Putting in More Tomatoes

I put in more tomatoes with carrots and onions planted around them.

My upper tomato bed is always planted in tomatoes.  Tomatoes are one of the few vegetables that don’t mind being planted in the same place, year after year (see “Carrots Love Tomatoes” by Louise Riotte). 

When I converted this bed to vegetables, I double dug the entire bed and set the tomato cages where they are today, about three feet apart.  I am careful not to step on the ground in or around the cages.  Every year I top dress the area around the cages with leaf and grass clippings, compost, and straw to feed the soil for the tomatoes.

I used a small hand digger to dig deep holes for the tomatoes.  Again, I pinched off the lowest leaves and buried the plants deep so that they can develop a strong root system.  Because the ground sees no foot traffic and is regularly amended, the soil is loose and rich.

A foot from the base of the tomato, I loosened the soil with a pitchfork, sinking the fork into the ground as far as it will go.  I moved the fork forward and back, and from side to side to loosen the soil for carrots and onions.  I didn’t want to disturb the soil systems that I have been so carefully cultivating.

Around each tomato plant, I planted carrots and onions.  The onions will deter carrot flies and carrots do well near tomatoes.  I lightly watered all the plants then mulched the entire bed.

All the walking paths in my garden are mulched with woodchips from the city dump.  First, I put down a layer of newspaper (about 4-6 pages deep), then piled woodchips on top of it.

I save papers all spring to mulch my garden.  They act as a great weed barrier.  I avoid glossy ads.  They don’t degrade as easily as regular newsprint.

Then I piled 3 to 4 inches of woodchips on top of the newspapers.  I get mine at the municipal dump.  The city drops all the chips it generates from tree trimming there.  They are free for the taking.  Check with your city administrator.

Besides keeping down weeds, retaining moisture, and amending the soil, woodchips indicate where one can walk in my garden.  This is extremely helpful, even my five year old can remember to STAY ON THE WOODCHIPS!