Cover crops

I planted two cover crops in October-November, crimson clover and fava beans. Those who live in the northwest know what wacky-cold and snowy weather we had this winter. The result in spring? The fava are nada. Frost killed all of the plants. The crimson clover? Thriving. I’m going to experiment with some other cover crops this fall, but clover will definitely be making a repeat appearance.

One decision I have to make this spring: whether to just give the clover a “haircut” and let it continue to keep root, preventing weeds while my vegetables grow out right from under it, or whether to till it under. I think I’ll try both options and see what happens.

The OSU extension service has a wordy but very useful article about cover crops for home gardens and their benefits for building healthy soil.

First Tomato

First tomato fruit!

It’s here! The first little green nubbin’ of a tomato. Actually, there were two, and I couldn’t resist picking one and taking a bite. It was bitter. What can I say, I’m tactile-kinesthetic. And orally fixated.

I have both determinate (bush-type) and indeterminate (viney-type) tomatoes. This season, my first in this garden, I’m experimenting with the indeterminate type. (What’s the difference?)

Steve Solomon says in his book “Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades” that you can grow indeterminate vines that are 8 feet or more in length, trailing up an over a tall trellis or support system. To do this, I’m following his suggestion to trim off all but two (I’m doing three) main leader vines on this plant. It is the one pictured, the first to produce fruit. Not sure if the first fruit is because of  the method of snipping all but 3 leader vines, or if it’s the variety (yellow pear).

I’ll do a subsequent post that shows my vine support system — an “A” frame support and twine.

My goal is to get these vines 7-8 feet long, to go up and over my trellis support.  Has anybody had similar luck getting long, productive indeterminate tomato varieties?