Ooze Tube for Vegetables and Tomatoes

Lately, as I’ve been trying to become the master gardener I aspire to someday be, I’ve been dreaming of a garden full of juicy red tomatoes. But, there’s one problem: I will never, ever remember to water them every day. My dead houseplants can attest to that.

 

Luckily for me and every other forgetful or busy gardener out there, we can fall back on the Ooze Tube. It’s as easy as setting up a tube at the base of each plant, filling it with water and letting the liquid leak (ooze!) out. It moisturizes the soil at the perfect rate and holds enough water to keep your tomato plants happy and healthy for up to two weeks.

 

Now you’re free to jet-off for a sunny summer vacation or leave your gardening behind for the weekend without worrying about your plants. Plus, your plants will be more productive than if you watered them by hand. Want proof? Check out these hand-watered tomato plants compared to the plants surrounded by the Ooze Tube above. 

Tip: add water-soluble fertilizer to the soil to take full advantage of the Ooze Tube. 

 

This is going to solve my tomato dilemma. Have any other tomato tips to share? 

 

 

 

Bethany

Planting and Sowing - The 3d Step of WOLFing

Step 3: Plant!

Now that you’ve cultivated, crumbled and prepared your soil, it’s time to make sow your seeds and watch your plants grow! Now is also the time to experiment with different planting and garden bed options.

Raised garden beds have fostered a lot of attention lately, thanks to Michelle Obama and her new White House gardening venture.   Her choice to use a raised bed garden ensures that the White House vegetables will maximize the use of space and get the most out of her plot while providing a deeper topsoil layer for poor soil conditions. Not to mention they give your garden that classy, first lady feel.

 

If you’re looking for the right raised bed to spruce up your back yard, Bluestone Garden has a few options. If you have something to show off your smaller vegetable or flower plots in mind, try the 4’x4’x6” raised bed. Or, for less bending and a bigger plot, try the 4’x8’x18”.  Try the big, the small or a size in-between; all sizes are expandable and can grow as your garden does.

Worried about a long, laborious assembly process?  All of the raised bed systems boast simple assembly that will have you spending less time on measuring and putting things together and more time admiring your lush garden.

Also, are you as crazy about Facebook as we are? If so, check out Wolf Garten and become our friend!

Bethany

 

 

 

 

Crumbling - The 2nd step of WOLFing

Step two: Crumble!

 

Now that you’ve begun working your way through the WOLFing process,  (and mastered step one, I’m sure!) it’s time to start step two: crumbling.

 

Your plants will grow best in fine soil, and loosely crumbled soil helps keep your soil moist and viable. To create a soil that will support your seeds and young plants while ensuring even distribution of water and vigorous root formation, we suggest using the DAS crumbler and the DOM35 or DRM35 rake, all available from Bluestone Garden.

 

If you’re looking for a tool for all occasions, try the Crumbler DAS, the “little black dress” of crumblers, if you will, that will work in any situation. This handy tool not only cultivates, but also weeds and edges your garden. You can easily blend mulch and fertilize compost for a perfect flower or vegetable garden by naturally bringing micronutrients into the soil.

 

Touted as ‘the only soil rake you will ever need,” the DOM35 bow rake will also work wonders on your garden. The tines have an extra curve to help the rake pull smoothly and strip out rocks or clay in the push motion. The DRM35 flat head soil rake, with its ergonomic curved teeth, smoothes soil with a flick of the rake. Use either of these rakes for loosening or levining the soil.

 

Whether you are sowing or planting, these tools will help you get a finely crumbled soil for the least physical resistance and the right amount of moisture. Show off your garden to your neighbors, because you’re going to have some brag-worthy flowers and vegetables if you follow these steps!

 

 

Happy spring everyone.

I hope you’re enjoying the weather and experimenting with your garden.

 

Bethany 

Cultivating - The 1st Step of WOLFing

Step one: Cultivate!

It’s time to begin the first step of WOLFing. Excited? We are. Now is the perfect time to start cultivating your soil to prevent it from drying out and to help your seeds and seedlings get those early season nutrients that are so important in initial growth. 

For this essential task we suggest three of WOLF Garten’s cultivators: the classic cultivator, the cultivator for all soil conditions and the heavy-duty workhorse. 

All three are attachments for the InterLocken handle, which is designed to let you work standing up, eliminating any problems with bending and knee or back pain. Remember the stories of people bent over in the hot sun, slaving over their finicky gardens? Those days are gone. 

But, which cultivator is right for you? 

For traditional cultivation, use the classic BAM cultivator, with “L” shaped tines. This WOLF cultivator has an extra bend that allows the tines to travel with the surface of the ground and is perfect for breaking up the average soil consistency in the garden. And the BAM does not become obsolete once your garden begins sprouting up; its lightweight design makes it the best tool to weed and cultivate well into the growing season. 

To break up average soil, use the medium soil BEM cultivator. It’s lance-shaped prongs are designed to break up medium to hard soils and the pointed tines will break even the most stubborn soils. The wide tongs are made to get the job done quickly and will cultivate more area faster. Perfect for spring and fall use, this powerful tool can be used to cultivate in the spring and to weed large areas between rows of plantings or vegetables. 

If you happen to have a very large garden, try the heavy soil BOM cultivator. This, the “real deal of cultivators,” is equipped with “Arrowhead” prongs welded to each tine that break up and lift most soils and plow through the earth. The heavy-soil cultivator is perfect for preparing your vegetable or flower garden in the spring and turning it again in the fall. 

So, try one or try 'em all. All WOLF Garten cultivators have a sleek, modern look and are designed to loosen and aerate the soil without damaging existing roots. 

Get out there and start that garden. Let us know how your ’09 growing season is looking and feel free to share any cultivation tips or tricks of your own!

 

Bethany

Welcome, friends!

We’re glad you’re visiting us. The BlueStone Garden blog is the perfect meeting place for all who love working with their own two hands to create bountiful gardens and lush landscapes.

This is the place to get together with fellow gardeners who share your passion. Feel free to pass along your own success stories. Ask questions. Or show off your prized flowers, vegetables or landscape. We would love to see them. Consider yourself a part of a family of gardening enthusiasts who can help each other more fully enjoy our wonderful hobby.

While you’re visiting us, do yourself a favor and check out the incredible values on the best gardening tools from around the world! BlueStone Garden is the #1 source in North America for world-renowned WOLF-Garten garden tools, the leading brand in Europe. Trust me, you’ll love them. They’re built to last and, as your fellow BlueStone Garden guests tell us, they really do help you get the most out of gardening. We think you’ll agree.

Thanks for stopping by. Now we want to hear from you. Please send your gardening
or landscaping-related comments, photos, suggestions or questions.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Rose

Effective Soil Treatment in 8 Easy Steps

Get ready to plant: Learn effective soil treatment in 8 easy steps!

There's a lot of hidden life beneath our soil, and, like most things,  it is best activated when it is worked with the appropriate tool at the correct time. Now that we are (finally!) done braving the cold of winter, it is time to begin cultivating the topsoil; this provides aeration and drainage of water. Much of the survival of your plants relies on the moisture in the soil, and cultivation guarantees that neither too much nor too little moisture remains in the soil during the warm season. Also, have you also noticed that an air and water balance is connected? The more air that gets into the uppermost soil layer, the better the micro-organism development and mulch. Therefore, the proportion of water remains at a level perfect for plant growth. Furthermore, in the hot summer months, regular loosening of the soil ensures that water does not evaporate quickly via run off channels or hardened ground. Cultivated soil prevent water runoff, equal moisture distribution in the soil for healthier plants and conserve our limited water resources as well. Proper soil treatment is the first step in growing your own plentiful garden. 

Good soil means healthy plant growth. WOLF-Garten has defined the process of creating and maintaining quality soil in 8 Easy Steps, which we call WOLFing. The WOLFing system has been used for years throughout Europe, creating some of the most beautiful gardens in the world. The 8 Easy Steps of WOLFing provides you a simple system, ensuring success in your garden.

Preview the steps here and check back often. We'll be breaking down each step and showing you the ins-and-outs of getting your soil ready for a lush, productive garden. 

Have any questions? Comments? Just want to say hi? 

Fire away!

Bethany