Tips for Growing Amazing Backyard Tomatoes

Gardening season is in full swing! Every year, I plant several varieties of tomatoes. Have you ever had tomatoes split on the vine? Or, they just won’t turn red? Here are a few helpful tips for growing luscious red tomatoes. 

1. Don’t over water! This is the most important part of growing tomatoes. Since tomatoes are water-based, drowning the plants in water only water-logs the roots, creating an overfull vine and fruit. Water your tomatoes only when the soil feels dryer, not when it is damp or even semi-damp.

2. When planting, remember using a tomato cage or fence will help stabilize your plants as they grow.

3. Take time out of your busy day to actually go look at the plants. Are there black spots on the leaves? Are your tomatoes red? If they are red, pull them to eat before they burst. Are they a dark orange, almost red? Pull them, set them in a pan near a window with sunlight. They will ripen. Do you notice any bugs? Ants? Little black beetles? Treating an infestation early is always a good idea, especially with tomato plants.

Treating an Infestation:

1. Use new mulch or compost every season. Ridding the garden beds of old mulch, weeds, dry leaves, etc. will help prevent a bug infestation. Also, remember that if you are using mulch, lay it before planting. Tilling your mulch into the soil is also a good idea if you want to use mulch. Personally, I have always used compost or a good quality soil if I need the extra dirt for my garden. Usually tilling is enough.
2. Plant marigolds. Marigolds naturally repel many insects, including mosquitoes. Also, planting Citronella is a great idea not only to keep your garden insect-free, but also for humans and pets.
3. Keep your foliage and compost areas dry! Wet compost and foliage encourages insect growth – particularly mosquitoes.

4. Watering on a consistent basis is crucial. Tomatoes require about 2 inches of water per week. Check the soil every day – morning and evening. Right after dawn and dusk are the best times to water. Never water your garden during peak sun hours – between 10 am and 2 pm.

Tomato and Feta Salad

2 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced

1 ounce Feta cheese, crumbled

2 fresh leaves Basil, chopped

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill before serving.

- CJ LaRose, Senior Supervisor

The Importance of Moisturizing Your Skin

Our skin is the largest organ in the human body. It protects us from the elements, aids in regulating body temperature and allows us to touch and feel. While it is common to focus one’s attention upon facial skin care, it is important to treat the rest of our skin with equal care. After all, a person’s skin is the first thing we see, as it covers us from head to toe.

While skin acts as our protective barrier from an ever-changing environment, we must remember the importance of doing our part to help skin perform its job. As dry skin often indicates an impaired barrier function of the skin, we must first and foremost maintain our skin’s moisture. Choosing the right moisturizer differs from person to person, dependent upon skin sensitivity, pigmentation and oiliness, upon many other factors. Remember, once applied to skin, the products and ingredients that we choose are often absorbed into the skin or metabolized, so be aware of your skin’s reaction to applying new moisturizers.

Here are some tips:

• Year round, apply a daily moisturizer with broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Reapply as directed on the product label. 
• Choose products without known irritants, such as synthetic fragrances and other chemical ingredients.
• Be aware of your skin’s reaction to fragrance, whether natural or artificial in origin. Those with sensitive skin may only tolerate fragrance-free products.
• When cleansing your skin, use the same caution in choosing products as with moisturizing. Although you are washing these products from your skin, this short period of contact can still allow irritants to harm your barrier function.
• Almond Glow from Home Health is an exceptional moisturizing option for those seeking a product made with only natural ingredients. This body lotion is formulated with pure plant oils-peanut, olive and lanolin oils-that naturally condition skin and vitamin E, a known antioxidant.
• Certain medications and consumption of alcoholic beverages can dehydrate the skin.

-Stephen Howe Jr, Customer Care Lead & Marketing Assistant

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/picture-of-the-skin, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14572299, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2958188/, http://www.dermalinstitute.com/us/library/18_article_The_Top_Three_Causes_of_Dry_Dehydrated_Skin.html

DIY Body Butter

Looking to make a luxurious homemade gift for your mom, sister, daughter, wife or self this Mother’s Day? This recipe is a little more elaborate than many that I post here, but the end result is worth the efforts.

Ingredients :

1 tsp Beeswax, finely grated and tightly packed

4 tsp Cocoa Butter

1 tsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Shea Butter, chopped or shaved

2 tsp Avocado Oil

1-¼ oz (7-½ tsp) Sweet Almond Oil

4 drops Ylang-Ylang or Lavender Essential Oil

2 drops Sandalwood Precious Essential Oil

Preparation :

Heat the Beeswax and Cocoa Butter in the top half of a double boiler until melted. Remove from the heat and add the Coconut Oil, stirring until it has melted. Let cool until the outside of the container is just slightly warmer than your hand. Add the Shea Butter, Avocado and Sweet Almond Oils, beating with a whisk until smooth. Add the Essential Oils one drop at a time, beating after each addition until thoroughly blended. Spoon into glass jars.

-Nancy Mayne, Director of Wellness