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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:Even though it is not our lead article today, with the grave situation going on now in Iraq, we wanted to share with you something we received: A Prayer for Our Soldiers. The author is anonymous. We also share a little secret with you in our first article, share some tips, answer a reader question, and share info on some new tomato seeds you might want to look at. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor 2) Sharing a Secret with You:While you are waiting for spring to come I would like to share a secret with you - how to make your flowering trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials bloom more. It's in the numbers. What numbers? Well, all fertilizers have numbers on the package. These numbers represent the percentage of each type of fertilizer element the product contains. For example, 10-10-10 is a typical garden fertilizer and it contain 10% nitrogen, 10% phosphorous and 10% potassium. As a quick explanation, nitrogen produces vegetation, or top growth; phosphorous produces flower buds, fruit and root growth; and potassium builds strong healthy plants. Most lawn fertilizer might have an analysis of 26-3-3 indicating a fertilizer high in nitrogen. Thus, if you want a lush green lawn, you should choose a fertilizer that has a high nitrogen content. Nitrogen is absorbed both through the roots and systemically through the foliage. If you spray your lawn with a liquid fertilizer, you will get a greener lawn quicker then you will if you use a granular type. One of the problems in using granular type fertilizer is the possibility of getting too much on a spot in your lawn -- it might burn the grass. Also, you want to watch for fertilizers that might contain a residual weed killer. If you spray this product too near your flower beds, your flowers may get sick from the weed killer. Many broad leaf weed killers will also kill some of your flowers, or at a minimum, they might get sick. You should always check the label for instructions about the product you are using. A fertilizer that is high in phosphorous will increase flower production, and if you use it you will notice a big difference in your flower beds. We must tell you, Cold Climate Gardeners
are passing up an excellent resource if they don't take a look into
the Minnesota State Horicultural
Society. Visit them today. We recommend
them highly. 3) Humor for Today:A husband and wife were involved in a petty argument, both of them unwilling to admit they might be in error. "I'll admit I'm wrong," the wife told her husband in a con- ciliatory attempt, "if you'll admit I'm right." He agreed and, like a gentleman, insisted she go first. "I'm wrong," she said. With a twinkle in his eye, he responded, "You're right!" 4) A Prayer for Our Soldiers:
He stands tough, with fire in his eyes and victory on his breath. He looks at us now in anger and disgust and tells us this ……
I fought in the snow barefoot to give you the freedom to vote and you stay home because it rains. I left my family destitute to give you the freedom of speech and you remain silent on critical issues, because it might be bad for business. I orphaned my children to give you a government to serve you and it has stolen democracy from the people. It's the soldier not the reporter who gives you the freedom of the press. It's the soldier not the campus organizer who allows you to demonstrate. It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves the flag, whose coffin is draped with the flag that allows the protester to burn the flag! Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amem." 5) Tomatoes: From the Unusual to Unique:
We've been getting requests for some new and unique varieties so we thought it might be interesting to share some varieties many have never seen, or are only known in local areas. You might be interested in trying a couple of these. *** These are so new for us that we don't even have them on our site. RTP170 MICRO-TOM RTP175 MOSKVICH RTP749 MADARIN JOY HYBRID RTP511 MARIZOL RTP758 LIBERTY BELL RTP141 JEFF DAVIS RTP750 GRANNY SMITH HYBRID RTP103 GIANT BELGIUM Click Image for Our Angels Gallery 6) Quote for Today:"Fortify yourself with a flock of friends! You can select
them at random, write to one, dine with one, visit one, or take your
problems to one. There is always at least one who will understand,
inspire, and give you the lift you may need at the time." 7) Easier Transplanting:
Hey, here's a little tip to make this task a bit easier, and your plants will come out in better shape. Before you put soil in the containers, cut strips of plastic about one inch wide by eight inches long. You can use plastic grocery bags. Drape the plastic strip across the bottom and over the sides by a half inch or so. Then go ahead and put in the soil. When it's time to remove the seedling, simply pull it out using the ends of the plastic. Your plants will be happier and the roots will be kept in better shape. 8) Reader Question: White-fleshed Sweet Potato
For some history, several decades ago when orange sweet potatoes were first introduced in the Southern United States, producers and shippers desired to distinguish them from the more traditional WHITE FLESHED types. The African word "myami" which referred to a starchy, edible root of the Dioscarea genus of plants was morphed into its English form "Yam." Yams in the U.S. are actually sweet potatoes with relatively moist texture and orange flesh. Although the terms yams and sweet potatoes are generally used interchangeably, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that the label "Yam" must always be accompanied by "sweet potato." The scientific name is Ipomoea balutas - Dioscarea species. Plant Family - Morning Glory. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find a source for WHITE FLESHED sweet potatoes. Looks as though the effort to distinguish the orange sweet potato from the white fleshed types worked too well, and the white fleshed varieties disappeared in the U.S. Apparently this particular variety is obsolete in the U.S. markets. 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added, or are a valued customer of Rex's Seedco. PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times To unsubscribe Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health
and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever
they are found.
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He
stands barefoot in the snow, starved from the lack of food, wounded
from months of battle and emotionally scared from the eternity away
from his family, surrounded by nothing but death and carnage of war.
The
increased understanding of genetics allows us to develop new varieties
of tomatoes and as a result hybridizers have developed hundreds of
new types and varieties. Did you know that the United States is the
largest producer of tomatoes in the world? Americans consume over 12
million tons of tomatoes annually. It is estimated that each person
eats 20 lbs. of fresh tomatoes and 75 lbs. of processed tomatoes each
year. Amazing!
Because
the tomato plant is relatively easy to hybridize, it is not too difficult
to get a new variety started. In fact, there are also literally thousands
of types never registered, and as a result they never become known
on the open market.
Now
that it is time to start your seedlings, or soon will be, remember
what happened last year if you used those little indoor cell packs.
When you try to remove the plants, it is so easy to damage the roots
- you try to leverage them out or even forced to push the bottom of
a cell to force the plant out of these flimsy containers. Besides the
difficulty, you can injure tender roots.
One
of our reader's daughter recently married someone from the Philippines.
One of the vegetables he shared with them was a white fleshed sweet
potato. She wanted further information about them, and whether we could
help her locate some seeds.