Hey all, something else for a change, let's make a post about something NOT Splinterlands related!
One of my other hobby's is growing plants, I think it's awesome something big can sprout from something so small as a seed, mother nature is wonderful!
It's why Spring is my favorite time of the year where it's not too hot and everything outside turns green again, every year around May 15 I start seeding tomatoes and marigolds (they make great companions)
Why Tomatoes & Marigolds Are Best Garden Buddies 🌼🍅
Planting marigolds with tomatoes is a classic garden hack — and for good reason!
Pest Control: Marigolds help keep away aphids, whiteflies, and even root-harming nematodes.
Good Bugs Welcome: They attract ladybugs, hover flies, and other insects that eat pests.
Happy Soil: Especially French marigolds — they clean up the soil for healthier tomato roots.
Weed & Water Help: Their low growth shades the ground, keeping weeds down and moisture in.
Bright Distraction: The flowers can confuse or deter some tomato-loving pests.
Natural teamwork = healthier, stronger plants. Try it in your garden! 🌱
6 weeks earlier...
Six weeks ago, I made a post about my seedlings and they transformed from this:
To this:
For the first time this year I had a nutrition problem for the tomatoes, making the leaves turn purple and slowing their growth from the fourth week, I didn't even knew this was possible with potting soil but this year I mixed it with sand because I read somewhere they roots can grow better this way, this was a failed experiment 😅
The fix for the purple leaves was to add the nutritions they needed which wasn't hard but everything in nature takes its time to have effect, good thing it was almost time they could move outside where there is plenty of healthy soil for them!
After May 15 there is no chance of night freezing anymore, so that's the moment they can be moved to their permanent house!
I don't have a big backyard at all, in total it's 9 x 5 meters and we have to be able to sit outside there as well, so my kitchen garden is only 1 x 3 meters, because of the lack of space, I'm putting to tomato plants a little closer together as they should be, and because of a lot 'wild' tomato seedlings from the ones that has fallen last year, I have WAY too much of them but I can't throw them away so I guess we're eating lots of tomatoes this summer. 😅
Another experiment this year is to put some stinging nettles in the bottom of the hole for extra nutrition, after digging and watering the hole it was time to put the new resident in to the garden 😍
Looking at the roots, it's about time they receive more space to grow bigger, it's the same with the marigolds.
Every marigold flower when it has bloomed holds hundred seeds at least, and this year I had both wild tomato and marigolds sprouting on their own in my garden, in hindsight, I didn't have to seed anything but then again it's something nice to do together with my daughters, they like the seeding and the eating the most lol, the part in the middle is just boring 😅
There's a significant difference to see between the marigold I seeded and grow inside the house and their 'wild' counterparts, the picture below is the inside grown one, tall and narrow but it has a bud already.
Compared to the wild marigolds, lower and broader, they look a lot better with the nutrients of mother nature, they look a little like marijuana plants when you look at the leaves.
Because of a YouTube shorts this year I'm testing a new method to support the tomato plants with rope instead of bamboo sticks.
And all I can do now is water them when it's needed and.. wait!
Gardening really teaches patience — you do your part, and then let nature take over. 🌱 Watching these tiny seeds grow into strong, healthy plants is always a rewarding reminder of how much life can come from just a little care and attention. I’m excited to see how this summer’s tomato jungle and marigold parade will turn out — even if space is tight and a few experiments don’t go exactly as planned. 😄
Thanks for stopping by and checking in on the garden — I’ll be sure to share updates as things bloom, grow, and (hopefully) taste amazing later this season. Happy planting, and may your thumbs stay green! 🌼🍅👨🌾