This is anewsletter I get.comes every other wensday& then get daily gardening tips too boot.I know this is about southern grown tomatoes,but thought you'd enjoy some of the tips.
I know the picture won't show through,but shows the milk jug of water right up next to
plant and can see the PVC(looks 2B 1 inch pvc) bent in a curve for his row cover.I just set a bucket...5 gal size over the
plant& have a 55 gal trash can that used over one item this winter...my brief cool spell..HE HEEE HEE no snow for me ya snowbirds...YEEE HAWWWW!
Gardening - Lower South:
ArcaMax's Gardening Report
Tomatoes Rule!
By: Skip Richter
To get an early start on your tomato patch, place a gallon jug of water against the stems and provide hoops of thinwall PVC to support a protective cover for frosty nights.
Tomatoes are the undisputed king of the vegetable garden. While we all have a number of veggies that we love to grow, tomatoes are the hands-down favorite. Each
spring brings many new varieties to choose from and a renewed interest in our ongoing pursuit of the perfect tomato.
Whether you have a large garden or just a couple of large containers to grow in, there are some great tomatoes to choose from and a few tips that can help you get off to a successful start. I have grown tomatoes for over 35 years now and have learned (and relearned) some basics that make for a successful harvest of luscious, vine-ripe fruit. While there are definitely many ways to grow tomatoes, there are some basic techniques and rules of the game that are non-negotiable. Sun, Sun, and More Sun Let the sun shine in! Six hours of sunlight is minimal. With enough sun you get large, tasty fruit. In the shade you get skinny, straggly vines and few tomatoes to show for your efforts.
Good Soil Prepare the soil well for optimum vigor and production. Mix in an inch of compost and a cup or two of complete fertilizer per 100 square feet of bed area. Raised beds warm up earlier in the
spring and keep tomatoes from getting waterlogged in heavy rain. Containers work fine too if they are at least 5 gallons (larger is even better) and filled with a quality potting soil mix.
Disease-Resistant Varieties Select locally proven varieties with a VFN (or even more letters) after the name. There are plenty of diseases and insects out there that would love to have a shot at your tomatoes. By selecting a VFN variety you are two soil diseases and one case of nematodes ahead. There is no perfect variety!
plant two or three to hedge your bets. The variety that was #1 last year may be an "also ran" this year.
A Head Start Helps
plant early but not too early. Our summer arrives soon and shuts down most production. However a late frost will spoil the show too. I like to gamble a bit and
plant about a week ahead of the last average frost. But I always have some thick row covers or 5-gallon buckets on hand to help
plants through a marginally frosty night. A milk jug full of water set right up against the stem before covering the
plants adds an important additional measure of protection. Fertilize Water the new
plants in with a starter fertilizer solution at transplanting. This gets
plants off to a good start. It could be either a synthetic liquid feed product or an organic solution like compost or manure tea, or fish emulsion. Pour a cup of diluted solution in the planting hole and then water
plants in with the same solution after planting.
Once the first fruits set you really need to push
plants along with good nutrition, especially the new hybrid varieties. Apply 2-4 tablespoons of fertilizer around each
plant in a circle extending 8-12 inches around the stem and water it in well. Then continue to feed
plants weekly with a liquid fertilizer solution.
weed and Mulch Control
weeds as the
plants get going. After a few weeks, when the soil has warmed up a bit more, apply a layer of mulch to control
weeds and hold moisture. If you mulch too early, the soil will not warm as fast and growth will be delayed.
plant Supports Stake or cage
plants to keep fruit off the ground. Caging without removing suckers results in more, smaller, later fruit. Staking and removing suckers makes for fewer, larger, earlier fruit. Take your pick!
General Tending Water regularly when the weather begins to warm up. Deep, infrequent soakings are best. Keep an eye out for signs of insect and disease damage. Early control is very important!
There is nothing like a fresh, homegrown tomato. Grow some prizewinners yourself this
spring!
Prepare Planting Beds for Warm-Season
flowers We are just around the corner from our last average frost date and the rush to
plant our warm-season
flowers that thrive in our southern climate. Take advantage of this time by building up planting beds with 2 to 3 inches of compost and digging out any perennial
weeds. Poor preparation spoils your best blooming plans. It is so much better to prepare soil before you
plant.
Wait To Fertilize Turf
Wait to fertilize lawns until you have mowed the turf twice (early to mid-April in most areas of our lower south region). By then it will be actively
growing and ready to utilize the fertilizer. Early fertilizing is less efficient and can really encourage those winter
weeds, which are actively
growing now.
Don't Harm Those Bees
Fruit
trees are starting to bloom in the lower south. Bees are busy working those blooms, a critical part of a successful bumper crop of fruit. Avoid using insecticide sprays during bloom, as these products can be devastating to bees and other insects that pollinate our fruit and vegetable
plants.
Fertilize Established Woody Ornamentals
The roots of
trees, shrubs, and vines are active in early
spring in our warm southern climate. Established
plants will benefit from some extra nutrition applied early. Spread about 2 cups of a turf type fertilizer per 100 square feet to provide an extra boost of nitrogen as these woody ornamentals begin their
spring growth.
Last Call For
tree Trimming
Although most pruning is done in late winter, you can still make a few minor cuts in those landscape
trees to brighten a shady area. As the years pass by, the
trees get larger and the shade denser to a point where grass and many shade-tolerant blooms will no longer thrive. A judicious cut here and there to remove low-hanging limbs or crowded overhead branches may increase light intensity enough to do the trick.
Web Finds - Grow Tomatoes in the Home Garden
The horticulturists at the Louisiana Ag Center have put together this helpful online publication called Grow Tomatoes in the Garden (Click Here). It includes a useful and up-to-date listing of varieties, as well as tips on proper planting, staking, caging, fertilizing, and pest management. All in all, it is a very useful resource for southern gardeners.
Favorite
plant - Carolina Jessamine
One of the first landscape
plants to steal the show in
spring is Carolina jessamine. It bursts forth to announce the end of winter with a barrage of yellow, trumpet-shaped blooms. This evergreen vine is well suited to a trellis or garden wall, and it also can be massed and trimmed into a mounding ground cover/shrub. It does well in full sun to part shade. Note that the blooms and foliage are poisonous, so it is not for homescapes with very small children.
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