Monday, April 18, 2011

Baby Plants




We are enjoying our family's spring break in the beautiful Outer Banks.  The sand is perfect and the water is icy.  After barely missing a tornado on Saturday we are extra grateful (and blessed) to be enjoying high 70s and sunshine.

While the kids and I are between beaching it, I thought I'd leave you with a few words about seedlings.  I left our itty bitty tomato, tomatillo, and eggplant plants in the care of my brother and his wife.  When I get back they will go straight into the ground.  But I saw at least one more night in the forties and didn't want to risk it.  Overprotective?  Maybe.  But after several weeks of babying these babies, one tends that way.

Seedlings, otherwise, are easy.  Water and sunlight.  We've been lucky this Spring with some warm days, so I've let the little plants outside.  They love sitting on the front porch.  This is good for them because it "hardens them off".  The breeze and direct sunlight makes their stems sturdier and more acclimated to the outdoors.  Tomato plants are unique though.  If your seedlings get to "leggy" from reaching for light in your window sill, you can plant the stems (which will grow root systems themselves) deeper to compensate.  Another reason to LOVE growing tomatoes!

3 comments:

merathon said...

i was thinking about you guys when i heard about all the crazy tornadoes in raleigh-- glad you are all okay and safe at the beach!

Maddy said...

I was so glad to see a post from you! I was really worried when I read about all the tornedos in the news, have a fantastic break! xxx

Jordan said...

You gals are so sweet to think of us. Yes, the damage was severe but missed our immediate area. 1 is too many casualties and last I saw there have been 22! It was sort of a fluke I guess.