Jill,

It WAS a perfect day after we got over the cold night, wasn't it? I'm glad you had such a wonderful day.

Take your time planting those tomatoes. If you mulch them, cage them, stake the cages, and label them as you go (use a NON-FADING marker or label maker), it will save you a gazillion hours later on in the growing season. : ) If you are growing a lot of tomatoes and think that, later on, you'll remember which is which....you probably won't! (Trust me on this one.) Do what I do....make a map of each row of tomatoes and write down their names. THEN, put the map in a safe location so you can refer back to it later.

If the manure was already composted, I wouldn't worry too much. If it was hot and still decomposing, that could be a problem. I don't know what I'd do in those circumstances. I guess, just try to water that area a lot to leach out some of the nitrogen. You probably could use Zeolite, which usually soaks up contaminants in the soil, but I'm not sure if it absorbs nitrogen. Oh, one other way to tie up the manure's nitrogen in the soil would be to buy a bag of big, chunky bark mulch and use a trowel to work some of those chunks into the soil where you think you have too much manure. As the chunks decompose, they should tie up a lot of the excess manure. That's probably what I would try, now that I've thought about it for a minute.

My DH is out of town this week, and DS is in paramedic school all week (and for the next 5 or 6 months) (so he can be a firefighter-paramedic instead of a firefighter-EMT), so I can garden to my heart's content all week, as long as I remember to feed the animals, and have something in the fridge for DS to eat when he gets in from school. I think I'm going to get a lot done this week, if the rain stays away. Of course, we are VERY DRY here and need the rain, so I shouldn't hope it stays away either.

I know almost everyone else has been having too much rain, but we aren't even having "enough" here, much less "too much".

Dawn

I made a map in addition to the labels. I was afraid the labels wouldn't last.

I am taking my time in planting the tomatoes -- the only thing stressing me is I may run out of room before I run out of plants, imagine that LOL. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I bought bags of composted manure, mostly cow according to the bag. I went thru the 1st 40lb bag pretty quick -- I think I got about a dozen plants put in, but I dug my holes at least a 12-15 inches deep and wide and mixed a half shovel in with the dirt plus 1 tbs of epsom salt and then planted my plants about 1/2 to 2/3 of their ht deep. I slowed down on the manure when I realized it was probably too much and then I just stopped and thought I'd rethink it all before I started again tomorrow. Maybe it will be okay, I can pick up some of the chunky bark later this week if you still think I should. Would fresh sawdust work? I have access to that close by and could get some tomorrow.

I hope you enjoy this week and get as much done as you intend. My DH coaches the softball team for our oldest 2 daughters ages 5 & 6 (my 3yr is also bat girl and I'm the dugout Mom). We have 2 games this week, plus they are having programs and fieldtrips @ school right and left this time of year. Hopefully I can make some garden progress if the weather holds out. We could use a little rain too as much as I hate to admit it; we only got about 1/2" this last week.

Once again -- thanks,

Jill

Jill,

You're welcome.

The only markers I've ever bought that have NOT faded away in the sunshine and rain are special garden markers. They are big and fat like Marks-A-Lot markers, not skinny like Sharpies. I bought two several years ago, and used up one but still have the other. They cost about $4.00 apiece, but have been well worth it. I got them from Harris Seeds.

How can you run out of room before you run out of tomatoes? When that happens, I drag the big tiller and DH outside and we just rototill up more lawn. LOL We have a lot less lawn than we used to, but that's OK--less grass to mow. OK--maybe that's not everyone's idea of the perfect remedy, but I like it--who needs grass? Of course, we have acres of grass, so DH can't complain that I am taking away too much lawn!

I think your tomatoes will be fine. In a VERY old book from the editors of Organic Gardening magazine (I no longer have the book but think it was from the 1950s), I read about a couple who piled up cow manure (collected from their own pastures) to a depth of 8" to 12" on top of the soil and then used the farm tractor to work it into the soil. That's a lot of manure (and I doubt it was fully composted) and they said they had the most incredible garden EVER, including tomatoes. So, your tomatoes most likely will be fine. I wouldn't do anything yet....just wait and see how the plants do. I'd be more worried if you'd "overdosed" them with a chemical, quick-release form of nitrogen than with cow manure, which releases its nitrogen more gradually anyway.

Oh, those girls are keeping y'all so busy right now, aren't they! I don't know how you are managing to find any time in the garden right now. I remember well how hectic the month of May is, especially with all the extra school activities.

I've always gardened, but the garden got significantly bigger as DS got older and older. I really didn't start having a huge garden until he was almost a teenager. Now, my garden size is limited only by how much time I want to spend outside. I have noticed, though, that as I get older, I am less inclined to make it bigger and bigger....one person can only maintain so much space.

I need to weed the onion rows today because weeds are popping up in the mulch there. And I hope to get the rest of the peppers into the ground. I'm going out to the garden shortly to see if I can accomplish everything on today's "To Do" list. I got so much done yesterday that I actually feel "ahead" for once, and not behind, and that is rare!

Dawn