Ask Mavis: We’re Talking Apartment Gardens, Radishes, Tomato Pruning & More

It’s that time again. You ask, and I pretend to know things and answer your burning questions. It really is so much fun to open my inbox and see the wide variety of questions you guys have. Reminds me that my readers are so diverse and pretty dang awesome. So keep those questions coming and I’ll keep racking my brain for answers. As always, please pipe up if you have any input or are knowledgeable when it comes to any of the following questions:Could you please give more information on how you prune your tomatoes? And if you add anything to the soil like Epsom salts, etc. This weather has been awesome, and I REALLY want to get higher yields this year. Last year was pretty dismal and I had issues with blossom end rot.

~Tracey L

Sometimes I let my tomatoes run crazy {like the picture above}. They’ll still produce, but always do better with pruning. I prune any leaves touching my soil, and then I clip off any “suckers.” {The sucker is the junction between your stem branch and a leaf, above a leaf.} For any tomato variety besides cherry, you should aim for 6 to 8 main stems. For cherry tomato plant varieties, you can have as many as 12 to 14 main stems. Prune the rest of the “suckers” off.

Your suckers will turn into main stems unless they are pruned. These stems will develop their own leaves and flowers, but you want to prune them in order to give your plant more air flow. This will reduce your risk for diseases and pests. Allowing more light into the center of the plant will also improve the flavor of your tomatoes.

You can also add straw mulch which helps keep the soil cool in the hot summer, suppresses weeds and reduces water needs. It also keeps soil from splashing up and contaminating the plant.

Hi Mavis, I tried planting radishes in a box on my deck and the greens are getting big but no round bottoms are emerging. What is wrong? What can I do? I started them outside a couple of months ago and tried thinning them (using the greens in salad) but still nothing. I’ve also started climbing beans and sugar peas in boxes and they are growing but no fruit. …any thoughts?

~Linda

Three radish tips that work every time:

1. Plant in fresh soil with a neutral pH level {6-7}. Too much nitrogen and you’ll get big fatty greens but no bulbs. And don’t plant too deep. Sprinkle right on the surface.

2. Thin your radishes so they are about 2 inches apart. Overcrowding is a big problem from getting radish bulbs to grow.

3. Keep your soil moist. Never let your soil dry out or you won’t see any radish bulbs form.

I like your site but how would you lower your food bills as much as you have with no garden? I am asking this because people living in apartments don’t have the option to grow food like you do.

~David

There are still ways to cut down your grocery bill without a garden. Check out this post on How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half. Another great read is all about Small Space Container Gardening. And then check out Holly’s apartment garden on her tiny patio. You might have to get a bit resourceful, but a garden is still possible. Maybe not the size of mine, but my garden produces much more than my family can eat. So a smaller garden would work just fine.

Hi Mavis, I watched this documentary To Make A Farm last night and thought of you. It was really good. Think you will like it if you haven’t seen it. 

~Terri

Hi Terry, I watched To Make a Farm last spring and LOVED it. Thanks for the reminder, it really was interesting to see people farming on a smaller scale.

Hi Mavis, I am wanting to can some low sugar jams for this summer. I have checked with some farms in Puyallup and found strawberries are just about done for the season and other berries are available now such as raspberries and blueberries. Do you know when other fruits are in harvest at a good price such as apricots and peaches? Thank you 🙂

~Patty

I was just in the Puyallup Valley yesterday and you’re right Patty, the berries are incredibly early this year {about a month ahead of schedule}. I too am on the lookout for a good deal on peaches because I am out of peach jam and would like to make a few batches to give away during the holidays. Fred Meyer usually has a good deal on peaches at some point every summer {probably real soon} as do Tacoma Boys. You may also want to stop the the Puyallup Farmer’s Market {it rocks!} and ask around too.

~Mavis