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Here are my beefsteak tomato plants.  Bad photo.
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If you look closely at the stem, you can see 'hairs' all over it.  These will turn to 'roots' when planted in the ground.  I will break off all but the top most limbs, and bury the stem all the way up to them.  It is supposed to make the plant stronger, and taller. 

I get a newsletter from a place here in California that is called the Love Apple Farm.  That is the nick-name for tomatoes...love apple.  They are known for their knowledge and skill with tomatoes. 

Their last newsletter explained their techniques and they shared it with us all.  So I am sharing it with you. 

They say to get fish heads that are about 6 inches long.  One for each tomato plant.  Tonight I am supposed to go pick up some (and fish guts) from an Asian market.  I will see how all this works. 

If you are going to try this too, you will need some plain aspirin tablets.  Two per hole.  It is to help so it doesn't get diseases. 

You will also need four egg shells per hole, for the calcium.  I believe it is so it doesn't get blossom end rot.  A good organic fertilizer 4-6-4 is what they call for.  Also a handful of worm compost.  I found a good 4-6-3 from Kelloggs.  It has an ingredient called mychorrizal fungi, to help with transplanting shock.  The last thing to go into the hole would be bone meal. 

To plant, dig a very deep hole, twice the depth of the plant you are planting.  When finished, you want only the top most leaves to be above ground, with a newspaper collar.  It will help with cut worms. 

OK...dig the hole and put the eggshells, aspirin, worm compost, organic fertilizer (two handfuls), one handful of bone meal, and the fish head.  Cover with some dirt. 

THEN put the trimmed tomato plant in the hole and cover with dirt up to the top branches.  It needs to have a little well around it to hold water to soak the ground.  Make sure you plant them no closer than 2 feet apart.  Three feet is ideal. 

You will also need to stake it, which I will cover later. 

On the first day, water very well, three times.  I usually water the ground, good, two days before I plant, so the ground is ready for the plants.  After that, once a day will be good. 

Be sure to water the ground and not the plant if you are using compost tea.  Worm tea can go directly on the leaves, to be absorbed quickly. 

Unless you live where it rains.  Then use your own best judgment.  I want you to do that anyway..ha ha.  I am just sharing what I am doing this year. 

I also want to share that, the bigger the tomato, the more hours of daylight it needs.  Beefsteak need 8-10 hours.  Where cherry tomatoes can get by with six. 

According to another newsletter I get, it is best to plant on a waxing moon.  That is from a new moon till a full moon, which is starting next Tuesday-Wednesday. 

I don't know if I can wait that long.  Whenever I plant, I will take pictures so I can show you. 

That is your tomato information for the day. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love, Trish

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Photo used under Creative Commons from Tambako the Jaguar