curiosity got to me...

[awoke_in_2003]

I was on DU front page looking at the top 10 recently updated DU groups and saw the gardening group. So I stumbled in and started poking around. I saw those lovely looking cherokee purple tomatoes and started getting interested. As I have never gardened before, what are some good online resources for getting my knowledge base up to speed? I would probably start small, maybe do some pot growing. I live in Fort Worth, and have a sunny back yard. I was thinking about doing those wonderful tomatoes, and maybe bell and jalepeno peppers to start.

[beac]

1. Hello and welcome! As a second-year "serious" gardener, I can attest that

this little corner of DU is a great place to learn from some real pros.

Cherokee Purples are lovely and I was drawn to them too and tried to grow them in a pot last year. Granted, having a hungry ground hog nearby did not help matters, but even w/out his predations, the plant didn't produce many tomatoes. I've since read they are not an ideal tomato for container growing. But, if you'd be happy with a few gorgeous fruits instead of a armload of less interesting ones, it certainly is a lovely tomato.

I recently lost all my gardening bookmarks in a laptop death, but here are a couple I've managed to resurrect so far:

Tomato Problem Solver http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/tomatoproblemsolver/

Vegetable Gardening In Containers http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/container/container.htmL

Container vegetable gardening (with info on pot sizes) http://www.extension.iastate.edu/publications/pm870b.pdf

Googling things like "growing XYZ-plant in pots" or "how to grow XYZ-plant in containers" found me lots of info on specific types of flowers and veggies suitable for growing 'above ground.'

Hope you'll give it a try and join this very enjoyable group of DU green thumbs. :hi:

[awoke_in_2003]

2. thanks for the welcome...

quantity, at this time, is not a big deal. I am really trying to start small and use them as a "gateway drug" to get my wife interested. If I can get quality, she will be more willing to open the purse strings so I can get more quantity :hi:

[beac]

6. I highly recommend trying a cherry tomato too. There are lots of pretty & tasty varieties out there

--Sungold, Black Cherry, Yellow Pear (shaped like tiny pears!)-- You can saute them for a couple of minutes in a little olive oil w/chopped basil (which you MUST have in your beginner garden- SUPER easy to grow and delicious), sprinkle w/S&P and voila! the perfect summer side dish. They also make great salads, you can add them to sandwiches (be careful slicing!) and you have new tomatoes every day, so it's very satisfying while you wait for your bigger tomatoes to ripen (which can take quite a while.)

OK, i think that's enough parenthetical statements and exclamation points for one post. Talking about gardening brings out my giddy side, clearly. ;)

[RedEarth]

3. You might want to check out Garden Web

Here's a link to their main page. Scroll down and you'll find forums on Texas gardening, Container gardening and many other forums. It's got a wealth of information.

As far as trying to grow Cherokee Purple this year, I think it's a little too late since temperatures are really starting to climb. Cherry tomatoes in a 5-10 gallon container should be okay since they are more heat tolerant. Also, jalapenos in 5 gallon containers should work. Just remember plants in containers need to be watered every day in the summer.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/

[awoke_in_2003]

4. cool, thanks...

will hold off on the CP's for now and go cherry.

[RedEarth]

5. Forgot the Garden Web link....here it is....good luck!

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/

[bvar22]

7. Pot growing in Texas can get you into real trouble.

Growing and smoking Pot is still very illegal there. :hippie:

[awoke_in_2003]

8. after posting...

I realized I probably should have said container growing :hi: