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Thursday, December 1, 2011

KNOL: How to Grow Upside Down Tomatoes


This entry is a copy from a KNOL I wrote found at Google. Google will be discontinuing the KNOL's platform and I am in the process of storing them on my blog. Please enjoy the article. I have about 50 coming over to this blog.






I have over 50 garden videos. Why not join my YouTube Garden Video Channel? Container tomatoes There are several products on the market that tout growing tomatoes upside down.  Some of them are effective and others are as about effective as you actually trying to plant a tomato while you are upside down. Upside tomatoes grow and because they grow you need to be prepared. Upside down tomatoes are easy to set up but can be a bit difficult to maintain.  This Knol will prepare you for success.

How to Grow Upside Down Tomatoes

by Gary Pilarchik LCSW-C



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What Type of Tomato Do I Plant?

It is important to choose the right tomato plant. There a two types of tomatoes. A determinate tomato and and indeterminate tomato. The determinate type of tomato grows to set height, fruits and dies. The tomatoes all mature essentially at the same time. This type of tomato matures in about 60-75 days after planting. An indeterminate tomato grows until the first frost. This plant will continue to grow and set fruit all Summer long and into the Fall. This type of tomato also matures in about 60-75 days but the difference is it continues to fruit and grow all season long.

Determinate Tomatoes

The benefit of this type of tomato is that it won't get to large. It is a pretty good bet for an upside down tomato container as well as patio containers. The size of the plant is more manageable. The drawback is that the plant sets fruit all at once and then dies.

Indeterminate Tomatoes

The benefit of this type of tomato is that you can harvest fruit from it all Summer long. The drawback is that it can get huge and outgrow its container. The biggest problems you will have with upside down tomatoes is maintaining the moisture level of the plant and managing the weight of the mature plant.

What Variety of Tomato Do I Grow?

It doesn't matter if you grow hybrids, heirlooms, or the standard variety of tomatoes. What matters most is the size of the tomato. If this is your first venture into upside down container gardening I recommend growing a cherry type of tomato or a tomato that grows to 6 ounces or less. I have had the best success with smaller tomatoes. I have attempted to grow 12 ounce fruits and the weight of the plant broke the handle that was holding the container on the beam. That is why I know reinforce the handle. The 12 ounce plants also dried out more quickly. Watering and plant weight are your nemeses.
nem·e·sis  (nm-ss)
n. pl. nem·e·ses (-sz)
1. A source of harm or ruin: Uncritical trust is my nemesis.
2. Retributive justice in its execution or outcome: To follow the proposed course of action is to invite nemesis.
3. An opponent that cannot be beaten or overcome.
4. One that inflicts retribution or vengeance.
5. Nemesis Greek Mythology The goddess of retributive justice or vengeance.

Watering and Plant Weight Problems

Watering Problems

The most critical factor in growing an upside down tomato is moisture or watering. I have had fruit crack because of moisture problems and I have had plants develop blossom end root because of moisture problems. Two different problems both related to watering and moisture control. Cracking occurs when watering is inconsistent. The plant dries out and then the soil is soaked. That is the basic scenario that gets repeated and it is the culprit to the problems. The cycle of drying and drenching, causes the plant to quickly suck down water and the fruit cracks. Blossom end rot occurs due to a calcium deficiency. The constant drying of the roots causes problems with the way the plant absorbs nutrients. Blossom end rot is the browning of the bottom of your tomatoes.

Solutions to Watering

The first solution is using a large 5 gallon container. The smaller bags or containers on the market are setting you up for failure in my opinion. The second solution is using moisture control garden soil. I recommend Miracle Grow moisture control garden soil. Not only does it help with moisture but it feeds your plant. You can also use garden soil and add a good amount of peat moss into the mix.

Weight Problems

It is pretty simple, the bigger the plant grows and the larger the tomatoes, additional weight is added to your container over time. Bigger plants and larger fruit often require a lot more watering. Water, large plants and large tomatoes can actually break the handle on the 5 gallon bucket.

Solutions to Weight

The solutions are up to you. No matter what I say, if you are like me, you will want to grow the 1 pound tomato in your upside down container. Here are the basic solutions. Grow determinate tomatoes. Grow smaller sized indeterminate tomatoes from cherry size to about 6 ounce fruits. If you want to grow bigger tomatoes, you will have to secure the container for the heavy weight.

Getting Started: The Supplies



Upside Down Tomatoes: Supplies



You now have an idea of what goes into selecting a tomato plant for an upside down container. You will need to select a sunny location with six or more hours of sunlight. You will need a place to hang the container. You will need to purchase plants, garden soil, containers, hooks, fertilizer and rope. You will need a cutting tool to cut plastic. All these items can be purchased at a large home improvement store.
  1. A tomato plant
  2. Two cubic feet of moisture control garden soil (fills two plus containers)
  3. A five gallon paint bucket with lid (one per tomato plant)
  4. Sphagnum peat moss if you want to make your own moisture control blend of soil
  5. A hook to hang the container if it is going under a deck or other structure ( a very secure hook)
  6. A post of some sort if you are hanging your container elsewhere
  7. A box of water soluble fertilizer (one box will feed many upside down tomatoes for the entire season)
  8. Six feet of 3/16 inch rope or strong nylon equivalent (if you are going to grow large weighted tomatoes)
  9. A two inch blade that can cut a plastic paint bucket (I use a basic two inch kitchen paring knife)

The picture includes three bags of miracle grow garden soil ($3.97 per 1 cubic foot bag) and a bail of sphagnum peat moss ($9.97 for a bail). Rope to create a strong handle.  A knife with a short blade for cutting and a five gallon paint bucket. There are enough supplies to make four upside down tomato containers.


Step One: Cut a Hole in the Bottom of the Container

The 5 gallon container can be purchased at any home improvement store. They can be found in the paint section. This container cost $2.97 and the lid that goes with it cost $1.97. The knife I use is a stainless steel kitchen knife.

I grow my tomatoes seedlings/transplants in 8.5 oz Styro-Foam cups. You want to make the hole in the center of the container just a little smaller then the top of a 8.5 oz cup.
When you cut the hole make sure your hand is away from the direction you are pulling the blade of the knife.
Upside Down Tomatoes: The Hole


You want the hole to be about that size. If it is to large, the soil will fall out. If it is to small, you run the risk of the edge of the hole cutting into the stem of the tomato when the wind blows.

Upside Down Tomatoes: Check the Hole


If you drop the cup into the hole it should look something like this. You don't need to cut the perfect hole. Just something close to the pictures.


Step Two: Reinforce the Handle

Even if you aren't going to grow large varieties of tomatoes, you may one day. It is a good idea to reinforce the handle using 3/16 rope. The rope I use cost $4.97 and it is 50 feet. Plenty of rope. Cut a 3 1/2 foot piece of rope or the size you need for your hanger.

Upside Down Tomatoes: Building the Container


Use the point of your knife and poke a hole beneath each end of the handle that is already attached to the container. The rope gets threaded through the holes and you now have a secure way to hang your container. It will hold wet soil, a heavy plant and large tomatoes.


Step Three: Make the Soil and Fill the Bucket

Before you fill the container you will need to turn it over and cover the hole you just cut. I used a cabbage leaf while making this one. You can use a piece of paper.

If you bought moisture control garden soil, just fill the bucket almost to the top and your done. You want to leave about 2 inches of space from the top of the bucket.

If you bought peat moss and basic garden soil, fill the bucket with 2/3 garden soil and 1/3 peat moss. Mix them thoroughly together. Also leave 2 inches of space from the top of the bucket.

Upside Down Tomatoes: Filling the Container



Step Four: Plant the Tomato

Place the lid on your container and flip the bucket. Pull out your cabbage leaf or piece of paper and dig down as far as you can go with your fingers. The reason you left 2 inches or so of space in your bucket is to give yourself some space to plant the tomato to a good depth. You want the tomato plant to be firmly in the container. You should get at least a good 5 inches of root and stem into the container.
Upside Down Tomatoes: Plant the Tomato



Drop the tomato into the hole. Remove any leaves that would be inside the bucket. You only want stem in the container. Tomatoes are vines. Roots will grow out off any part of the stem that is buried. Once the tomato is in the hole, drop more garden soil into the hole. Fill the entire container until the soil around the stem of the tomato is well packed with dirt.

Step Five: Hang Your  Upside Down Tomato 

I use an old club house to hang my containers. I hang two upside down tomatoes on each beam. You can keep the lid on the container or you can remove it. This year I am not using a lid. I want the rain to get in. You can use a lid and poke several holes into the lid to let the rain in.

Upside Down Tomatoes: Planted and Hanging



Step Six: Tending to Your Upside Down Tomato

You will have to water your tomato daily once it gets large. Do not let it dry out. Sometimes, at peak size and on hot days, you will have to water you tomatoes two times a day. You should fertilize each plant every two weeks with a gallon of water soluble fertilizer.

I am leaving the lid off my container this year and will be installing a soda bottle slow drip water system. That should help greatly with managing moisture and it will be the subject of an upcoming Knol.



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My Other Gardening Knols

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KNOL: Cool Weather Vegetable Gardening



This entry is a copy from a KNOL I wrote found at Google. Google will be discontinuing the KNOL's platform and I am in the process of storing them on my blog. Please enjoy the article. I have about 50 coming over to this blog.





There are plenty of vegetables that grow best in cool weather. The best time to start planting these crops in Maryland is March. This Knol provides basic information about cool weather vegetables. Radishes, peas, beets, greens, cabbages and many more vegetables like the cool weather.  It is time to start planting.

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Why do some vegetables grow best in cool weather?

The best answer is the simplest answer. When it gets warmer the plants move from leaf or vegetable production to reproducing. Radishes get woody. Greens get bitter. Broccoli flowers. They do this to typically create seed heads or seed pods. The cool weather is the time for them to grow and mature. The warm weather is time for them to bolt and produce seeds.





What are the cool weather months in Maryland?

There are two cool weather season: Spring and Fall. The Spring cool weather season is roughly the beginning of March through the end of May. The Fall cool weather season is the last week of August through the the end of November. If you use a cold frame you can start the season earlier in the Spring or prolong it in the Fall. This Knol focuses on planting directly into your garden without using a cold frame. Cold frames will be a featured in a future Knol.





What are some of the cool weather crops to plant?

  1. Radishes, Radishes and more Radishes.
  2. Lettuces of every type and don't forget your Spinach.
  3. Kale and Collards.
  4. Beets, Parsnips and Turnips.
  5. Kohlrabi a German vegetable.
  6. Peas with edible pods and non-edible pods.
  7. Swiss Chard for the taste and beautiful colors.
  8. Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbages.
  9. Finally Carrots.
There are more cool weather crops but this is enough to get you started. Some of these plants are best planted directly from seed and some are best planted as transplants.  You can purchase transplants from your local nursery or garden center. You can also grow them indoors from seeds but that is another Knol.  In the case of lettuces, I plant both seeds and transplants. The goal of this Knol is to get garden produce to your table as soon as possible. March is the time to plant. You don't have to wait for tomato weather to start planting your garden.

Shouldn't I worry about frost?

Yes and no. All of the vegetables can handle frost as seeds. Most of them can handle frost as seedlings. Many of them can handle light frost as plants. Some plants can actually freeze. Some of them taste better with a light frost. I have kale, spinach and onions that made it through the entire freeze of Winter. As we go through how to plant each vegetable, I will talk about frost and freezing. The real risk is consecutive days of all day freezing temperatures. Even a little snow won't matter. We are looking for 35+ degree night and 45+ degree days as the starting signal to plant.

Preparing your garden

I clear out old plants and refuse. I turn the soil over and break up clumps to about a depth of 12 inches. I do not fertilize at this point. The best thing to do is to clean up your garden and turn the soil over on a day when it isn't too muddy or too frozen. That's pretty much all you need to do to get started for the Spring.

Planting Radishes


Radishes need loose soil to about a depth of 10-12 inches. They can be planted once the soil can be worked. Most radish types mature within 25 to 30 days. Radishes should be planted as seeds and there are dozens of radish seed types at your local garden centers. I recommend buying several varieties.
Plant your radishes in rows at a length of your choice. Plant them about 1/2 inch deep. You should cover them with fine soil. Just make sure the soil isn't too clumpy. The seed packets will have directions if you want exact details. I plant each seed 1/2 inch a part across the entire length of the row. I space my rows 6 inches apart. I have never had trouble with radishes maturing this way. The trick is to harvest some radishes early and harvest every other plant. This way you get to enjoy some baby radishes and you give the others space to fully mature.

Some radishes grow bigger than your basic round radish such as 'White Icicles'. You can plant larger growing radishes the same way as I described but you will need to thin the plants earlier to be 1-2 inches apart when the plants reach about1-2 inches in height. I would check the seed packs of larger radishes for information on thinning.
If you want to have radishes through the month May, plant new rows every two weeks starting in March with your last row being planted during the first week of May. You don't want to sow so many radishes in one planting that you end up with to many to eat in one harvest. The good news is radishes last longer in the ground when the day temperatures are cool. Once it get's warm they get woody.
A little frost typically isn't an issue with radishes. Even it is, by planting every two weeks you will get a good crop if the first fails. I have never had a crop fail even with a frost.

Planting Lettuces



   
Lettuces should be planted as seeds and as transplants. This way your garden produce will come more quickly to your table. Pick out whatever types of lettuce seeds you want. I plant lettuce seeds around mid March. I plant them in a two to three foot row and disregard the seed packet directions. I dig my rows no more than a 1/2 inch deep and sprinkle seeds into the row so the land 1/4 inch apart. I pay no mind if they touch. I probably drop 25-35 seeds into a row. I cover them with fine soil. Lettuces should be planted in soil that was loosened to a depth of 8-10 inches.
I plant the seeds this way because lettuces grow fast when the weather hits the right temperature. When the seedlings reach 2 inches tall, I carefully dig them up when the soil is more dry then wet. I space the seedlings out using a minimum of  6 inches between plants and I tuck the transplants into spaces all over my garden. Where ever there is space there goes a lettuce transplant I grew from seed.
Most types of lettuce can withstand frost and can actually freeze. I have watched this happen over and over again as my Fall crops hit the November and December freezes. Essentially, lettuce can freeze and freezing does not destroy/burst the plant's cells. So when it warms up, the lettuce is unharmed. Eventually continued freezing temperatures will kill it. That is usually due to the lettuce roots freezing. So some frost and even freezing is okay.
Because lettuce can withstand some frost and leaf freezing, I also buy lettuce transplants from my local garden center. I look for different varieties. The lettuces you buy as transplants should be healthy looking (of course) and 3-5 inches tall. I plant them about 6 to 12 inches apart in my garden. I use raised beds so I can plant things closer together (but raised bed gardening is yet another Knol). I also plant them closer together because I harvest a lot of lettuces when they are young. A good tip is to cut the lettuce off at ground level and leave the roots in the ground. Most lettuces will grow new leaves. As my lettuce seeds I planted first, grow to 2-3 inches, the transplants from the garden centers are maturing for harvest. This way I get more lettuces to my table through the cool Spring season.

Planting Spinach


I don't recall if I have ever seen spinach transplants. You don't need them anyway if they do exist. The best way to plant spinach is to turn the soil to a depth of 10-12 inches and plant seeds. I poke a hole in the ground with my finger to about 1/2 inch. Again, the seed packets will give you details but they usually say plant rows. I don't plant them in long rows.
I create a roughly shaped box that is typically 24 holes by 24 holes. I make my holes 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart and typically create a box-like or square planting in the ground. I drop in 1 seed per hole and cover with loose soil. If you a growing large leafing varieties, you can space the holes 2 -3 inches from each other.
Frost and freezing doesn't seem to bother many types of spinach. I have green spinach now that survived the entire Winter above ground. It stop growing during the Winter but the green that was there in December stayed until March. It is now growing and getting bigger. I suggest you do a couple of plantings of spinach every two weeks up through April.

Planting Kale and Collards


Follow my suggestions for lettuces for both kale and collard seeds and transplants. The only thing you need to change is the plant spacing. You want to read the seed packs and transplant labels for these greens. Most kale and collards get quite large and need to be planted 12 to 18 inches apart.  Kale and collards are great to grow because the can be harvested one leaf at a time or in bunches. There are dwarf variates if space is an issue.

Planting Beets, Parsnips and Turnips

Beets, parsnips and turnips have to be planted from seeds. Beets and turnips are typically round and mature to reach the size of a golf ball or grow to the size of a baseball. Parsnips are more carrot like and tap rooted. I sow all these seeds into rows 1/2 inch deep.You should cover them with fine soil. You can make the rows as long as you like. I space the rows 6 -12 inches apart. I plant the seeds 1/2 inch apart the entire length of the row.
When the plants are 1 inch tall you can thin them according to directions on the seed packet. In the case of beets, parsnips and turnips, I would follow the seed packets for thinning guidelines. I would plant two plantings of each of these vegetables two weeks apart. They grow much slower than radishes and take 65-85 days to mature. They also take a bit of time to sprout. Don't worry if you don't see them within two weeks of planting. Frost won't get to them. They only pop when they want to come out.

Planting Kohlrabi

It is described as an above the ground turnip with a cabbage broccoli type flavor. You plant them just how I described planting beets, parsnips and turnips. You should thin them to the directions on the seed packet when the plants are 1 to 2 inches tall. They like the cool weather so you can get them in the ground in later March.


 

Planting Peas

I love peas. There are basically two types. Peas that you eat in the pod and use whole or peas that you take out of the pods and just eat the peas. Or better known as edible pods or non-edible pods. You can go to a garden center and buy what every you like. You plant peas only as seeds.
They like loose soil. I plant my peas 1 inch deep and space them 2 inches apart. I use my index finger to make the holes. It doesn't have to be exact. I plant them in the box or square format as I described for spinach. That is, one pea every two inches from all directions or sides. Peas climb so you need to have supports for them to grow up. I use 5 foot bamboo poles and put one pole into each corner of the square planting pattern. Just remember where the corners are of your pea plantings and stick a pole in the ground. You can add poles later if needed. I tie string from corner to corner, every 4-6 inches, up the poles. There is no pattern to follow just put string all over the place and let the peas climb it like a ladder.
Peas can handle light frost but really can't handle freezing. But they too can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked and really only pop when the time is right. Two plantings of peas, two weeks apart will work best.


 Planting Cauliflower, Broccoli and Cabbages

I only plant cauliflower, broccoli and cabbages from transplants. Every time I tried to plant cauliflower and broccoli as seeds (in Maryland) they did not mature quick enough before the warm weather arrived and they bolted. They flowered and I did not get to eat them.


 Transplants work well for all three of these vegetables. Cabbages won't really bolt they just won't get as large. So, I would also recommend using transplants for cabbages. All three vegetable types can withstand frost and freezing. I plant my cauliflower, broccoli and cabbages mid-March and I space them 10-12 inches apart. You have to get these in early because they take a while to mature. I use a raised bed, so I can plant them closer together.


Planting  Carrots

Plant carrots in rows. You should plant them about 1/2 inch deep and cover them with fine soil. No clumps. I sprinkle seeds down the entire length of the row and thin as detailed on the seed package. I put a lot more seeds in a carrot row than needed because I find a lot of seeds don't germinate.
Carrot seeds take a while to sprout. I also have a heavy clay soil so I buy round carrots types or carrots the have short tap roots. You really need loose sandy soil for the longer carrots. Frost and freezing aren't an issue because they take so long to germinate. The pop when they are ready. Plant more carrot seeds than you need and thin accordingly.

Watering your garden

Keep your garden well watered using a gentle spray. The last thing you want to do is blast the seeds or seedling out of the ground with a hard stream of water.  During the cools season that is about every second or third day when you get consecutive sunny days.



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I tweaked this search box to better reference all things gardening. It will provide you with highly specific searches beyond what a typical Google search can do.
It is located on the top page of my Garden Blog: The Rusted Garden. Try it and join my Blog while you are there. Thanks.

My Other Gardening Knols

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Sometimes the links below, by title, are defunct for unknown reasons.
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This is my garden. Planted using the information above for March 2009


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KNOL: How to Grow a Salsa Garden


This entry is a copy from a KNOL I wrote found at Google. Google will be discontinuing the KNOL's platform and I am in the process of storing them on my blog. Please enjoy the article. I have about 50 coming over to this blog.




A video on making salsa. Anyone who can dig a hole can grow a salsa garden. Imagine picking fresh wholesome organic vegetables and herbs that you grew from seeds and transplants.  Now imagine turning them into the world's best  homemade salsa. Can you taste it! Growing a salsa garden brings family and friends together. It is a wonderful way to beat stress and tap your creativity on so many levels.  Let's grow, it is time to get your hands dirty.

How to Grow a Salsa Garden
By Gary Pilarchik LCSW-C

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What is Salsa?

Let's keep it simple. Salsa is a type of sauce originating from Mexico. The basic ingredients include: tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, cilantro and other herbs, fruits, and finally onions or garlic. Many of the items you use to make salsa can be seen above. You can grow what you like and make it how you wish. It can be cooked and chilled or just chopped, blended and served straight from the garden. Salsa is packed with flavor and it's low in calories and fat. So eat all you want but keep an eye on those tortilla chips.

Step One: What Kind of Salsa Do You Like?

It's your garden. What do you want to grow? What do you like in your salsa? Do you like your salsa hot, mild, tangy or even sweet? Maybe you like them all. The first step is to do a little research. Use the list below, read the salsa jar in your refrigerator or search the web. What do you like? There is no wrong answer. It's your garden to create. Garlic, onions, both or no way? Grow what you love and even grow something you have never tasted.
  1. Do you like tomatoes?            
  2. Do you like hot, mild or sweet peppers?    
  3. Do you like the tartness of a tomatillo?
  4. Do you like cilantro?
  5. Do you like basil?
  6. Do you like onions, garlic and chives? 
  7. Do you like fruit chunks in it?       
  8. Do you want it to be colorful as in yellow, orange, purple or red tomatoes?
  9. Do you want the peppers to come in green, yellow, red, orange or purple colors?

Step Two: Where Will You Plant Your Salsa Garden?

 

Sunlight:

You will need to find a spot in your yard that gets 6 or more hours of direct sunlight. The more the better. I recommend 8 hours but don't stress over it. You can never have to much sun in salsa garden. Tomatoes and peppers love the sun and heat. If you are unsure where the best spot is in your yard, look for a spot that gets direct sun from 10 in the morning until 6 in the evening.  If you know what part of your house is the southern exposure then that is the side that will get the most sun.

 

Garden Size:

The spot you choose should be able to hold a salsa garden that is about 4 ft. x 4 ft. Why? Because that is the perfect size to tend and manage without having to put your feet in the garden. If you stretch out your arms, you will notice you have about a 2 foot reach. You can walk around your garden and reach in to tend the garden without ever stepping on the soil around your plants.  So a 4 ft. x 4 ft. it is. If you just don't have the room then two 2 ft. x 2 ft. plots will work fine. Small but effective.

No Land:

Remember I said a salsa garden brings family and friends together? If you don't have the land to grow a salsa garden, perhaps a family member or friend does. Call them and tell them you will do all the work and split the rewards for the use of their yard. It's a great way to get back in touch with those close to you.
GARDEN TIP ONE: Plants grow best in loose soil. Stepping in the garden compacts the earth and harms the plant's roots.

Step Three: What Will You Grow in Your Salsa Garden?

       

Pick the Plants:

You decided what you like in salsa. Now it is time to make a list of what you want to grow.  I will use what I like as an example below. Your list is what you will use to build your garden. It will help you determine what you need to buy in the way of seeds and transplants. All of which I will explain. Don't be afraid to add in a few extra herbs.

Plant Limit:

You do have a space limit. Since we are using a 4 ft. x 4 ft. space you will have to follow these guidelines: 2 tomato plants, 2 or 3 pepper plants, and 1 tomatillo plant (if you don't want a tomatillo you can replace it with an additional tomato or pepper plant). Don't worry about the number of herbs or onions. They will get tucked in around the bigger plants.  
    1. Red Tomato
    2. Yellow Tomato
    3. Jalapeno Pepper
    4. Sweet Banana Pepper
    5. Tomatillo
    6. Cilantro
    7. Large Leaf Italian Basil
    8. Chives
    9. Onions
   

Step Four: Digging and Turning the Garden

Measure the Plot:

Measure out a 4 ft. x 4 ft. plot. A tape measure or guestimation works. You can spray paint the lines or drop common flour on the lawn to create the lines. Don't strive for perfection.  

Remove the Grass:

You will want use a shovel with a tip to remove the grass. This type of shovel is called a spade. The point makes it easier to dig through grass roots. No spade, well use what you have. Dig down 3 or 4 inches to remove the grass and grass roots. Bang the clumps of grass over the garden to remove loose soil. Toss the grass clumps in a bag and put them curbside on your yard waste removal day.

Loosen the Soil:

You will need to loosen the soil by turning the earth for the first time. Just push the spade down to about 10-12 inches and turn the soil over. You can do 6 inches and move the dirt and do another 6 inches. It doesn't matter. You just want to loosen up the soil for best plant growth. You can turn the soil and put it right back in the same spot. Nothing fancy, the plants don't care. All you want to do is dig about 12 inches down, flip the soil and break up the clumps. Your garden is now dug. You can dig it along the fence. You might surround it in boards or just put it straight in the ground. Any style is fine.
  
GARDEN TIP TWO: Tomato, Pepper and Tomatillo plants GET HUGE. Don't over plant them.
      
If you want to build a raised bed for your salsa garden here is my Knol:

 

Step Five: Preparing the Garden Soil


Don't Worry:

This is the easiest part. It is also the part where people start saying things like soil test, alkalinity, clay soil, compost and lots of other garden terms. Forget them. All you need to know is the garden will grow if you prepare a decent garden that gets at least 6 full hours of direct sunlight.

Buy Garden Soil: 

You have already dug the garden. Now you need to go to your local home improvement center and buy at least 4 bags of garden soil. Do not buy TOP SOIL , buy GARDEN SOIL. It will say it right on the bag. Buy what every kind of garden soil you want. It doesn't matter. You can buy moisture control, with or without fertilizer, name brand or whatever. Just remember you are preparing the garden soil by buying garden soil. The bags should say 1 cubic foot on them. You can buy more than four bags if you wish. The more the merrier.

Buy Fertilizer:

You will also need to buy some fertilizer. You can ask for a box of tomato fertilizer. You do not need the big 40 lb bag of fertilizer. It's the size of a box of instant mash potatoes. That is all you will need for a 4 ft. x 4 ft. salsa garden.

Spread the Fertilizer:

Now that you have your supplies, it's time to finish preparing your garden. Take 3 or 4 handfuls of the fertilizer and spread it directly over your freshly turned garden before you put down the garden soil you just purchased.

Dump the Garden Soil:

Now simply toss the bags of garden soil onto your garden in an even row. Open the bags and dump the bags out. Keep about 1/4 of a bag of the garden soil for starting seeds. We will discuss seedlings in another step. Roughly rake the soil across the garden.

Fertilize Again:

After you have dumped the bags out, take another 3 or 4 handfuls of fertilizer and spread it evenly over the garden. You'll have to turn the garden over one more time to mix the new garden soil with the standard earth. 

Rake, Break and Mound:

If the soil is clumpy you should break up the clumps. A clump is measured as the size of a meatball or larger. Anything smaller, don't worry about it. Finally, use a rake to mound the garden. Rake the edges of the garden towards the middle of the garden. The middle should be about 6-10 inches higher than the edges of the garden. If mounding is too hard, well just rake it flat. Your salsa garden is now ready to be planted.


Step Six: Purchasing Plants and Seeds

Tomatoes, Peppers and Tomatillos:

You can easily find pepper and tomato transplants at your local home improvement store or garden center. Tomatillos are harder to find. I recommend buying tomato, pepper and tomatillo transplants. If you can't find tomatillo transplants then you will have to buy seeds. 
Only buy green plants. The leaves should be completely green. Sometimes you find yellow or purplish colors mixed on the leaves. Sometimes the leaves are spotted. These colors changes are all due to some sort of nutritional deficiency or water problems. The plants should be perfectly green.
 

Other Plants:

You can buy the plants below as seeds, transplants or bulbs. I will suggest the best way to purchase them but you do have a choice.
    1. Cilantro
    2. Large Leaf Italian Basil
    3. Chives
    4. Onions
Cilantro is best purchased as seeds. You will need to buy 2 or 3 packs because you will need to plant them every 2 weeks.
Basil is best purchased as seeds. You should also buy 2 or 3 packs of the variety of basil you like.
Chives are best bought as transplants in the herb section of you local garden shop. Chives don't grow nearly as fast as cilantro or basil so you will want use a transplant. They are also a perennial plant and will come back year after year.
Onions fall into 2 categories. One is scallions which should be bought as seeds. The other is onion bulbs or sets. These are the onions you buy in the grocery store to eat but in baby size when you plant them into your garden. You can find onion sets where you find seeds. Remember, these are miniature onions about the size of a large marble. They are bulbs. You can buy a bag of 50 for a few dollars. You can use either or both to flavor your salsa.
GARDEN TIP THREE: You might as well buy some oregano, thyme or other herb  transplants. You will always have room to stuff another herb into your garden. Now you will have an herb and salsa garden.


Step Seven: Starting Seeds Indoors

Six to Eight Weeks:

Most seeds need to be planted indoors  6-8 weeks before the last frost. In the case of your salsa garden you want to plant your seeds 6-8 weeks before the nights will be consistently 50 degrees or higher. You don't have to be exact. You need warmer nights for many of the plants you will be growing.

 

Containers:

Purchase 8 oz -10 oz Styro-foam cups. Poke 3 holes in the bottom of the cups with a pencil or about 15 holes using a fork. You must put holes in the bottom. You will be watering the plants from the bottom. Write the date and seed type on the cup before you put the soil and seeds in it.

Soil:

Fill the cup to the top with soil from the bag of garden soil you saved. Tap the cup several time to let the soil settle. Gently press the top of the soil down with your thumb. You are firming the soil up a bit so it holds the seeds.

Planting Tomatoes, Peppers and Tomatillos Seeds Indoors:

Drop 3 seeds in each cup. In your cup, for example, labeled tomatoes put in 3 tomato seeds in the shape of a triangle. You should do the same for the peppers and tomatillos. Each cup should hold identical seeds. Cover them with the appropriate amount of soil. The seed pack will tell you how to cover them. If in doubt a quarter of inch of soil will always work.
When the plants reach 3 inches high you will need to pluck all but 1 plant from the cup. You want to let the strongest plant grow. Remember if you are growing 2 tomato plants then you need to use 2 cups of 3
seeds.
   

Planting Herb Seeds Indoors:

Most herbs can be sown directly into the soil or you can find them as transplants. You can choose. Here is how I recommend planting specific herbs seeds indoors.
Cilantro: Plant 1 or 2 cups of cilantro indoors. Put 5 to 10 seeds in each cup and cover with about 1/2  an inch of soil. Just let them grow. You will not thin these plants.
Basil: Plant them just like cilantro.
Chives: Plant 1 or 2 cups of chives indoors. Put 10 to 15 seeds in each cup and cover with about 1/2 an inch of soil. Just let them grow. You will not thin these plants.
Oregano: Plant 1 or 2 cups of oregano indoors. Put 20 to 30 seeds in a cup and cover them with about 1/4 inch of soil. Just let them grow. You will not thin these plants.
Thyme: Plant them just like oregano.
Onions: Onion seeds or bulb sets should be sown directly in the garden.
Garlic: Garlic should be sown directly in the garden.

Watering Your Seedlings:

Do NOT water them from the top. It will wash the seeds away and can cause disease when the seedlings first appear. You should water your plants from the bottom. Place the Styro-foam cups in a brownie pan, Pyrex dish or foil meatloaf pan. Anything that has 1 or 2 inch sides will do. You can purchase foil pans in all sizes at your local grocery store.
Fill the pan with water to about 1/2 inch above the Styro-foam cup's bottom. Wait 45 minutes and remove the cups and dump the excess water. The water will fill from the bottom of the cup through the holes. You will have to do this every 3-5 days in the beginning and about every 2-3 days when the plants are growing well. Just eyeball the soil. You can't over water the plants this way.
Purchasing a foil tray from the grocery store makes the process much easier. You can keep the cups in the tray on the window sill.

Where to Set Your Cups:

The seedlings need direct sun for at least 6 hours. The more the better. I recommend 8 hours if you are going to do it right. If you don't get enough sun the plants will grow poorly. You can move them to different windows as the sun moves through out the day.
GARDEN TIP FOUR: Don't forget to thin your tomato, pepper or tomatillo transplants to 1 per cup when the plants are 3-4 inches tall. One plant per cup is all you need.

Step Eight: Planting Your Salsa Garden

How to Plant a Tomato an Tend to Its Needs Use this Knol if you want more technical details.

When to Plant:

The best time to plant your garden is when the nights are 50 degrees or warmer. Plant you garden when you get 3 consecutive 50 degree nights. Some of the plants can be planted when it is much cooler but let's keep it simple and use 50 degrees. If the temperature drops into the 40's here or there, it isn't something to really worry about.

Hardening Off Your Transplants:

Your transplants have grown accustomed to a sheltered life indoors. They should be use to the sun from your window but you want to introduce them to the outdoors slowly. You have to harden them off to the real world. All that means is you have to put them outside in small doses for a few days. Over a 3 day period by putting them outside, you will "tuffin" up your plants. Here is a basic plan.
First day in the real world:
Put them on the shady side of the house where the will get a little early MORNING sun for about 2 hours. Let them sit in the shade for an additional 4-6 hours. You do not need to be exact. You just want them to get early morning sun. Morning sun isn't as strong or damaging as afternoon sun.
Second day in the real world:
Put them outside where the will get 2-3 hours of morning sun and then move them to shade for the rest of the day. Don't forget to bring them in at night.
Third day in the real world:
Put them outside to get a full day's morning sun 4-5 hours and move them to shade around lunch time. Don't forget to bring them in at night.
Morning sun is sun from about 7am to about 12 noon. After three days, they are hardened off and ready to be planted.

 How to Plant:

All you have to do is get them into the ground and they will grow. There are some basic strategies for planting location and plant spacing and depth.
Location:
Tomatoes and tomatillos will grow the tallest. If the sun spends most of the time on the left side of your garden then you will plant the tomatoes and tomatillos on the far right side of your garden. The tallest plants stay on the opposite side of the garden, from the sun, so the don't block the sunlight from shorter plants.
Peppers are the second tallest group of plants. They should be planted on the left side of the tomatoes using the example where the sun spends most of the time on the left side of your garden.
The rest of the plants can be planted as seeds or transplants to the left of the peppers. You can follow the directions on the seed packs for help. You really can't mess up planting herbs, onions and garlic. You just want to make sure the tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers don't grow to block the sun from them.
Spacing:
Tomatoes and tomatillos need about 2 feet between plants. You can plant two plants per row in a 4 foot garden. Peppers need about 1 1/2 feet between plants. You can plant 2 -3 peppers per row in a 4 foot garden. Don't worry about being exact, 6 inches either way is fine.
Bulbs need about 2-3 inches between each bulb and seeds will have the directions right on the seed package.
Cilantro and basil plantings can be 6 inches apart. Remember, like the cup planting you used indoors, drop 5 or 10 seeds per planting. Put a hand print in the ground. Drop 5 to 10 seeds into your hand print. Space the hand prints 6 inches apart. Cover with a 1/4 inch of soil.
Oregano, chives, and thyme are perennials. They will come back year after year. They need to be planted with 12 inches between each plant.
Depth:
If you are planting seeds, just follow the seed pack directions. If you are planting bulbs, the depth is about 1 1/2 -2 inches or the length of you index finger will work. Poke you finger into the garden soil and drop the bulb in, root side down, and cover. Remember to space the bulbs about 2-3 inches apart. The bulb will still grow fine even if you plant it upside down.
Tomatoes are vigorous vines that will sprout roots off the stem. Plant the tomato plant to 1/2 the size of the plant below the ground. If your transplant is 6 inches tall then plant the bottom 3 inches of the plant below the ground and leave 3 inches above the ground. Most transplants are 12 inches or taller. In this case, plant the bottom 6 inches of the tomato plant below the ground and leave 6 inches above the ground. Do the same thing for tomatillos. You can even go as far as planting 2/3 of the plant below ground.
Peppers are almost planted the same as tomatoes. For peppers, plant 1/4 of the plants total size below the ground. That would leave 3/4 of the plant above the ground. Pepper transplants are typical 8 inches tall. Plant the bottom 2 inches of the transplant below the ground and leave 6 inches above the ground.
Herbs are very hard to kill. Plant them to the same depth as to how the transplant looks in the cup or container. That is, look at your plant that is in the cup. Keep what ever is above the soil in your cup, above the ground and what ever is below the soil in your cup, below the ground.

Every Two Weeks:

You need to plant basil and cilantro every 2-3 weeks to make sure you have fresh plants. These herbs grow fast and will flower and seed. Once the plants start to flower and set seed, they stop growing and lose a lot of their flavor. You want to keep new plants growing throughout the summer.
GARDEN TIP FIVE: Cut and freeze the cilantro or basil as it is available. You will always have cilantro available via the freezer. It is the key to salsa after-all.

 Step Nine: Tending and Picking

Staking the Big Plants:

You will need to put stakes in the ground to support the growth of your tomatoes, tomatillos and sometimes peppers. To make it easier, buy a stake for each tomato, tomatillo and pepper plant that you have in your garden. Any garden center sells vegetable stakes. You want to buy a wooden stake that has a 1 inch x 1 inch minimum width and it should be 6-8 feet tall. If you have trouble finding stakes, just ask an employee. You don't need to buy the stakes until the plants are about 2 feet tall.
To stake the plants, drive the stake into ground about 6 inches next to the stem of the plant it will support. You can buy staking string (jute) or use torn pieces of cloth to tie your vegetable plants. You will want to tie the plant to the stake about every 8-10 inches. The only rule is to LOOSELY tie the stem to the stake. Do not bind the stem directly to the stake. It will choke the plant and damage the stem. You want to tie the plants to the stake leaving a space. Make an OK sign with you fingers. The circle formed by the touching of your index finger and thumb is the space you should have when you tie the plant.

Watering and Feeding the Garden:

You really won't have to feed/fertilize the garden. You loaded it with fertilizer. If you want to fertilize the garden around mid-summer, I would buy Miracle Grow fertilizer and follow the instructions. It works wonders.
You will have to water the garden well every 2-3 days. The best time to water is in the morning. I recommend watering established plants at their base. You need use a watering can or gentle spray nozzle for seeds you just planted or over new growth. A stream of water will wash seeds away and uproot tiny seedlings.

Picking Vegetables and Herbs:

Well, I am not going to say more than you will know when to pick by just looking at your impressive salsa garden. Just be gentle when your picking the vegetables or cut the herbs. You now have a summer long salsa garden. Enjoy!  Be sure to look for my upcoming Knol's on other gardening topics and gardening recipes.


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