Thursday, February 9, 2012

Stake your garden like you stake a vampire


I have always known the importance of using quality tools and the right technique when it comes to slaying vampires. So why was I a cheap skate when it came to staking my garden?


This year when staking the tomatoes I thought I would skimp on the stakes and only use two, and with a couple of plants just one, instead of the usual three per plant. Well doing so proved that somethings, like killing vampires, have just got to be done right. Even though it may have been cheaper it consumed more of my time and effort. It proved rather difficult to tie up the branches and apart from one plant proved quite ineffective. I also think the fine twine I used may have slightly harmed the plants.


After one day discovering 3 out of our 5 capsicums laying down, I guess they were taking a nap, I also found it necessary to stake them. They were quite easy to stake though, requiring only a single bamboo stick and no twine. I do wonder what level of damage falling over has had so I will be staking any future capsicums prior to them developing fruit.



One use of garden stakes I am quite proud of is using them to create a sun shield. These tomatoes are on the north facing side of the bed and thus have ended up getting a bit of sun burn. I erected this shield by putting a chook food bag over a pair of stakes.


Alas I was too late. The burnt spots became a point of vulnerability for the little creatures to get in, and just when they were looking so good too.

I would like to know what tomato plants do in the wild. Do they creep along the ground I wonder?

4 comments:

  1. Hi Jason, great blog, I have nominated you for an award, it is on my photography blog
    http://leannecole.wordpress.com/
    Leanne

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous thanks for the award that's made my day. It is so nice to hear from people who appreciate and enjoy my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi there,
    Hello from the Caribbean =)
    I have just discovered your blog and been reading about your experiences. I too recently started growing a veggie/fruit garden and am learning from scratch. I am finding some of your trials and tribulations very informative because they are issues that I too am facing. Looking forward to seeing your garden continue to blossom.

    Vicki
    Trinidad & Tobago

    P.s. A tip I discovered about tomatoes -
    (My problem: Birds and critters were eating them as I patiently awaited their ripening on the vine) Tomatoes can be harvested just as they have a slight blush of red and left to ripen on the countertop. Apparently it is heat that causes them to ripen, not how long they stay on the plant.
    If you have unstable weather conditions this helps to save some produce as well. It has worked wonders for me.

    ReplyDelete
  4. p.s.
    Thought I would share these with you.
    I have been following these Australian blogs for a while and they have been very helpful:
    http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/
    http://aussieorganicgardening.com/
    http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/permaculture-blog.html

    Also:
    http://www1.vegplugs.co.uk/pages/Companion-Planting.html

    There are lots of hidden gems awaiting you there.

    Have fun,
    Vicki
    Trinidad & Tobago

    ReplyDelete

If you don't know which option to select... Name/URL is a recommended option. And you only need to provide a name.