How to Be the First Gardener with Ripe Tomatoes

You can plant them indoors to get them started earlier. I have found the best method for this is to use old egg crates, potting soil and an egg incubator. About two weeks before the last frost is expected follow these directions.

1. Cut off the top to the egg crate or use one of the larger containers that did not have a top.

2. Fill every other egg compartment with potting soil and the other compartments with water.

3. Place two to three seeds into each potting soil compartment and sprinkle with water to moisten the soil. Place the container into an incubator with a thermometer that you have already regulated and tested to make sure that it maintains between 70 and 80 degrees.

4. Check the incubator at least every two to three days making sure that the water filled compartments still hold water. The evaporation of the water will keep the soil moist but not to moist.

Many of us have good intentions but find ourselves, two weeks after the last frost, with all the materials needed to plant our seeds which remain in the package. Or we take our seedlings out to plant them and then find that spring winds, cold snaps or other acts of God have killed them. We make our yearly trek to the garden store and once again purchase hot house plants. Then we quickly plant them to hide our shame.

Here is an alternative to the indoor seed start. Get it all ready in the fall. This year before putting the tiller and other garden tools away work up the rows you intend to plant your tomatoes in just like you do in the spring of the year.

Purchase or use old 5 gallon buckets that you have cut the bottom out of. These buckets need to be either of a dark color or spray painted black. You want them to absorb heat not reflect it. Place these buckets into your worked up soil, pushing them firmly into the ground so that they are not blown away during the winter winds.

When you rake the leaves from your yard place them into small kitchen garbage bags. If the leaves are good and dry you can roll the bags to crumble them. Use the last of your grass clippings to add to the garbage bags. Each bag should have about a gallon of this mixture. If it is available you can even put just under half a handful of manure in the mix. (Chicken manure works well if you happen to have chickens. Use only 1/4 handful so as not to burn the soil.) Pour your mixture into the buckets placing the bag over it and taping the edges of the bag to the bucket.

Instead of starting your plants inside you can now safely plant outdoors. Go pull up your buckets. The mixture you put in them in the fall has now had several weeks to ferment and produce a nice fertilizing compost. Remove half of the compost and work the rest into your previously tilled soil. You will find that it is still moist and soft making it easy to work. Plant your seeds and replace your buckets. Place the remaining compost at the outer edges of the bucket. Make sure that you do not place it directly over where you planted your seeds, it will burn them. Replace the garbage bags with new ones.

Your seeds now have protection from the wind, cold and any inclement weather that would otherwise prevent their growth. Also the compost will continue to provide heat for your seedlings. After all danger of frost has past, remove the plastic bags. In order to not burn your plants you may want to place a new white trash bag over the bucket with the sealed end cut out. This will now reflect the unwanted heat that could burn the base of your plants. You will find that your tomato cages that support the tender vines will fit right into your bucket.

When your neighbors and friends are just beginning to plant their hot house purchases you will already have green fruit on your vines. Those tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches will taste so much better and you will enjoy them so much earlier.