Tomato Tips & Cool Plant Picks

Tomato Growing Tips

Mothers Day is behind us now and for the most part the night

**Copia**

temperatures should remain above 50F, so it's safe to plant out the tomatoes. Whether you are container gardening or planting directly into your garden, the same basic steps will apply to help you become a great tomato grower. When planting into containers we highly recommend using new, premium, sterile potting mix each year. Pathogens that cause tomato wilt and blight are very easily carried in soil.

If you are a smoker we recommend washing your hands thoroughly before transplanting, since nicotine is a vector for tobacco mosaic virus. If your tomatoes had disease problems in the past, find a new location in the garden this year. With soil that has a lot of clay or does not drain well, we recommend adding a good organic mulch.Begin transplanting by digging
your hole slightly larger than the pot it came in. A handful of organic garden lime, along with a handful of slow release fertilizer mixed in at the bottom of the hole will give the roots a good start, as well as sweeten the soil.

It's fine to bury the tomato deeper than you found it at the nursery, even up to the second set of leaves. Remove the laterals before planting. This will create more roots. More roots will translate into more nutrient uptake, healthier plants and better tasting fruit.

Plan on staking or using cages for your indeterminate plants,

**Husky Cherry**

allowing lots of sunlight and air flow into the plant. Once planted, work another handful of dry organic fertilizer, preferably formulated for tomatoes, into the top of the soil. This gives a steady long term feed to the root system. But you may also want to to use a fast acting organic liquid fertilizer weekly, like our Fox Farm Grow. Want to switch up to the next level? For award winning tomatoes, some growers alternate feedings with an organic bloom formula, once the plant has started its bloom phase. Water daily when the top of the soil is dry or more often if you see the plant in stress. Before you know it, you will have some of the biggest and best tomatoes you have ever eaten. Sorry, but never again will those greenhouse varieties from the store be quite as tasty!

Seeing Bugs? A healthy plant will tend to resist disease and bugs, but let's face it, we are in the Northwest. Damp cool nights, neighbors who never take care of their garden, and the wind sometimes just brings bugs.There are many organic products that can help. The most natural for aphids and spider mites are lady bugs. Another option is an organic/natural spray product made from the neem tree (neem oil) or a product made from chrysanthemum flowers (pyrethrums). You can generally use these up to the day of harvest. Always read the label before using! We have some great choices at the nursery.

Slugs a problem? Watch for them closely from now on. Are you seeing bites in your leaves or slime trails around the lettuce? You may have slugs.These northwest natives can be found all over the garden. A natural product containing iron phosphate will help here. We recommend a pet safe product like Sluggo. (Lettuce disappeared over night? You might check for bunny rabbits too)

Have fun with your tomatoes and gardens. Remember to share with the neighbors or the even the local food bank if you have extras.