It is no surprise to my subscribers how much I love the tree collard. Not just for its looks but for its usefulness.
One thing that people will tell you though, is that it almost never goes to seed. This is true.
However, I planted a few cuttings from one of my largest plants. I put it into a small 6″ pot and waited for it to grow.
I was pleasantly surprised at how fast it starting producing shoots.
I was not, however, expecting it to start producing flowers. After just 1 month, I am seeing shoots forming and this thing is going to go to seed on me.
Of course I do not plan on saving the seeds as I believe genetically they are probably inferior.
I have to say, that the purple tree collard always seems to amaze me.
I am testing the three most popular all natural weed killers from the internet.
Many people swear by these.
I will say that the methods did kill the grass to a certain extent.
Although it’s a good thing to want to use natural methods to kill weeds, we have to remember that if we kill weeds, we are also killing natural microbes and fungi in the soil and that will inhibit growth of vegetables and flowers.
Now if you’re doing this on a sidewalk or somewhere you never plan on growing anything then this could work.
But my suggestion is to use cardboard.
It will not only smother the weeds, but as it breaks down, it will add nutrients to the soil.
How to make compost in my Lifetime 80 gallon compost tumbler. The biggest challenge is finding the right combo with greens (nitrogen) and browns (carbon).
The life expectancy of a strawberry plant is usually only a few years. The plant knowing this is aware that it most have offspring. I’m not suggesting that plants are self aware, but this mechanism is built into its genetic code. That’s the way the plant works.
Container grown plants are unable to propagate themselves so they rely on us to help them.
Strawberries replicate by shoots, also called runners. It sends out these shoots looking for soil to plant itself. Once the runner takes root, it severs its ties to the parent plant. Leaving a separate independent plant.
To propagate the plant, just lay the runner on top of soil in another contain (or on the ground). Within a couple of weeks it should have taken root. You can then cut the runner away from the parent plant. You now have a new plant.
If you’ve ever been in a power outage, I’ll bet the first thing you did was run to kitchen to grab the candles and matches. Because, I know that running to the nightstand for the flashlight is futile since it isn’t there. Who knows where it ended up. Besides, the last time I used it I had to shake it continuously just to make the contacts work enough to see little flickers of light out of it. Piece of junk. Candle will never fail you, except they burn down, smell horribly and make you stay up worrying about when the wick burns down will the house (and me) still be here in the morning.
It is powered by 3 AAA batteries or the 3.7 volt rechargeable 18650 battery.
There are 5 modes. Low, medium, high, strobe and SOS.
The casing is made of steel with a raised surface for easy grip.
Battery time on the AAA is about 1.5 hours of intermittent use.
I’ve also been told this flashlight can be mounted as a tactical light.
After field testing, my initial analysis is that I would guess the output to be somewhere around 800 lumens.
It is still the brightest mini flashlight I now own.
If you’re looking for a great flashlight for camping, hiking, survival or just general use, you will be happy with The Ultrafire Cree XML T6 2000 Lumen Flashlight.
For the money, it can’t be beat.
I needed a planter to grow herbs in. But the problem with some herbs like mint, they like to sprawl and take over the garden. They can become invasive if you let them. So the answer for me was to either grow them in pots or elevate them off the ground.
Since I have two grape arbors, I decided to hang them. This planter holds three plants and can be built with very little amount of wood. I used 1 piece of cedar fencing available at just about any lumber supply. The only other thing you will need is some 1/2” rope.
Drop a few pots into the square holes and you have a nice looking hanging herb planter.
After bringing my Satsuma Mandarin Orange tree inside to escape a bitter cold snap, I somewhat neglected it. It got hidden behind some other large plants in my grow room. I only watered it from the front and could not see what was going on in the back of the tree.
After pulling it out to put back outside in the greenhouse, I noticed a couple of very large root suckers growing from the bitter orange rootstock below the graft. They had different shaped leaves and were loaded with thorns. This is what happens when you neglect pruning.
I know what you’re thinking. “Where can I get the seeds for a square tomato”?
Believe it or not, you can grow your own square tomato from any seed you have lying around.
You’re not actually growing a genetically enhanced variety, you’re really just manipulating the tomato during its growing process.
The process is simple. You have to create a square plastic box for it to grow in. Make sure the box is smaller than final size of the tomato. The reason is that once the tomato feels resistance against the sides of the box, it is forced to take the path of least resistance. This results in the tomato growing into the corners of the box, hopefully filling it completely.
Making the box
Find any clear plastic that is thick enough to withstand the pressure of the growing tomato, yet flexible enough to bend at 90 degrees.
Simply draw 4 squares the exact same size horizontally
Now draw 2 boxes the same size on each side vertically.
Next, cut a slit in one of the end boxes big enough to allow the stem of the plant to easily slip through.
Now fold the box at the lines and tape it leaving the end with the slit open.
Slip the box onto a young tomato allowing the stem to slide through the slit in the open end.
Close the lid and tape it shut.
You now have a tomato enclosed in a plastic box.
Now the wait
This is the hardest part of all. If you’re like me, every morning you will run out to see if the tomato is growing. We all know that a watched pot never boils. It isn’t until you decide to stop watching, that it will balloon to the size of the box.
My mistake was in using this on a hybrid tomato that I was re-growing so the tomatoes never produced uniform sizes.
I recommend that you use a plant that produces consistent fruit sizes. It will be a lot easier. I had to try this 3 time before one actually behaved.
If by chance, you give this a try, post a comment and a link. I’d like to see them.
Happy square tomato growing.
Rooting tomato cuttings is easy. Take a new growth or a sucker cutting a few inches long. Put the cutting in an inch or two of water.
Within a week or two, you should see roots start to grow along the stem.
When you see plenty of roots growing, remove the cutting from the water and put in a soft seedling mix, burying it about half way.
One question I get asked all the time is, “How can I grow tomatoes all year round?”
First off, there is no secret to growing them, no magic potion or special elixir. If there was, I could never do it.
Of course many factors come into play when growing tomatoes indoors, like the amount of light, the right growing medium, pests and of course temperature.
But the number one rule is, pick the right variety.
You would be hard pressed to grow 8′ beefsteak tomatoes indoors unless you want to spend $100/month on lighting alone.
The benefit would certainly not outweigh the cost.
When picking a variety, you want ones that are fairly compact, abundant producers and disease resistant. It’s always best to scour the internet and research forums to get others opinion regarding growing habits, and more importantly, taste.
Also don’t be afraid to try out a few hybrids. Many of them have been bred for the sole purpose of indoor growing.
This is a “mystery” f1 hybrid I’m currently stabilizing
Below is a list of tomato varieties I’ve personally grown indoors. I’ve excluded any varieties that were sub standard like disease intolerant, lack luster performance and horrible taste.
This list consists of mediocre to incredible. I’ve noted my favorites.
I’ve also included the hybrids I’ve grown.
Glacier
Micro Tom (world’s smallest tomato. not a heavy producer but on the list for its uniqueness.. F1 Hybrid)
New Yorker
Patio (F1 Hybrid)
Red Robin
Siberia (not to be confused with Siberian)
Sprite (grape) *a favorite
Sweet N Neat Cherry (F1 Hybrid)
Tiny Tim *a favorite
Totem
Windowbox Roma (F1 Hybrid) * a favorite
