2nd transplanting of tomato plants...

This year, I started my seeds a month earlier...the first of February. I transplanted the small plants from the seed pellets into larger pots about a month ago, and they really took off...with the help of a little tomato plant food. So yesterday, we did a 2nd transplanting into bigger pots because the plants we're starting to get a little root bound. So here they are this morning, after coming out of their "transplant shock." They look really nice, except I'm running out of room on my counter. Another thing I did differently this year is to keep two plants inn each pot...they support each other and grown straight without having to add sticks to keep them straight. I will let them grow in these pots until after Memorial Day, and then plant them in the garden with Walls of Water. I'll put them outside on the patio and let them "harden off" for about a week before planting them. Last year, we planted them a few weeks earlier and didn't have as much success, so this year we decided to wait until the end of May again. It just gets too cold at night still. 

 If you look really closely, you can also see four pepper plants in the back that are doing very nicely also.

Sprouts

I started some of my tomato and pepper seeds indoors last week. That got me in the mood for sprouting alfalfa seeds...I love fresh alfalfa spouts on my sandwiches. So today I harvested a batch of fresh sprouts...yum. We ate them on turkey and cheese roll-ups...what a treat. 

I have this dandy little inexpensive 3 level spouter that I've had for several years that works really well. The 3 trays stack on top of each other, and you put water in another tray on top and it drains down through all 3 trays and collects in another bottom tray. I rinse them twice a day. It takes about 5-6 days from start to harvest. The thing I like about sprouts is that you can actually have a fresh vegetable that you grow yourself anytime of the year...even when it's too cold to plant outside.

Here are some nutritional benefits from sprouts...

Health Benefits of Sprouts
by Steve Meyerowitz

Sprouts have long been famous as "health food" but recent research shows that in addition to being a superb source of nutrients, they also have important curative ability. Sprouts like alfalfa, radish, broccoli, clover and soybean contain concentrated amounts of phytochemicals (plant compounds) that can protect us against disease.

Studies on canavanine, an amino acid analog in alfalfa, has demonstrated benefit for pancreatic, colon and leukemia cancers. Plant estrogens are also abundant in sprouts. They increase bone formation and density and prevent bone breakdown or osteoporosis. They are also helpful in controlling hot flashes, menopause, PMS and fibrocystic breasts tumors.

Alfalfa sprouts are one of our finest food sources of another compound, saponins. Saponins lower the bad cholesterol and fat but not the good HDL fats. Animal studies prove their benefit in arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Saponins also stimulate the immune system by increasing the activity of natural killer cells such as T- lymphocytes and interferon. The saponin content of alfalfa sprouts multiplies 450% over that of the unsprouted seed.

Sprouts also contain an abundance of highly active antioxidants that prevent DNA destruction and protect us from the ongoing effects of aging. It wouldn't be inconceivable to find a fountain of youth here, after all, sprouts represent the miracle of birth.