- for instance, a cold, moist stratification period-- try a cold, moist stratification period followed by a warm, moist stratification period. 

            Over the years myself and fellow members of the Northern Plant and Seed Cooperative have identified certain species of wildflowers that are easy to grow and maintain. We call these plants work horses, because they’ll work hard at establishing themselves wherever they’re planted. If you’re just starting to grow wildflowers, we suggest you include these reliable native plants in your flower beds and other places you

desire native wildflowers.

           Click here to read chapter 1 of North Country Gardening with Wildflowers. My book can be ordered on the home page of this site, via the Chippewa Country Conservation District, or Amazon.com.

Seed Starting Tips

“The work of a garden bears visible fruits—in a world where most of our labours seem suspiciously meaningless,” Pam Brown p. 1928.

                Right now I’m working on my “garden” inside my house (since it's in the teens again this morning!) planting over 500 tomato seeds of 7 different varieties, including Indigo Rose, Celebrity, Early Girls, Juliet, and a cherry tomato.

                By night, they stay huddled indoors in a cool (65 degree) room; by day I try to get the ones that have developed true leaves into the greenhouse for a little more light and warmth, and to harden them off to the elements. It can get to 80 degrees in my closed-up greenhouse on a bright, sunny day in late April, even when it is only in the 30’s outside.

                Actually, I have mater plants in different stages of development. Some were seeded three days ago, some have only the cotyledons (seed leaves, no true leave yet), and three Juliets are about 4 inches tall already (I’m hoping these will provide my first fresh tomatoes of the season).

                Seed germination for the 95 Celebrity seeds I sowed appears to be 100%. I’m using a heat mat, a germination mix that I screened to remove the sticks and other large items, and a dome over the flat to encourage good germination. The media temperature has ranged from 75-85 degrees.

                I also planted some left over tomato seed from 2012 (not sure how this didn’t get planted last year!). I don’t usually plant old seed, but had the extra time this year to give it a try. I set these on a cookie sheet over the gas stove pilots. Media temperatures are around 73 degrees. While I was at it, I sowed some seeds for different types of lettuce. These can be transplanted in the greenhouse as soon as they’re up and forming true leaves.

                Very soon (like tomorrow!) I’ll get my New Ace peppers and snack peppers from Johnny’s started. I think if you plant your vegetable and flower seed indoors (peppers, tomatoes and flowers mostly) within the next 10 days they should be ready to go outside by the first week of June, providing you’ve applied good growing practices (i.e., bottom heat for germination, artificial light, and eventually a heated greenhouse or non-heated grow house). And as always, I recommend varieties requiring less that 70 days to maturity, unless, as is the case now for tomatoes, you can grow the souped-up grafted varieties, such as the Mighty ‘Matos.

                Do you have any seed starting stories to share? I’d love to hear them.  

                Neil