How to grow tomatoes

While searching in the net for a good source on how to grow tomatoes, it surprised me to know that there are actually different ways to plant tomatoes.  The most common, of course, are planting out in the yard, in the garden, in a box, and more.  But there is one method that caught my interest - growing tomatoes Upside Down!

I found this article on growing tomatoes upside down from wikiHow.  I chose this to share it with you because it looks ornamental hanging from the ceiling.  This is useful when you live on limited space.  Tomatoes are very tolerant plant; they can grow easily and having your own assures you it's chemical-free.

Imagine having tomato plants hanging somewhere in your house such as this one.

You may use any kind of big containers, preferably plastic containers.

 STEPS:

1.  Set up the hanger

Choose a sunny place indoor.  Your tomato plant can be hung from a hook in the ceiling or tied around a beam.  Use what works in your place.

2.  Select a small tomato plant

Plants bought or grown from seed are both fine choices.  Water this plant well and set it to one side.




3.  Take the large, clean plastic containers.  Open the lid and cut off the bottom part.  Tie string or twine to the edges of the cut end of the container for hanging.  Punch out the holes using a hole puncher, or use a sharp tool to insert holes through which the string can pass.  Knot the string in place in loops to attach to the hangers you've made.

4.  Take the tomato plant out of its original pot.  Gently set it upside down in the container.  Gently feed the plant through the pouring hole, so that the tomato plant is hanging out of the hole, with the roots still inside the container.

5.  Fill the container with a mixture of good compost and garden soil.  Then water it.  Take note that it is important to set up the hanger first because it is impossible to put the plant on a surface without damaging plant.

 You will start picking fresh tomatoes about 60-85 days after planting seedlings in the garden.  Fully ripened tomatoes tastes much better than picked early.

Good luck!

Don't ignore tomatoes!

I would like to share a very helpful article about keeping one's youth.  There are many cosmetic products available in the market nowadays that could make us look young.  Some known products and said to be effective but cost much.  Other beauty products are discouraged because they contain harmful ingredients.  Also, it is sometimes too tiring to follow the 'how to apply and what to apply' during daytime and during nighttime.

You have an option.  If you love tomatoes, you can maintain your youthful skin.

There is a recent study released in the UK acclaiming tomatoes as key factor in maintaining youthful-looking skin.  And what's more - eating tomatoes reduces appearance of wrinkles!

Read more from the Home and Garden page.

Freezing green beans

Green beans taste good and are known for their high nutritional value.  They are loaded with Vitamins A, C, B₁ & B₂, omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, iron, calcium, copper, phosphorous, manganese and dietary fibers.  However, fresh green beans are not available all year-round.   For steady supply, many people freeze green beans rather than have them in cans. Freezing green beans is the easiest method and yet maintaining their dietary value.  This can be done in very simple steps.

To start with, prepare at hand desired quantity of the freshest green beans to freeze.  If the beans are taken from your own backyard, harvest early in the morning.  The flavor is at its best if picked while the weather is hot.  If purchased from the market, you can test the freshness by breaking it in half.  If it cracks, then it is fresh.  Freshness can be seen as well from its color.  It is fresh if the color is bright green and has no brown stains.  If there is time gap between harvesting/purchasing and freezing, put the beans in the refrigerator.  Never use beans that are already overripe or had dried out.  Freshness is crucial when freezing green beans, otherwise the freezing process doesn’t serve its purpose.

Wash the green beans in lukewarm or plain cold water in a colander or strainer.

The next step is to remove the stem ends of the beans and the strings, if any.  You may cut them to pieces that you prefer.

Blanche the green beans.  Fresh vegetables contain enzymes and bacteria that change the color, texture and taste of vegetables and destroy the nutrients.  The blanching process removes these enzymes and bacteria.  This is done by first dipping the beans in boiling water for at least 3 minutes (or enough time to prevent the action of enzymes and kill the bacteria, usually 3-3.5 minutes).  Don’t overdo it.

After 3 minutes or so, the beans should be cooled immediately to prevent overcooking.  Immerse the green beans into a big bowl with ice-cold water.  Keep adding cold water until the beans have lost warmness.  Cool the green beans the same duration as they were blanched.  Drain thoroughly.

Place the cooled beans inside a vacuum food sealer or zeeper bags. Remove as much air from the bag and seal tightly.  Store the bags in the freezer. 

In less than an hour, we are done.  Freezing green beans consumes lesser time and only a colander, pot to boil water with, a container for ice-cold water and vacuum food sealer or zeeper bags as tools. 

Frozen green beans usually last until 12 months.  Beyond that, it won’t taste as good.

Namaste!

I do some yoga poses almost everyday for five years now. Doing my yoga routine keeps me strength and stamina. It keeps me out of stress, too. Aside from health benefits, doing yoga regularly tones my muscles.

I first enrolled in a yoga class for a month. I familiarized the breathing technic, basic poses and the sun salutation. Then, I've been doing it on my own. Learning new poses is easy as long as you dont overdo it. If you feel a pose might injure you, never try it. I only do the poses that I feel would benefit me. I have a 45-minute routine; am not familiar with the names, though.

Take care of your heart!

Hi, friends. Check this out:

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High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. In fact, the higher your blood cholesterol
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