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Tomatoes and Panty Hose |
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from Passionate Gardening: There’s a “hot” gardening tip going around town that really bugs me. People are tying old panty hose between their tomato cages with the idea that the hose will collect static electricity and convert it to nitrogen. It ain’t gonna happen. Nitrogen is “fixed” (converted from a gaseous state to an aqueous solution) primarily by fungi and bacteria in the soil. In some plants, such as members of the pea family, bacteria fix nitrogen in nodules on their roots. But panty hose? I had to check my college biological science textbook. It does say that “although some nitrogen fixation may also occur as a result of electrical discharge, such as lightning, the amount is minimal.” That means that lightning would need to strike those old panty hose for there to be an increase in the nitrogen available to the tomatoes. The odds of that happening are better than the tomatoes deriving any benefit from what looks like a fraternity prank. Just to make sure, I called my friend Roger Swain, host of The Victory Garden on PBS and science editor of Horticulture magazine. He remembers experiments in the early sixties into what was called “electro-culture,” where various devices were tested to pick up static electricity and somehow benefit vegetables. “The idea was found to be doubtful—total rubbish,” says Swain. About using panty hose to help grow tomatoes, he says, “It’s complete hoo-ha. As my grandmother used to say, “You can put it back in the horse now.” Producing a bumper crop [of tomatoes] in drier, cooler climates isn’t difficult, but don’t look for tricks, use common sense. Set the plants out late, not early. The tropical plants stunt in cold weather. It’s still possible to purchase good, strong plants at nurseries in early July and get a respectable yield by late summer. Plant them in compost-enriched soil. Keep them evenly moist, never allowing them to dry out. They may need to be watered twice a week in hot, dry weather. Fertilize every two weeks. There might be uses for old panty hose in the garden. I’ve heard they’re great for storing onions (hanging from beams in the basement) or for tying plants to stakes since the soft fabric won’t cut into the stems. Some people use them to cradle melon or squash plants that are trained onto upright supports to save space. The melons get heavy as they grow and are easily broken off by gusty winds, but a hammock of hose keeps them secure. I imagine other elasticized, reinforced undergarments could be employed throughout the garden. I don’t want to hear about it. |
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Fulcrum Publishing – 16100 Table Mountain Parkway, Suite 300 – Golden, Colorado 80403
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