 Judging from the size of my tomato plants, I’m hoping for a banner crop. This photo is only 2 weeks old, but with the amount of rain we’ve been getting in Ohio lately, they’re twice as big right now. I’ve never seen so many flowers!
What is one to do with a ton of tomatoes? Salsa ? Sure, that’s an easy one. Spaghetti sauce? Yes, that’s on my list too. How about sun dried tomatoes? That might be a nice way to add flavor to a dish.
I spent some time in the Thompson & Morgan library this morning & found an article we published about that very same topic. It must be tomato karma! Here’s a reprinted version for to you enjoy as well.
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How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes
Drying food is a long-established and time-honored method for preserving fruits and vegetables. The basic premise is simple: small pieces of food are placed out in the sun and warm, dry air passing over, under and around the food pulls the moisture from it. Ovens and commercial drying equipment are meant to mimic this natural process.
When foods are properly dried, they can’t support the growth of spoilage organisms like bacteria, yeast and molds. Well-dried vegetables have almost 90% of their water removed, creating an environment hostile to these spoilage organisms.
To Dry:
The best tomatoes to use for drying are meaty types such as paste tomatoes. Slice tomatoes into halves or thirds if large. If drying outdoors, place skin side down on a screen or tray in an enclosed screen house to keep insects and dirt off the produce. Outdoor drying will take a few days during warm breezy and dry weather. Bring tomatoes in at night to protect from dew. Hot but humid weather is not conducive to drying and it’s recommended to use an alternative method if the humidity is high. If using a commercial food dryer, follow those specific directions that are given with the unit. If using the oven, use the lowest setting possible to maintain a temperature below 65C (124F). Drying in an oven can take as little time as overnight. If the temperature cannot remain below 65C (145F), you should consider the other techniques mentioned for drying. Well dried tomatoes should be leathery but pliable. Store in glass or plastic jars with tight lids. At room temperatures of 20C (70F), tomatoes should store up to 3 months; at cooler temperatures, they can store for as long as 6-9 months.
To Use:
Pour an equal mix of vinegar and boiling water, or just boiling water, over the tomatoes and let stand from a few minutes to a half an hour until they are soft and chewy. Drain off water and cover with olive oil and garlic. Let them marinate in the refrigerator or room temperature for several hours prior to use. They’ll keep in the oil for about a month. Their concentrated flavor is delicious with pasta or antipasto.
How about having hundreds of colorful butterflies, birds and bees flying around your garden landscape? Try this – grow sunflowers to invite these beautiful airborne creatures into your garden and see the magic!
 The fast-growing, luminous yellow blooms of sunflowers are enjoyed for their panoramic beauty and are the source for a tasty treat! Helianthus annus; Sunflowers are both a splendid flower and a magnificent snack producer! Growing sunflowers in your home garden is an experience that gives immense pleasure to everyone. Children are often tempted to grow their own big blooms of sunflower to compete with their friends.
Sunflower seeds, a tasty and healthy snack are a rich source of vitamins & protein that are essential for the human body. The oil from sunflower seeds enhances immune systems and reduces the risk of various diseases. For bird feeders, the seeds are mixed with high quality nuts and pallets in seed bars, seed mixes, suet cakes, etc. providing energy to keep birds warm and healthy in freezing months.
Before planting, choose the best variety of sunflower seed according to your hardiness region. For a successful growth and health of your sunflower plants, sow the seeds directly into the garden beds only after the final frost. You can also germinate the seeds in pots two to three weeks prior to the last frost and the seedlings can later be transplanted into the well-prepared beds.
A well-drained, loose, rich organic soil is preferred to grow sunflower from seed. Sow the seeds two inches deep, one to two feet apart in a row and rows at a distance not more than three to four feet. Availability of regular water and full sun is very essential for the proper growth of Sunflower plants. It takes nearly two weeks for the plants to appear and three months to fully mature. A recommended water soluble fertilizer would help the flower buds to develop into bigger blooms. Protect your flowers from birds and squirrels with the help of cheesecloth or screen.
Every spring, you head down to the local nursery to buy the plants you carefully selected during your winter hibernation. The joy of seeing the plants you will nurture and enjoy is often marred by the jolt you receive when the cashier gives you the total price of your new garden! Thankfully, there’s a way to avoid sticker shock; you can start seeds at home. Not only does starting your own seeds save you a ton of money, it opens up your seed choices considerably. As you browse through Gurney’s Seed catalog and website, you’ll find varieties you would have had to seek out through multiple stops at different nurseries. The rewards of seed-starting aren’t just fiscal, though. Through this process, you’ll gain the satisfaction that comes from knowing you were behind the plant’s success – it also gives you a head start on the growing season!
 Let’s Get Started
Once you’ve found the right seed varieties for you, you’ll need to determine the proper start date. Typically, seeds are started indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost.
Get your seedlings off to a good start by using the right growing medium. A perfect growing mix is very light and holds moisture well. Avoid using potting soil, which becomes too dense after a few waterings and doesn’t allow good air and water circulation. Additionally, regular potting soil can introduce bacteria to a young seed, resulting in its death. If you don’t want to buy a mix, you can create your own by combining 2 parts peat or sphagnum moss with 1 part perlite and 1 part vermiculate. This will not have the nutrients usually included in a commercial mix, however.
Where to Start Your Seeds
The first container for your seeds should be no more than three inches deep and provide good drainage. If you don’t want to buy containers specifically designed for starting seeds, you’ll need to create your own: empty egg cartons, cut-off milk cartons, or deep-sided disposable aluminum pans work fine. Make sure you punch drainage holes in the bottom.
Planting Your Seeds
The general rule of thumb is to plant seeds four times as deep as the seed is wide. Fine seeds, such as petunia seeds, should be sprinkled on top of the medium but not covered. When using individual containers, plant more than one seed in each cell; you’ll need extras since you seldom get 100% germination. If you’re using flats, space seeds a half inch apart only if they’ll be transplanted into a separate pot following germination. If they’re going to stay in the flat until they head outside, space the seed one to two inches apart. Label your seeds, because most seedlings look alike.
Watering Your Seeds
Once they’re planting, you won’t have to worry about feeding your little guys at first. Seeds contain their own food supply packaged neatly within their shells. Make sure you keep them mist, since most seeds absorb water and use it to bust through their shells. Daily checkups are necessary at this point. To water, you can either use a spray bottle, or set up a bottom watering system (this way, seeds can take as much water as they need.) If you choose a bottom watering system, it’s important to avoid letting your pots sit in a pool of water; this can lead to a moldy pot and a dead seed.
On a Feeding Schedule
Now that the plant has sprouted and gone through the food supply provided by the seed itself, you’re responsible for feeding the burgeoning baby plant. You should feed your seedlings one-quarter strength plant food. If the solution is too strong, it will burn the baby plant. Use room temperature water when you are watering your plant.
 After the little plants have formed their second set of real leaves, they are ready to be transplanted into bigger pots. Dislodge the soil using a fork or pencil and gently lift the plant out of the pot, then dangle the plant over its new pot and sprinkle the roots with soil. Once your seedlings have grown a few more inches, they’ll be ready to face the great outdoors. You have to introduce them slowly, however, through a process called hardening off. We’ll go over this process in our next blog post!
Gurney’s Seed Starting Kit
Looking for an easier way to start seeds? I’m really excited about our new Seed Starting Kit. We’ve assembled the absolute best way to start seeds. You’ll get healthy and hearty plants every time! The best part is it’s clean…no fussing with messy potting soil or Dixie cups.
Our Seed Starting Kit allows you to quickly, easily and successfully start all kinds of seeds. Each kit contains everything you need for fast germination and vital root growth. The soil-less grow plugs are made of natural, biodegradable materials so that each plug can be directly transplanted into the garden greatly reducing transplant shock. Each grow plug contains beneficial bacteria to aid in maximum seed germination.
The lightweight 55-cell growing tray wraps each grow plug in warmth and floats them in the water-filled reservoir tray, allowing each seed to get the perfect water-to-air ratio. The humidity dome holds in the warmth and moisture, ensuring early and uniform seed germination
I recently had the opportunity to give the Seed Starting Kit a try, and let me tell you, it works! This is by far the easiest method I have ever used. It allows me to do more – and easily. Give it a try today!
Some Like It Warm
To sprout, most seeds prefer a temperature between 70 and 85 degrees (for specific temperatures, see the back of your seed packet). Seeds can be kept in any place that offers warmth. Windowsills can also work, but be sure to check them for drafts that could potentially end your seedling’s short life. You can check by running a lighter or candle along your windowsills; if the light flickers or goes out, you know you’ve got a serious draft. If your windowsills prove to be too drafty, you can use artificial lights. The heat provided by an ordinary shop light offers plenty of warmth for germinating seeds. Once you’ve found a cozy spot for your seeds, it’s time to cover them with plastic (to keep in moisture) and wait for them to send their shoots above the soil line.
 They’re Alive!
Immediately following your first sprouts, remove the plastic covering to get essential oxygen to the young’uns. These sprouts are not “true leaves”; they’re cotyledons, which existed within the seed and fed your plant during germination. You’re on the right track; true leaves will appear soon. Remember, even though they’ve sprouted, your seeds still need temperatures in the 60-to-80-degree range to ensure proper growth. Seeds also need light at this stage. If you’re growing with natural light, make sure the containers are raised a little above the sill to minimize the “stretching” seedlings can experience in their efforts to get enough light, and turn then regularly to keep them from growing lopsided.
Artificial light provided by fluorescent shop tubes or grow lights (household incandescent lights don’t offer the right light spectrum for plants) work best, just make sure they offer a combination of warm white and cool white light. Artificial light should be kept 1 – 4” above your seedlings’ tops. Pulley systems work especially well, because you can adjust the lights as the seedlings grow. Seedlings need roughly 16 hours of exposure daily; using a timer on the lights is the easiest way to achieve this. Some gardeners leave the lights on continuously and say their plants have suffered no ill affects. The choice is yours; consult your seed packet for lighting instructions.
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Judging from the size of my tomato plants, I’m hoping for a banner crop. This photo is only 2 weeks old, but with the amount of rain we’ve been getting in Ohio lately, they’re twice as big right now. I’ve never seen so many flowers!