This is the first time I'm putting tomatoes in the wooden raised bed nearest the house. This is the same bed that is usually shaded most of the winter, so it's taken a little creativity to keep it productive. Earlier this year I planted potatoes in it to help with loosening up the soil. Hilling the potatoes with new garden dirt helped raised the soil level.
The whole process goes really quick. First I cut out all of the broccoli plants that were running down the length of the bed. They pretty much shaded out half of it. The potato vines have been slowly dying off, which meant it was time to dig.
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| You need to dig Adirondack Blues in good light, because those purple skins can get lost in the dark soil. |
Then it's time to rake the bed smooth and plot out the tomato plants.
I prefer to really loosen up the soil before planting tomatoes because they need deep holes. Remember, when planting tomatoes you want to bury half the plant. It helps develop a stronger root system.
Repeat five more times.
Tomatoes are in. Still need to give them a good soak tonight. The little dams around each plant will help keep the water where it needs to go.
The next step will be to lay down the soaker hose and put in the tomato cages, but that's for another day.
