PocketCoinage

Heirloom Tomato Plants in Yogurt Cups

For the longest time, I’ve been saving the single serving Stony Field yogurt cups.  Back when I lived with my parents, their township did not recycle #5 plastic containers, so I was looking to send the cups back for recycling.  The Preserve company transforms these yogurt cups into other products such as toothbrushes and plates.  Somewhere along the way two years ago, hundreds of plastic yogurt containers moved with me to my new home.  Once I moved out, I became interested in gardening and decided to start some tomato plants indoors.  Soon it was time to transplant almost 100 seedings to larger containers.

This raised a new dilemma for me.  I was looking for a way to be green and not purchase more plastic to just be tossed away after one use.  Then it just hit me, I should repurpose the yogurt cups for transplanting!  They are the perfect size and I do not need to spend more money on flower pots.  The cups will be getting a second life, and possibly a third (or more) if I get my containers back from family and friends.

Here is how I prepare the yogurt cups for transplanting:

1. Wash out the cups with hot soap and water to remove any excess fruit and yogurt.
2. Dry the cups well and place them into storage until use.
3. Just before transplanting, use a mild bleach solution (approximately 10 parts water to one part bleach) to sanitize the cups.
4. Rinse and dry the cups thoroughly.
5. Drill four holes in the bottom of the cup using a 1/8″ drill bit (or other means).  You can stack about 5-6 cups together to get the job done faster.
6. Start transplanting!

This will be my third season using yogurt cups for all my transplants.

May 15th is the last chance for a frost in Central New Jersey.  This is about the time when the summer crop gets sowed.  That means by March 15, you need to start your seeds.  I actually started my seedlings about two weeks ago.

This year I wanted something more durable.  So I ordered four of Park’s Bio Dome seed starting kits.  I tried other seed starting trays in the past from Home Depot, but they only seem to hold up for a season or two.  This is mainly due to their high level of cheap recycled content.  The 9 pack cells can fall crack very easily if you are not careful taking the plants out.  I’m lucky to be making a 3rd season with them.  However, I did lose a lot of the seed cells.  Yes, the Park’s Bio Domes are significantly more expensive than the seed starting kits you can find at Home Depot, but you’ll end up buying more in the long run.  I’ll write a review about the Park’s Bio Dome as soon as my seedlings are transplanted to larger containers.  So far, I feel they are worth the money.

So far, I started the seeds for the following plants:

Totally Tomato’s Djena Lees Golden Girl Tomato

An heirloom dating back to the 1920’s that’s rumored to have won 1st Place at the Chicago Fair 10 years in a row. Fruits are golden yellow to deep orange, globe shaped, meaty and weigh 8 to 12 oz. each. The perfect balance of acid and sugars gives it a sweet, yet tangy flavor.

(more…)

It’s been a couple of months since my last posting and the storm has passed.  The threat of potential layoffs has gone.  However, that doesn’t mean that I’m letting my guard down.

Over the past two months, I’ve been working on personal and career development.  This meant turning off the television and reading a book or two!  I have not watched the news during this time – at all.  I cannot change what’s going on down in Washington.  I cannot change what’s happening around the world.  What I can change is myself.  It feels so much better having control over something and watching that change happen!

Part of this change is knocking down my student loans down by almost $2,000.  Now I am down to $7,900!  I was able to bring it down by selling U.S. Savings Bonds, items on Amazon, and sacrificing.  If all goes well with my tax return, this loan might be paid off by the summer!

With Spring right around the corner, I started to grow my pepper, tomato, and annual seeds on the sun porch.  This year brings many variates of tomato plants and a new greenhouse!  I look forward to writing more about my seedlings and the progress of this year’s garden.