So, last year’s soil woes (and bug woes, for that matter) were pretty well documented here at plants on deck. Alas, this year’s seedlings, despite fancy seedling soil, plenty of light, and pricking didn’t thrive the way they should. Oh well. (Side note: judging by the piles of diseased leaves hidden in dark corners at my favorite garden source, it’s looking like POD’s not the only one with tomato seedling problems. )

Anyhoo, soil temperatures have finally reached a safe sowing range and, well, big changes are ’round the bend. The spindly suckers on deck.

You’ll note that there’s plenty of room to add soil once/if the plants establish themselves. Sort of an attempt to retroactively plant the seedlings below the soil line. That, my friends is experiment #1.

Experiment #2 is a little well, nerdier. If you can believe it. This year’s tomato crop includes tomande, gold nugget, princess of the patio and sweetheart of the patio. Some have been planted in organic soil and compost and some planted in evil MiracleGro. These here tomandes, however, will serve as the purest experimental control: one organic, one not. One will be treated with organic fertilizers and pest control — the other, will not.