Out walking today, noticed an interesting item at the dumpster, couldn't think what I'd wanted such a thing for, continued walking, came home around the back to find neighbor doing something very strenuous with a concrete umbrella stand.
Pausing to help round up the Fluffy Runner aka Appie the Shi Tzu, he was glad to straighten up and chat about tomatoes. Loads of green ones on the plants, and last night temps were at freezing. What to do?
So i suggested he yank out the plants, strip off the toms and ripen them on the windowsill. New idea to him. His partner, the good cook, was there helping patiently to hold the concrete stand, and wondered what if they didn't ripen.
Whereupon we started talking about breaded fried green tomatoes, which interested her. And about how to plant next year's tomatoes now. By taking one off the stem, putting it where you want it next year, and stamping on it. I did this year after year in my old garden, only bought tomato plants one year. This interested him. I'm an equal opportunity talker.
Next thing I'm on my way with samples.
I think it's a dracaena. This is too funny. After mixing my dieffenbachia name up with dracaena for years, now I may have an actual dracaena in the house. Won't be long before I start calling her a dieffenbachia, I expect.
ReplyDeleteyes, I say dracaena also.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I was hoping you'd come in with an answer.
DeleteWhen I have them, I ripen green tomatoes ripen in a brown bag
ReplyDeleteGood idea.
DeleteI love your suggestion for how to plant tomatoes. Do you think this would work with container gardening? Not that I have a tomato plant to do this with. Guess I'm thinking ahead. Maybe I'll try it with my Marconi Pepper plant.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about containers. But, as always, try it!
DeleteI have never heard of growing tomatoes from seeds the way you suggest. I believe it is too cold here for that. What a fantastic idea though.
ReplyDeleteRuth Stout, wonderful gardener and writer, from whom I learned about it, did this in northern New England.
DeleteI'm planning on growing tomato in a big pot next year. Sadly no actual garden.
ReplyDeleteVery cool - a unique coat rack!
ReplyDeleteGood things all put to good use. Love the tomatoes too.
ReplyDeleteI've never managed to be a fan of fried green tomatoes, but than again, I'm not a fan of any fried foods if I can avoid them. We've done the brown paper bag 'thing' though with good success.
ReplyDeleteSauteed in olive oil, I think they're worth a try. Olive oil is the only fat I use, except for an occasion dab of butter.
Deleteyou are a scavenger after my own heart, Liz.
ReplyDeleteI use the Salvation Army that way: clean out the books, clothes, bits I no longer want or need (and many of which came from there in the first place) and cruise the shelves and racks for anything I might find useful.
And even though we are far more rural here, when we have things too good to toss but nothing I want to lug to the Salvation Army, we put them out at the end of the driveway. Usually they're gone before sunset. This time we are about to part with chimney brushes we no longer use, and a perfectly good computer chair on casters that no longer goes up or down. Perfect for a child, since it seems to be in the'down' position. And if the brushes don't go, we have the recycling 'metal pile' at the landfill.
I learned something that you might find useful for tomatoes and all the nightshade veggies: before you plant them, put a calcium pill, a tsp, of Milk of magnesia, and an iron pill in the ground with each plant. Somewhere after they have achieved a decent size, add another set of pills. I like to crush mine, and premix it (keep it in a marked bottle) since calcium takes forEVER to work and you can measure the three out that way, one T. per plant. It also helps prevent yellow wilts, which you get when there's more rain than sun on your garden.
Interesting idea about the planting. Thank you.
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