Hello, Rural Sprout friends, As I type this, I’m listening to the rain gently tapping on my roof. I’ve been listening to that sound a lot this week. It’s been the soundtrack of March so far. With all this rain, I’m seeing things green up, I’m seeing buds on the trees, and I’m seeing countless spring bulbs coming
up. I’m having to remind myself over and over that this is false spring. In my growing zone, we’ve still got about eight more weeks where we can get a frost. And every year, I make the mistake of trusting False Spring. And every year, I end up with little frozen plants in my garden. But not this year! (She says, knowing she says that every year.) This year, I have a saving grace. I have a built-in safeguard from putting my transplants out too early. I have about fifty boxes stacked in every corner of my house that need to be unpacked. I have no idea where my silverware is. I haven’t been able to unearth the dust brush nozzle for
my vacuum cleaner yet. Clothes hangers? I know I own them, but I couldn’t tell you where they are. But I have unpacked every Christmas jigsaw puzzle I own, my ice cream maker and the throw pillows for the couch—all highly necessary and useful items. I guess. If you’re like me and prone to planting out much too early in the season, I have the perfect tip that will prevent you from doing so every time. Pack up and move. Yup. That’s the plan. Just move every spring. By the time you finally get everything
unpacked, you can safely plant your seedlings outdoors. In the meantime, I’m excited about all of the tomatoes I’m growing this year. I decided to try quite a few new varieties. I think the Cherokee Purples are the only ones I’ve grown before. I found one called Napa Chardonnay, which is a yellow cherry tomato that sounds quite tasty. I’m growing Black Strawberry tomatoes because I thought they were pretty. (What?
Tell me you’ve never picked a veggie variety because it was pretty.) I’m growing German Pinks for slicing and sauces, and because I’m German. Finally, as a side-project (and probably an article), I decided to grow the first ever GMO seed marketed specifically for home gardeners from Norfolk Healthy Produce. It’s called The Purple Tomato. It’s my science project for the summer. This tomato has higher levels of anthocyanins, which makes it much higher in
antioxidants, a deeper purple color and a longer shelf-life. I’m curious to see how it does. With all of these tomatoes I’m growing, I’m hoping to be able to can plenty of salsa, pizza and pasta sauce. Now, I have to find what box my canning supplies are in. We had a great week at Rural Sprout! We've got lots of interesting new articles to help get your garden
off to a good start this spring.
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You may have heard of planting tomatoes sideways or deeply to get huge yields, but which method is…
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Learn how to easily start pepper seedlings using seeds from an ordinary pepper purchased at the…
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When you plan out your summer garden this year, make sure you avoid planting these crops near your…
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If you grow roses, then you've got a little work to do in the spring to ensure plenty of gorgeous…
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Hostas are a classic landscaping plant, but did you know you can eat them? Try some delicious hosta…
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Used tea leaves are pretty useful around the home and garden, so before you open the trash bin, here…
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Image Credit: US Census Bureau / Esri If you've been gardening in the United States, you've probably…
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Gardening comes with a lot of anecdotal wisdom, and not all of it works. However, one bit of…
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When it comes to superfoods, the elderberry stands out among its peers, offering an impressive array…
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Where I live in zone 5b, the final vestiges of winter are - at long last - behind us. Days past the…
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Did you miss a newsletter or want to go back and read a few for inspiration - Click this link. Don't forget to check out our Facebook page for daily updates. That's all for this week, Rural Sprout Readers.
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