How to grow tomatoes in your garden

Whether you want to prepare a special pizza for your family or make your own tomato sauce, you would need ripe tomatoes to make your dish special. Although tomatoes are readily available in the market and you can just walk down the road to get them, growing them on your own makes them even more special. Considering that tomatoes are an important ingredient for various dishes, growing them in your garden makes a lot of sense. In addition, all of us know that tomatoes work wonders for our health. They make our skin radiant and purify blood.

Before you get started, it is important for you to keep a few things in mind to grow ripe tomatoes. The first thing that you need to decide is whether you want to grow the vegetable from a seed or buy a tomato plant. If you are patient enough, you can go for the tomato seeds option. Otherwise purchasing a tomato plant will be the best thing for you to do. According to many tomato growers, watching the plant grow from a seed gives immense satisfaction. But owing to the hectic life that we lead these days, it may not always be feasible to spend a lot of time on tendering the tomato seeds. Therefore, if you are choosing a tomato plant do make sure that you select a healthy one. You have to pay close attention to the leaves to find out if the plant is healthy or not. While purchasing the tomato plant, you will find tags on each plant mentioning the diseases it can resist. Here it is important to note that the modern types of tomatoes are more resistant to diseases than their older counterparts. An interesting fact pertaining to the tomato plants is that most of these plants tend to get affected by fungal substances in the lower 12 inches of stalk. It is therefore recommended to remove the bottom leaves of the plant once it reaches 3 feet height.

Planting a tomato plant calls for a lot of love, care and nurturing. The tomato grower should not expect to grow ripe tomatoes without paying proper attention. Like all other plants, the tomato plants also need proper watering. In case, you spend a lot of time outdoors and have difficulty in watering the plant regularly you can put a moisture crystal to ease the process. Apart from these, there are also some small things that should not be ignored while growing tomatoes. For example, if the soil is extremely dry it becomes necessary to add compost in good measure. Moreover, tomato growers should use fertilizers and manures in ample amounts to enhance the growth of their plant. Adding a combination of crushed egg shells and magnesium is a wonderful way to provide calcium to your plant.

An important factor that plays a huge role in enhancing the growth of the tomato plant is the right temperature. According to the experts, tomato plants are required to be kept in a constant temperature of 50º F. To produce fruits from it, the tomato grower should ensure that a constant temperature of 55º F is maintained throughout. Apart from temperature another factor that plays a crucial role in ensuring your plant’s growth is humidity. High humidity can adversely affect the growth of your plant because a high humid condition causes calcium deficiency in tomato plants. It is advisable to maintain a humidity level of around 70% to expedite the growth of the plant.

A good way to enhance growth of the plant is to heat the soil regularly. Many tomato growers complain that despite paying close attention to their plants, they don’t get the best results when it comes to growth. In most cases, it is found that tomato growers place their plants so close to one another that the plants get very little space. As a result, it takes a longer time for the tomato plants to grow. It is therefore advisable to maintain a minimum distance of about two to three feet between two plants. Sometimes, it becomes necessary to provide additional support in the form of a stake to the tomato plant.

It is also quite important to ensure that the plant is kept in a sunny place. If you live in an apartment and have space constraints, you can place your plant in the balcony or close to a window that receives ample sunlight throughout the day. In case, you have difficulty in managing this, you can opt for fluorescent lights that are also a good option. To achieve best results, do make sure that your plant receives ample light for at least 12 hours. You can also use shade cloth to prevent sun scalding. It is commonly believed that a red shade cloth is the best option for tomato growers because it balances the sunlight, thereby ensuring that your plant receives the right amount of light.

Many tomato growers get confused when it comes to understanding the best time to harvest the tomatoes. Experts are of the opinion that tomato growers should harvest tomatoes when they begin to soften. After harvesting, the tomatoes are required to be kept in a dark environment. It is very important to note that post harvesting, tomatoes should not be refrigerated. This is because a drop in temperature can take away the freshness and flavor from the fruit.

Tomatoes that are cultivated on the vine are generally the best if consumed within two to three days of harvesting. In case, it is not possible to consume the entire tomato supply within three days a good option would be to use the tomatoes to prepare tomato sauce. The sauce can be refrigerated and used over a given time period.

Whether you grow tomatoes indoors or in your garden, you must be prepared for a lot of love and care. No matter how busy you are, with some simple tips mentioned in this article you can grow fresh tomatoes in your garden.

How to grow asparagus

Asparagus or Asparagus officinalis belongs to the lily family. It has been cultivated for over 2000 years and is a major source of rich nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, phosphorus, calcium, thiamine and riboflavin. Being a perennial plant, asparagus can be produced for several years, provided it is planted and maintained properly. It has compact stems also known as rhizomes and underground storage roots. These rhizomes and underground storage roots produce edible shoots known as asparagus spears. If these spears are not harvested on time then there are high risks of them turning into fern like bushes, measuring 4 feet or more. This foliage produces carbohydrates that are stored in the roots of the plant.

Asparagus has male as well as female plants. Both types flower and the female asparagus plants produce small red berries during the fall. However, the female plants do not last for a longer time when compared to the male plants.

Asparagus is found in various varieties, the oldest variety being the Martha Washington. In comparison to it, the Mary Washington variety is relatively a newer and improved version. Apart from these two varieties, there is also a third variety called Purple Passion which is rich in sugar content. In the past few years, several hybrid varieties of the vegetable have been released. These varieties produce nearly all male plants. The yield is therefore considerably increased because the male plants produce 20 to 25 percent more than the female plants.

If you are planning to grow asparagus at home, you should know that it is one of the best vegetables that can be grown indoors. You can locate the plantings to the side of your garden with other perennial plants such as brambles, strawberries and rhubarbs. It is always advisable to plant your asparagus in a sunlit place where it can receive at least seven to eight hours of sunlight. When it comes to the soil requirements, the good news for asparagus growers is that this plant can survive in almost any well drained soil. The best soil, however, is the deep and loose one. Experts caution asparagus growers against using shallow soils or the heavy textured clays. This is because such soils restrict the root development of the plant and cause root rots. Sandy soils are also unsuitable for asparagus growth because such soils do not retain enough moisture in them. Soils that warm quickly during spring help promote an early harvest. This however, may be a drawback because the developing asparagus spears grow quite slowly during winter and are killed by the freeze. According to most experts, soils with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 are best suited for asparagus cultivation. Before you planting, it is advisable to take a soil sample that can help you to determine the potash, lime and phosphate levels of the soil. In addition to this, before the spears start to emerge and post harvesting supplement the fertilizer with about 1 pound of ammonium nitrate to retain the fertility of the soil.

Many asparagus growers are recommended to plant during the early spring. It is generally believed that February and early March are the best months to plant asparagus. Although asparagus can be planted from seeds, most home gardeners refrain from opting for this option. This is because the asparagus seeds take a long time to germinate. In addition, it is quite difficult to control the weeds. Owing to these factors, home gardeners usually purchase the 1 year old dormant crowns. Purchasing these is a viable option because it reduces the time before harvest by 1 year. Therefore, the asparagus grower is not required to pay close attention to the small seedlings in the first year.

There is always a risk of damage caused by weeds to the asparagus plants. To achieve best results, it is extremely important to control this problem in time. For this, it is very important to provide full field sanitation. Weeds can be removed using a cultivator, rototiller or a hoe. However, it is essential to ensure that the cultivation is shallow to prevent any harm to the roots. Organic mulches are also quite helpful in controlling the weed problem. These also help in retaining the moisture. Asparagus growers are recommended to apply a 2 inch layer during the fall soon after the foliage dies. This helps reduce weeds all through the year. It is also important to avoid using table salts or any other form of salt to control the weeds. This is because salts reduce yields and shorten the lifespan of the plant considerably.

Apart from the weed problem, asparagus plantings are also susceptible to insect attacks. Asparagus beetles are quite common. These insects are generally ¼ inches long and affect the asparagus plantings most severely. To control this problem, asparagus growers are advised to remove the old foliage as soon as it is affected by a freezing temperature. There are also quite a few home garden chemicals that can be used to get rid of the asparagus beetles.

To get the best yield from your asparagus planting, it is always advisable to avoid harvesting in the first year itself. In the second year, the asparagus grower should go for a light harvest that ensures high yield. It is also considered a good idea to harvest by removing the spears off at the ground when they are about 6 to 8 inches long. This is recommended because it ensures that there is minimal damage caused to the still to emerge spears. In winter, it is recommended to harvest every alternative day while during summer, the asparagus grower should harvest everyday to ensure that the spears do not grow too tall. In case too many spindly spears start appearing, it will be best to stop harvesting that season. At such times, additional fertilizers may be required and the harvesting season may have to be shortened in the coming years.

As far as fertilizing is concerned, asparagus being a fertilizer tolerant crop is compatible with fertilizer applications. To achieve best results, it is recommended that a nitrogen fertilizer is applied twice a year.

Coffee, a tempest and wet dreams.

Well, I am sure that many of you have got the case of the 'wandering feet' and I am sure that like me, many of you are thinking of the next place to visit. Well, that is what I was planning on doing today, especially as the heat was getting to be intolerable. So I decided to go to the roof top restaurant and have a coffee while I let my wandering mind take me to terrains I have not visited yet.

With coffee, one cannot help but think of places like Brazil or Spain, with Spain being one of my hot favorites, the people, the land, the architecture and more importantly, the cuisine. Anyway getting back to the story, as I was pondering whether to visit Spain once again, the wind literally blew my porcelain coffee cup out of my hand and right on to my lap. So imagine yourself in my place, cursing the wind and getting soaked all the way to the undies with strong, bitter hot coffee.

If things were supposed to get better after that, well, someone read the dialogue wrong somewhere. For what happened next would make even the Florida hurricane sit up and take note of it. Let us just say that the wind blew hard and cold, accompanied with but naturally biting bullets of rain. So there I was thinking of places to visit on account of the heat and all of a sudden, I am getting drenched from top to bottom [not to be taken literally, the last part, that is] with cold water from the skies above.

The end result was that my coffee was on the floor, with the restaurant's guests getting soaked to the skin with anything and everything showing up to perfection and I thought to myself, that it seems that the heavens are not intent on my traveling anywhere for the moment. So the decision was made, to put up with the intolerable weather for the moment, both hot and cold, all at the same time. A tempest, it sure was, one that any Goldilocks would have loved but it was just not up to my taste.

Traveling headaches and the 'Down under' solution!

We all like to travel on impulse, maybe we may feel like catching a flight to 'wonderful Spain' or even to 'romantic Paris', the city of light. But impulse traveling or not, there are quite a few issues we need to address head on before packing our respective bags. One of the major headaches while traveling is the insurance part of it, since most of the insurance packages that we have subscribed for do not even cover our overseas flight. In short, we all require the services of a nice insurance firm for our Travel insurance needs. Generally, travel related insurance packages are generally available only through travel agents and they cost an arm and a leg. With this Aussie company, Travel insurance direct, that is not the case and we can get the very best insurance packages at a fraction of what it would have originally cost us.

At last, now we can get access to a insurance package that is cost effective, for us that is. The insurance companies offer travel insurance at very competitive rates, sometimes at rates that are only half of what the travel agents charge. This is possible since you would be purchasing the respective insurance packages directly, thus cutting out the middle man.

With the travel insurance needs met, we should be able to rest more easy, knowing that we have access to insurance coverage that does not put a dimple on our respective wallets. So the next time we want to travel anywhere and require a travel insurance package, we know who to approach. With the 24 hour world wide support available, we can get all of our queries looked into and have access to the best travel insurance package currently available. Happy traveling, everyone!

The Indo-moroccan flavor!

Morocco, a place on the coast of Africa, has produced a myriad number of dishes which have made their way to India of late. The lamb Shashlik is not a dish that is unique to morocco but their style of preparation as well as the sauce is unique to that region.

Recently, I was able to taste the lamb Shashlik prepared in the Moroccan style of cooking, while being coated with a hot apricot sauce that is Moroccan in origin. Needless to say the combination was just perfect, the hot sauce managed to give the Shashlik a whole new flavor and the ensemble was just great.

This is a dish that one should not miss out on, just imagine the shashlik coated in the apricot sauce and being grilled, with all the Moroccan herbs and spices. I am sure that as you are reading this, your mouth must have started to water, because that is what happened to me as the smell of the grill caught me unawares. My suggestion, try the Moroccan cuisine, especially anything that comes with the apricot sauce and after that, you would not want to partake anything else.

Bora, Bora the myth and the legend!

Bora Bora, sounds like a mythical place, doesn't it? Well, it is a real place and one that is bound to knock your socks off. Take another look at the picture with this post and you will realize what I am talking about. This is the tropical island of all tropical islands and that is putting it mildly, to say the least. Bora Bora has been the subject of quite a few books as well as many number of movies, so in reality, even if you have not visited the place yet, you are bound to have heard of it. The Flights to Bora Bora take off from most of the major cities in the world so getting there should not be much of a problem.

But remember to go there when the season is in full swing, other wise you may well miss out on the atmosphere that a crowd can bring. Unless, you are looking for a bargain, in that case, traveling during the off season, you should be able to net quite a few good offers from rooms at half the rate to services at subsidized rates. Borabora has so many sights that I am not sure how to describe them all, think the movie "beach" then you may well have the idea of what this place is like. The perfect paradise to vacation in, with almost everything taken care of.

Naturally, for a place as hot as this one is, there are quite a few hotels here but one of the best ones is none other than the Hotel Bora Bora which is just perfect. This place has all the modern amenities and the cuisine here is just great. So for your next vacation, make a beeline to Bora bora and have a real vacation!

Beijing gearing up for the Olympics!

It is time that Beijing came to terms with the various problems, both internal and external and concentrated on providing the stage for the perfect Olympics ever. One can hope that this will be the gala to outshine every other one so far. China is a wonderful place to visit and if one is into games then the Olympics would be the best time to visit China. There are quite a few problems confronting China and one can hope that with time, the Chinese would be able to settle all outstanding issues. Given the length and breadth of China, it may be a bit overwhelming for the first time visitors. So take a moment prior to your trip to read more on this nation and its rich cultural history, try to re-discover the ancient links between China and India.

The religious traditions that are followed by the modern Chinese is quite fascinating in itself, for on one hand they believe in a system that does not allow for any religious sentiments, but on the other, they have this blind faith in god, astrology and sea- monsters. Modern China is quite interesting in that way, you would probably get to see a bit of the old China shine through all that Glitz and glamour, the interesting thing is that these two china's co-exist with one another. Coming back to traveling in China, one of the must see sights is none other than the Great Wall of China itself. The structure may or may not be visible from space but it is the only monument that has been in a stage of development for 2000 years and is still being built today. back then, it was built for the purpose of security but today it is being developed to conserve the Chinese cultural heritage.


From the Three gorges dam to the markets of Guangzong, there is quite a bit to see. It is always a good idea to read a travel guide or two to China before the commencement of the trip itself. In addition to providing information on places to see, these Travel guides will also provide information on hotels to stay at as well as which ones are good and so on. Have a great time in China and hope that you are able to get a few tickets to the Olympics!