Growing Great Tomatoes

Growing Great Tomatoes

Mike’s Smart Pot Update

With the warm weather coming a bit sooner this year, many of us have been experiencing Spring Fever for some time now. Most of us have our own theories and rituals as to when the best time to plant certain garden varieties is, and this year, I’m sure some of those have been tested. After watching tomato after tomato, and pepper after pepper leave the store over the past couple of weeks, I finally decided that the time had come to get to planting in my Smart Pots.

I am experimenting with several sizes of Smart Pots this season, and have taken on the challenge of trying a few varieties of vegetables as well. I chose the 5, 10, and 20 gallon size pot, as well as the Big Bag Bed Jr. Raised Bed. After a busy Mother’s Day weekend, I made Monday night my planting night. I love to make salsa every year, so I wanted to incorporate some of the ingredients into my planting plans. I planted four varieties of spicy peppers and some candy onions in the Raised Bed. I also love refrigerator pickles, so I planted a patio cucumber in the 20 gallon pot. My wife is crazy about eggplant, so I planted an oriental express eggplant in the 10 gallon pot. Finally, on a whim, I planted fennel in the 5 gallon sized pot. We have never grown fennel, so it will be a new experience all together.

Nothing tastes as good as food you have grown yourself! I love to grow, share and talk about food with anyone and everyone.   As the pots take off, I will post progress pictures to accompany my experiences. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions you may have about my experiences or yours with Smart Pots at miker@skinnergardenstore.com. And above all else, have fun!

-Mike Ray