More On Tomatoes and Mulch

In the last installment, we talked about the row of volunteer tomatoes of unknown variety that we planted.  We have more tomatoes than that, though.  I planted a number of tomatoes from seed.  They popped up with great germination rates and we babied them through the sweltering heat of July and early August in seed pots on the back patio, watering them with water enriched with (stinky) fish emulsion.

As they reached around four inches in height, it was time to transplant them into the garden.  I carefully removed them from the pots with a spoon and transplanted them into garden soil mixed with compost and chicken litter harvested from beneath the roost in the hen house.  They were planted about 24 inches apart and will be trellised using the Florida Weave method once they reach about a foot and a half in height.

In order to determine where in the garden to plant, I use two criteria:

1. I plant them in an area of the garden where tomatoes haven't been in the last two years,
2. I plant them between the rows where vegetables were planted last growing season.  This allows a crop rotation where the soil is rested.

Once the location is established, it's a quick job of planting and labeling the plants.  I water them in with the "home grown" fertilizer I made with rainwater, leaf mold, and weeds that's been fermenting in buckets with the tops on.  It doesn't smell nice, but I think the plants will love this home-brewed fertilizer concoction.

Once in the ground, there's one more thing to do.  We use the Back to Eden gardening method which involves no tilling.  In this process we add a four inch layer of composted wood chips.  This imitates what happens in forests, where trees fall and rot, contributing to the manufacture of rich, nutrient-laden topsoil that fuels growth of lush vegetation.

In the yard, we have pile after pile of wood chips that have been breaking down for several years.  A pitchfork and garden wagon is used to move the wood chips into the garden.  Just look at that dark brown (almost black) mulch.  If I was to rub this through my garden riddle, it would disintegrate into topsoil, but we won't do that - we'll allow nature to run it's course.

The mulch is forked in a four inch layer over the existing soil and moved around the plants.  This mulch provides a covering to the soil.  The soil should always be covered to discourage weeds.  The mulch also provides a barrier that slows evaporation and allows the soil to stay moist even during periods of drought.  You can't really tell, but the previous 4 inch mulch layer has mostly turned into soil and will be a fertile growing medium for the fall garden.

By the time the entire fall garden is planted, we'll have a new 4 inch layer of wood chips spread out.  It's an annual process and each year, the soil gets better and better, just teeming with earthworms and emitting a musty, yet healthy soil smell, if that description makes any sense.