Rotten on the Bottom!

This time of year I often hear people say that all their peppers or tomatoes or eggplants are turning black or mushy or rotten at the bottom.  (They are all in the nightshade group of plants, so they have similar growing needs.)  Sometimes my friends despair of ever being able to grow vegetables and think they have a brown thumb because of it.  This problem is called Blossom-End Rot. It is caused by not enough calcium and magnesium or from your plants not being able to absorb them.

You may have enough of both in your soil but if your soil is TOO acidic, then it can't take up the minerals right. Like us and calcium--we need vitamin D to absorb the calcium right. 

    

Y’all, it is easy to fix!

Lime and Epsom Salts

Buy a bag of lime.  It doesn’t cost much, and it will last your for a few years if you store it out of the weather.  You want it to be calcium carbonate lime--which it probably will be around here. Sprinkle about 2 little handfuls around each tomato and pepper plant. I'd go about an 8 inch radius around each plant so all the roots have access.  This is going to fix two problems; it will correct the pH, and it will supply the needed calcium.

Next, buy a bag of Epsom Salts. Epsom Salts is NOT salt. It is magnesium. Put a handful of that around each plant too. Water it all in good so they will both go down to the roots.  THEN to make it fix the problem quicker, put about a tablespoon in some water in a spray bottle and spray it on the leaves of each plant. They can absorb that magnesium through the leaves!  (It's good for roses too, by the way.)  Don’t do this part during the bright, sunshiny part of the day, or you’ll get little burned places on the leaves from the drops of water acting as little magnifying lenses.  

It won't fix it immediately, but it won't take long at all. I can’t remember if it takes a week, or if it takes two.  You WILL see a change.

Next year when you plant, put one little handful of lime and a half-handful of epsom salts IN the planting hole and about the same amount up top to prevent the problem.  Make this part of your yearly planting routine.  

Don’t let this easily corrected problem discourage you from gardening!  Remember, if you grow it yourself, you know what you’re eating!  

Check out another of my articles on growing peppers and tomatoes.  

How to Plant and Grow Tomatoes (and peppers)  It has everything I know about it in a nutshell.

~Missy

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

You've seen sun-dried tomatoes for sale in the store at a hefty price, or you've seen them being used on a cooking show.  It's so easy to make your own.  If you're starting to get overrun by cherry tomatoes or any kind of tomato, this is an easy way to preserve them for later, and you will get an entirely new ingredient to use in your cooking!

Dried tomatoes have all that wonderful tomato flavor all concentrated into a wonderful little bite that will add zing to your dish.

What do you do with them?  Whenever I tell someone how easy it is to dry their tomatoes, the next thing they want to know is...."What do you do with 'em?"  So I'm skipping to the end and filling in that part first.

I use them on pizza, on burritos, on pasta, in dips,  and in bread.  Often you will read where someone says to rehydrate them by soaking in water, but I don't like it that way.  I like there to be a tiny bit of "chew" there.  So if they are big pieces, I take scissors and just cut them into pieces.  If they are from halved cherry tomatoes, you won't even need to do that.  

Paste tomatoes are just made for drying.  Roma is the one most people have heard of.  A paste tomato is usually oblong in shape, and it has very little water content.  I like to cut these in half lengthwise, and then I sprinkle on a little citric acid (what you buy in the canning section to keep fruit from turning brown.)  I do this because paste tomatoes have very little acid, and I want a little “bite.”  This is not necessary, but I like to mention it in case you want to try it.  

Cherry tomatoes are excellent for drying.  You would still cut these in half lengthwise.  They usually have excellent flavor and shrink up to be just right in size.  Often, people start getting overrun with cherry tomatoes and are trying to find ways to use them. 

So, next just put them in your dehydrator face up at around 135 degrees for about 8 hours, depending on the size.  You’ll want to keep a check and take them out when they are dry but still flexible.

Some people put them in the oven at a very low heat and prop the door open with a wooden spoon.  I don’t want to be letting that heat in my house, so I don’t do that. 

Some people put then on a window screen in their car and crack the windows.  Instant solar dryer!  I haven’t tried this myself, but if you have, you might leave a comment with any advice you have. 

After they have dried, you have a couple of choices.  You can just put them in a jar and put them in the fridge, which is what I do.  Or you can put them in a jar and cover them with olive oil and refrigerate.  Try a little bit both ways and see what you like for yourself.  

Drying your tomatoes is an excellent way to make use of your surplus, and when winter  returns, you will be so thankful to have them in your fridge!  They will bring back a little bit of summer sun in a tiny bite of goodness!

What Can I Plant Right Now Even Though It's Early?

It's the last part of March. The calendar says it's spring, but spring here in the southeast means there are still cold nights, and the danger of frost has not passed. You may see tomato and pepper plants for sale, but no matter how tempted you might be, you should walk by with your hands beside your eyes like blinders. It is not time yet! So what can you plant right now? You'll need to plant cool weather plants. Most of these will go to seed or not be good to eat when the days start getting in the 80's. Here are some to try.

Lettuce – You'll need one that says slow-bolting. (Bolting means it sends up a flower stalk and is going to seed. As soon as that flower stalk starts going up, the lettuce will taste bitter.) Pretty much what you see for sale on a seed rack in your area, will be suited to your area. If you live in the southeast, then don't even try to grow a head lettuce. Loose-leaf is what you'll be growing.


Arugula – Arugula is my favorite green. It can be eaten raw, or wilted. It can be used in a salad or be the whole salad. You can use it on pizza! You can use it anywhere you might use spinach. It has a peppery taste. Arugula can be used after it bolts too. I love to use the flower buds or even the opened flowers.


Cilantro – Cilantro likes cool weather. But you really want it with your tomatoes in the summer, but you just can't. Too bad. You can use cilantro until it turns brown, and then you can collect the brown seeds. Those seeds are then called coriander. Use them in the kitchen, but save some for planting in the fall.


Spinach and Mustard 




Onion sets – You can grow these for green onions or for bigger slicing onions. You plant closer for green onions and farther apart for slicers. You can buy a whole bag of sets for less than $2- half what you'll pay for a bag of eating size onions in the store. You can even put them in pots and have green onions in no time!


Sugar snap peas – I like to presprout them by soaking the seeds overnight and then wrapping in a damp paper towel. Keep it in something covered so it doesn't dry out until the seeds start to sprout. This will give them a head start they will need once they get planted in the still-cool ground.
Look at the back of the seed pack to see how tall they will

get. Some get 6 feet long, some 3 feet, and some only a foot tall. Some have strings and some don't. If you get a tall kind, you'll need to give the vines some fence to run on. I love these cut up into a salad.


Radishes – Radishes will give you satisfaction and something to eat quicker than anything! They are also one of the best vegetables to plant with children because the seeds are big enough for their small fingers to handle, and they will be ready to pick in 3 – 4 weeks. Bonus: You can also eat the greens! Who knew?! I just started eating them last year. I can't believe I've been just composting all that food!


There are others to plant in the spring, but this is what I have going. The main thing is to get out there and get some dirt under your nails. Y'all go grow something!