It seems that Miss Wilma has had a green thumb all of her life. Well into her 90’s, she still finds the time to tend to the plants in our Plant Room. She even grew the tomato plants from seeds she has collected over the year. Growing up in the 1910’s and 1920’s Wilma learned her gardening skills from her family. She remembers that she would help weed her family’s plot and had to learn quickly so she didn’t accidentally pull up one of her mothers favorite flowers. She learned how to grow vegetables from her father who had a sizeable plot to grow food every year. Wilma has had a lifelong love of plants and a special touch with those stubborn plants that don’t thrive with anyone else. Her favorite plants are the ones that remind her of her grandmother’s garden. We are delighted to be able to share some of her tomato tips.
- When planting your seedlings, make sure you dig a deep hole and put some water at the bottom before you drop the seedling in.
- Keep the dirt around the plant loose so that water can get to the roots.
- Make sure you plant in a sunny place but not an area where the plant will be subject to the hottest sun. If the plant receives too much sunlight, it’ll burn the fruit and create yellow spots and rot.
- Be patient with your plant! Though it’s exciting to see your tomatoes growing, they are best when they are bright red and full.
- Think ahead to next season! You can save some seeds from your fruit this year and place them between two pieces of paper towels and put them in a cool, dry place and check on them periodically to make sure they are dry. Next March, you can just place the paper towels in a tray and cover it with dirt to start your seedlings!
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