I just noticed this afternoon that the Celebrity tomato in the grow pot is the first to set fruit for the season! It’s an exciting time when the promise of juicy, red tomatoes starts dancing in my mind. Last year many of the early tomato flowers were just dropping off due to lack of heat and/or pollination. This Celebrity won’t let anything get in her way. Perhaps she thinks she’s in Hollywood?
When Spring comes, she doesn’t mess around!
The Red Baron Peach already has little peaches!
The Gold Kist Apricot seems to be happy, with cute, heart-shaped leaves filling in.
Apricot close-up.
Even the red Thompson seedless grape is leafing out. I seriously had my doubts whether it was even still alive up until a few weeks ago. “Patience, my dear,” whispers the garden.
Loose leaf lettuce seedlings in a pot. The mice and snails haven’t seen them (yet!).
I transplanted all of my Rattlesnake and Alabama #1 green bean seedlings yesterday. I have 18 green bean plants in all. I’m seeing green bean casseroles in my future.
The following is an interesting comparison:
About a month ago I bought a few nematode resistant tomato starts at my local big box store (these are harder to find at real nurseries. Weird, I know). I bought them at the same size and planted them out on the same day. The first photo is Park’s Whopper and the second is Celebrity.
Quite a bit different, right? Park’s Whopper has BARELY grown, while Celebrity has taken off like a weed. The overall health, color, size and vigor of Celebrity surpasses Park’s Whopper by a long shot. The difference? Celebrity is in a grow pot.
Now, I know all the nay sayers will think, “The ground soil is not as good as the potting soil in the grow pot.” And while that may be true, my ground soil is nothing to scoff at. I have amended it for over 2 years with homemade and store-bought composts. I believe that it is the grow pot’s excellent drainage, extra-heated soil from the black fabric, and air-pruned roots that make the difference…all things that ground soils could never truly duplicate. The proof is in the pudding!
Bountiful Backyard 