Rule # 1: Patience AND Virtue

Every year about this time my friends see the mega-nursery shelves bursting with tomatoes:

 "Is it time to plants tomatoes yet?"  Well, no.  Why? The soil just isn't warm enough.

We planned our sale for April 19th in order to give our members and customers the best chance of success with their plants. 

Low temperatures impair tomato growth.  The optimal minimum soil temperature for

tomatoes is 65 degrees F, especially at night.  The reading on my soil thermometer this morning, March 31, was 53 degrees F, despite our warm-ish winter!  

Your plant may not die -- unless we get one of our now-infamous April cold snaps.  However, for all the trouble to get your lovelies, rushing to get early (and bland) fruits can compromise quantity and quality in the long run.  Consider, too, that tomato plants planted under good conditions catch up extraordinarily fast to those planted earlier under less favorable circumstances.   

There's another reason to buy from the Markham - your purchases fund projects at the Nature Park and Arboretum.  So, feel good about your gardening decision in EVERY way.

Rule # 2: Be Selective 

You are better off picking a smaller number of top quality plants that can produce a lot more

 instead of buying dozens of varieties 

We have carefully selected thirty-six varieties of heirloom and open-pollinated

 tomatoes; many of which you will not find anywhere else. (Click here for a handy shopping list)  These varieties are particularly well suited to our local climate, gardening conditions,

 and this year's weather patterns.  

We will also be profiling a few of our super stars over the next two weeks, but click here for the details on all the varieties.  

Rule # 3: Be Water Thrifty

We are doubtless facing another very serious drought year.  Tomatoes can be surprisingly drought tolerant!  My February notes -

"2014 California Drought Blues and Reds, Yellows, Greens" - gives some advice on selection and gardening practices designed to increase yield vs. water use.