There Definitely is Always a New Gardening Book Published to Fill Everyone’s Needs!

By Joan Airey

Do you know why your tomato seedlings leaves turn purple?

I had been told on occasion it was because the plants had been chilled.

I couldn’t figure how mine had been chilled where I was growing them. Then recently while reading “The Tiny But Mighty Farm” by Jill Ragan I learned it is a phosphorus deficiency that is the cause. Ragan says with in the first twenty-four hours of adding a boost of fertilizer you will notice the issue starting to resolve. The above book I mentioned in my column last month and during the recent stormy cold week I studied the book further and learned also that the bottom leaves dying on plants is more than likely a lack of nitrogen.

A couple of weeks ago I planted gloxinia, begonia, and strawberry seeds in my dining room on a stand near the window. So far as of today four gloxinias and four strawberry plants have germinated, I’m hoping to see more plants poking their heads out this week.

In recent weeks I have been studying “The First Time Gardener Container Food Gardening” by Pam Farley. It is full of information from what size pots plants need, which containers are safe to grow vegetables, and amazing ideas on what herbs to grow together to a salsa garden in a pot. Containers can be moved to the optimal spot for plant growth.

I’ve also been studying the new book out by Susan Mulvhill called “The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook”. The book contains how to control plant diseases, viruses, disorders, stressors and even animal pests as well as how to hand pollinate squash blossoms and handle weather related issues.

Recently I read about this mix for starting plants and plan to try it in the near future: one cup potting soil, one cup fine compost, 1 cup worm castings and 1 cup perlite.

In a previous article I mentioned I had strawberries growing under lights for the last two months. We have eaten handfuls of them which were flavourful. The taste was worth the work so I hope next year to have more strawberries growing under lights. We have our own fresh lettuce ready to harvest and have cucumbers not producing yet but I hope by the time I write my March article they will be.

Presently I’m waiting for a carpenter to come and tell me the cost of improving my indoor growing space. If this mild weather continues I plan to plant some cold weather crops in my greenhouse as soon as it is warm enough to wash the greenhouse down. My greenhouse is thirty- one years old and I’d love a new one but at the moment it isn’t in my budget.

My editor just sent me a news release that the new Old Farmers Almanac Garden Guide 2023 is available now at $7.99. The release says gardening never goes out of style and a surge of new gardeners have sparked a revolution in gardening. Watch for the Brandon Garden Club’s big plant sale. I saw a well-known gardener mentioned it on one of the garden Facebook pages I enjoy.