Mortgage Lifter Tomato

source: MIgardener

• Indeterminate
• 85 days
• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-95 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
• Plant Spacing: 24"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Solanum lycopersicum

Mortgage Lifer tomatoes are huge both in plant size and fruit size. The rich, juicy, deep velvet fruits, commonly weighing in over 2 lbs, and packs a punch with flavor. They taste acidic with a fruity sweetness and have few seeds. For the richest flavor, pick tomatoes when they are fully ripe. The Mortgage Lifter's open pollinated heirloom plants grow 7 to 9 foot vines and are indeterminate, meaning they set fruit continuously throughout the growing season. This variety was developed in the 1930’s in order to pay off the developer's home loan during the depression era, hence the name "Mortgage Lifter."

They mature in 80-85 days, so it helps to start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last average frost date. It takes 5-10 days for the seeds to germinate, and prefers 70-80 degree F temperature to germinate. Seedlings can be transplanted into prepared garden soil once the danger of frost has passed. They should begin to mature by late May, if germinated by early March. Choose a sunny location that receives eight hours of direct sunlight per day. Space Mortgage Lifter tomato plants 30 to 48 inches apart to allow plenty of room for growth. These plants require heavy trellising. They require ample water, so water when weekly rainfall is not sufficient. Mulching will help retain soil moisture and reduce competition from weeds. 

- Phyllis

Cherokee Purple Tomato

 

source: MIgardener

• Indeterminate
• 80 days
• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-95 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
• Plant Spacing: 24"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Solanum lycopersicum

This Tennessee heirloom is believed to have been passed down by the Cherokee tribe. Sizeable in both vine and fruit, this open pollinated, indeterminate heirloom can yield tomatoes weighing up to 12 ounces each! It is meaty tomato with a bold flavor that is a balance of sweet, acid and savory, with even a hint of smoke that won best-tasting tomato in 2012. Let it fully ripen on the vine before harvesting for the best flavor.

The tomatoes are blushed with purple-red skin, tinged with light green shoulders, and typically grows three to five inches in diameter and is ready to harvest starting in 80 to 90 days after transplanting outside. It is an indeterminate and therefore will produces continually until it is killed by frost.

Start seeds indoors at least eight weeks before the last frost date, planting in rich potting soil. Sow seeds a half inch deep, keeping the soil moist but not soggy. Cherokee Purple seeds are relatively slow to germinate and typically grow slowly for the first three or four weeks, even after sprouting. It requires full sun and regular water.

Before transplanting outside, prep the site with compost, worm castings, or manure to ensure a healthy nutrient supply. Space plants 18 to 36 inches apart, and spread fine mulch or straw on top of the soil, leaving some space around the base of each plant. Covering the soil with some form of mulch will help to regulate soil temperature and maintain moisture. Water regularly, or when the top two inches of soil feel dry. Apply compost or a balanced fertilizer monthly as the plant matures. Tomatoes are heavy feeders and will slowly deplete the soil nutrients. They will need heavy staking so that they can continue to climb to their full potential. As the plant grows, suckers, or side shoots, form in the crotches between the leaves and the main stem. If left untamed, these suckers will grow just like the main stem, also producing flowers and fruit. Unfortunately, this growth often stretches the plant’s energy too thin. n order to maximize healthy growth and fruit production, you will need to prune the majority of these suckers. encourage a strong main stem to develop. This stalk will feed the entire plant for the next three to five months, throughout the growing season.

-Phyllis

Aswad Eggplant

source: MIgardener

 

• 85 days
• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 10-15 Days
• Seed Depth: 1/4"
• Ideal Temperature: 75-95 F
• Plant Spacing: 18" 
• Frost Hardy: No
• Solanum melongen

Aswad means "black" and this eggplant's massive dark purple-black fruits with a squat, round shape can grow up to 3lbs or more. Originally from Iraq, this variety is heat tolerant and will produce abundantly, often producing in excess of 30-pounds per plant! 

Eggplants are cold-sensitive and require a long warm season for best results. Plant seeds in sunny warm location in peat pots 8 to 10 weeks before transplanting into garden after all danger of frost is past and night temperatures are consistently at or above 65°F. Eggplant roots are subject to cold damage and plants seldom recover from cold snaps. Plant in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil. Do not permit seedlings or young plants to suffer from low temperature or drought. Mulching between plants is useful. Space plants 18 to 24" apart with 30 to 36" between rows. Aswad eggplants are very large, 5-6 feet tall, and need to be staked or caged for support. 

However, people have grown this variety in large containers successfully, but they must be big ones. Aim for at least a 5-gallon capacity. You will also need to be certain that there is ample drainage. To ensure free drainage – the best growing medium of eggplant is 2 parts standard potting soil, 1 part sand. This more free-draining mix provides enough nutrients, but let’s excess water drain out. Water the pots well and install a small support system, like a tomato cage to support the large plant and fruits.

Plants thrive in the heat of summer. These eggplants take 70-85 days to mature, and can be harvested after some color appears but always while fruits still have their glossy shine. They can have purple-tinged green leaves, drooping violet 1.5" flowers. The leaves, stems, and calyx can have small thorns.  

-Phyllis

Purple Bumblebee Tomato

 

source: MIgardener

• Indeterminate
• 60 - 70 days
• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-95 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
• Plant Spacing: 24"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Solanum lycopersicum

This unique purple cherry variety with green marbling indeterminate tomato from open pollinated seeds matures in 70 days. Heavy yields will be produced all season long on short vines. Crack-resistant with fruits 1.5 inches around. The high acidity of this variety makes for a tangy, less sweet flavor. are unfazed by temperature extremes.

Start your Purple Bumble Bee Tomatoes indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost of spring, sow your Purple Bumble Bee tomatoes seeds in a flat 1/4" deep and 1" apart. Keep the temperature near 60-75 degrees F until germination. Make sure you provide bright light but not direct sun. Keep the planting soil moist, but make sure drainage is adequate. Purple Bumble Bee Tomato seeds will germinate in 8-15 days. When the second set of leaves emerge, transplant your Purple Bumble Bee Tomatoes seedlings into individual pots; bury the stems up to the lowest set of leaves to make sure your tomatoes grow strong roots. A week before planting your Purple Bumble Bee Tomato seedlings outside, begin exposing them to the weather during the day to harden them off. When the soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees F, plant the seedlings in full sun and very rich soil; once more, bury the entire stem up to the lowest set of leaves. If providing a trellis, space the plants 2' apart, but if allowing the vines to spread, space the plants 3-4' apart. Apply a light compost tea every few weeks. Do not apply excessive nitrogen, which can promote excessive foliage and poor fruit set. Plant deeply to encourage adventitious rooting. Water seedlings with a high-phosphate fertilizer solution at planting to help boost early yields.

Try planting Purple Bumble Bee in a 5 gallon (or larger) container, but be sure to provide the support of a trellis or string, as the vines are vigorous. Keep the plants picked and snip back any suckers so the fruit production is limited to one central vine.

-Phyllis

March Zone 7

Bed 1							Bed 2
1  ft.			1 ft.				1 ft.	1 ft.
Kale						1	Kale
Spinach						2	Spinach
Peas						3	Swiss Chard	Peas
						4
						5	Tatsoi
						6	Kohl rabi
Bed 3							Bed 4
						1	Kohlrabi	Peas
						2	Tatsoi
						3	Red Mustard
						4
Radishes						5 Trellis		Radish and Carrots
						6 Trellis

Overview

In zone 7, if you are growing corn, March is the month to plant it.

What does the Windowsill look like in March?

Sweet Bell Peppers, Eggplant, Tomato, Lettuces, Rainbow Chard and Kohlrabi seedlings are growing.

What do the garden beds look like in March?

Start Off- Direct Sow

Continue to succession sow (16) Radish, Cherry Belle and/or (16) Radish, White Icicle in section 6 of beds three and four, and Direct sow (32) Carrots, Scarlet Nantes in with the radishes in bed 4.

Direct sow (9) Pea, Oregon Giant Snow near a pea trellis.

Direct sow (16) Mustard, Tatsoi in 1/2 row 2 in bed 4

Direct sow Mustard, Red Giant in 1/2 rows 3 and 4 of bed 4

Direct sow (9) Spinach, American and (9) Spinach, Bloomsdale in row 2 of beds 1 and 2.

Start Off- Transplant

Transplant (18) Kohlrabi, White and Purple Vienna in row 1, bed 4

Transplant Kale, Blue Curled Scotch,  and Kale, Red Russian in betwen the kale that were direct sown last month.

 

March 5, 2023

Yo Lo Wonder Sweet Bell Peppers

Sow Indoors

When seedlings appear, remove the two weakest seedlings, leaving the strong to keep growing. 

Blue Curly Leaf Kale and Red Russian Kale

Transplant

Kale seedlings should be making good progress. Water twice a week to keep the soil moist.

Rainbow Swiss Chard

Sow Indoors

Rainbow Swiss Chard can be sown indoors in peat pots, hardening them off before planting in the bed.

American, Bloomsdale and Viroflay Spinach

Direct Sow

This is a fast growing hardy crop that likes cooler temperatures. You can pick them when young for baby spinach which is great in salads. Two rows should fit in a 1-foot section. You may sow the seeds directly in the bed or in pots on the windowsill to be planted out in 3-4 weeks when there is room. Either way, seeds need to be planted 1 inch deep, about 1 seed every ½ inch. Cover seeds lightly and water thoroughly.

Purple and White Vienna Kohlrabi

Sow Indoors

Sow seeds indoors, one seed per module as they have an excellent germination rate.

Sow ½ inch deep, cover with soil and water. The seedlings will be ready to transplant in four weeks.

Peas

Direct Sow

There are three main types of peas but they are all grown in the same way. Shelling peas are what are packed in canned peas and need to be taken out of their pods before eating. Snow peas (called mangetout by the English), on the other hand, have pods which are eaten whole and are flat because they are harvested before the peas inside have grown plump. Sugar Snap peas also have edible pods but with fat peas inside. Peas are fairly easy to grow but they need supports and moist soil to produce a good crop. Dwarf pea varieties are best for raised beds as they require less space. Peas don’t like their roots disturbed, and so for that reason are often directly sown in the garden bed, but some have been able to grow peas in rain gutters or in deep peat pots and then transferred out into the garden without much disturbance to their roots. If grown indoors, keep them on the windowsill until they reach 3-4 inches tall and turn them once a day to prevent them from leaning towards the light as they are growing. Be careful not to let the seedlings dry out.

SOWING PEAS IN A RAIN GUTTER

Since I grow rows of peas in an 2-foot-wide raised bed, I can sow peas in two-foot sections of vinyl rain gutters that can be reused from old gutters or bought from a local home center. Cut the gutter into sections that fit your garden bed. It’s possible to purchase end caps for them, but you can make temporary ends with cardboard, taping them in place. After filling the gutters with pre-moistened seed-starting mix, plant the peas in the gutters at the beginning of March in a double row of seeds in each one with a goal of getting a thick stand of seedlings. The seeds germinate quickly. Frequently monitor the moisture in the seed-starting mix so it doesn’t dry out. Allow the seedlings to develop a thick mat of roots, which takes a good three weeks. As soon after this point, and it is warm enough to plant outside, the hardening-off process can begin. This involves putting them outside where you plan to plant them for an hour the first day, then moving them back indoors. On the second day, they are outside for two hours. Keep increasing the time until you can plant them in the garden.

March 13, 2023

Nantes Carrots

Direct Sow

Sow carrots thinly in a shallow trench of about ¼ inch. Drop seeds about ½ inch apart to avoid having to thin later.Gently cover with soil and water with a fine mist to avoid sending seeds everywhere. Germination can take up to three weeks, but continue to keep well watered.

March 17, 2023

Lettuce

Indoor Sow

To get a head start, start seeds indoors about 1 month before the last spring frost date (which for zone 7 is April 17).

Giant Red Mustard Greens

Direct Sow

Giant Red Mustard has purple-red leaves with a delicious, strong, sharp, almost garlic-like, mustard flavor. The leaves are tasty stir-fried or boiled and is a great pickling variety. Because Giant Red Mustard is another leafy green vegetable in the mustard family, it prefers cooler seasons, and can even tolerate light frosts. It prefers 6 hours of sun however it is more tolerant of shade than fruiting vegetables like tomatoes. It will grow well in most soils, but will produce best in rich, well-drained, loose soil with a pH of no less than 6.0. 

Sow mustard seeds ¾ inch deep and 1 ½ inches apart. Mustard seeds generally take eight to ten days to germinate. They can be thinned as needed to give the plants room to grow.

Tatsoi

Direct Sow or Indoor Sow

This Asian Mustard is a fast growing cool weather loving plant. They do not like root disturbance during transplanting so you will need to sow them in biodegradable pots. The seeds should be planted about ½ deep in moist compost, about 2 per pot. They should germinate in one to two weeks.

March 25, 2021

Radish

Harvest

Radishes are the first crop to be harvested this year. Pull aside the leaves and check the size of the radish roots. If they are about 2 inches wide, they are ready to harvest. Gently pull the base of the leaves and pull the root out. Go down the row in this manner and you will be thinning them, allowing the smaller radishes to have more room to grow.

Two weeks after that, the first row should be harvested and can be re-sown. This can be a continuous succession sowing until the weather gets too hot for the radishes to thrive.