Joan's Garden Tips - Planters, Annuals & Tomatoes

We're past any danger of frost, so it's time to plant. This week, Joan talks about watering hanging planters, pinching back annuals, and planting tomatoes.

Hanging planters - Many people like to hang planters on their porches and around their yard in the summer. One of the problems that you can run into is due to the fact that nurseries don't fill the planters with soil any more. The flowers are planted in a lighter mix that is mostly peat which is fine for the plant, as long as you know how to water them. When the soil-less mix gets very dry, it shrinks and pulls away from the side of the pot. When that happens, the water quickly runs down between the root ball and the side of the pot and out the bottom of the planter, which makes people think they have given the plant enough water when, in fact, the root ball is still dry. At that point, you must either water the plant several times until the pot is nice and heavy and obviously full of water or sit it in a pan of water for an hour or so until the same result is achieved.

All plants need to dry out slightly between waterings, but preferably not to the point of wilting, or to the point where the root ball is dry, as described above. When you water your plant, water it well. It is okay for the extra water to spill out over the top edge of the pot when you water. You have a problem when the water rushes immediately out the bottom (saucer).

Finally, don't forget a regular application of an appropriate fertilizer, something recommended for flowering plants. I generally recommend a liquid fertilizer for hanging plants. Be sure to follow the mixing directions on the package, so you don't over fertilize and never, ever put fertilizer in a wilted plant. Fertilize often: 2 or 3 times a week would not be too much for a hanging plant that is being watered everyday.

Pinching back annuals - Annuals are plants, such as petunias and impatiens, which typically flower all summer long. The flowers appear on the new shoots. One way to keep your annuals full of blossoms is to remove the faded blooms after flowering and pinch back "leggy" stems to encourage side shoots. This will help your plant to become fuller and result in more flowers than ever.

When pinching, you can remove a lot or a little but remember that the more you remove, the longer it will take your plant to recover. General rule of thumb is up to a third of the stem could be removed if a serious adjustment is necessary but hopefully, just snipping off the end of the stem will do the job.

Once again, an application of fertilizer after pinching will give your plants the boost they need to get growing.

Tomatoes - This is the time of year when many people plant tomatoes. When you plant your tomatoes, look for a spot that gets lots of sun.

Good tomatoes grow on plants with good roots. Our soil here in Dunstable tends to be dry. So, to keep the roots of your tomato plant healthy, it's a good idea to add something like compost or dehydrated cow manure or peat to the soil before planting to help retain moisture in the soil on hot days. Compost and cow manure also provide nutrients that will help feed the plant. Also, tomatoes like a sweeter (more alkaline) soil, which can be achieved by adding lime. Lime takes a while to break down in the soil to where it can be used by the plant, so it's important to spread it in the fall for next years crop as well as in the spring at planting time.

There are many varieties of tomatoes within each category (globe for sandwiches and salads, plum for sauces, and cherry for salads), most of which are hybrids that have been bred for certain desirable characteristics such as size, productivity, and disease resistance.  If your tomatoes tend to have disease problems, you will have better results if you choose a hybrid variety that is specifically bred to be resistant to diseases. A variety we highly recommend for problem areas is called "Celebrity". It's an All-American Selection that is resistant to most diseases and bears large, meaty tomatoes with excellent flavor. Don't hesitate to check your tomato's credentials.

Heirlooms are older varieties that have not been cross bred over the years.  Some people prefer the taste of heirlooms, but those varieties tend to be less disease resistant.  Most people are happy with the taste of any home grown tomato.

Other factors to consider in choosing tomato varieties is how many days they take to produce fruit and whether they produce fruit all at once on a bush (determinate) or whether they produce fruit on vines that keep producing until the end of the season (indeterminate).  

Tomatoes can develop diseases if grown in the same area year after year, or handled improperly. One common disease is the tobacco virus, which shows up as brown spots or mottling on the leaves. The tobacco virus can be transmitted from cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Tomato varieties identified as VFN are relatively resistant to verticillium wilt, fusarium fungus, and nematodes. If the leaves are turning yellow, the plant may simply need some fish emulsion or a balanced fertilizer. If that doesn't do it, it could be infected with a disease or parasitic bugs.

The worst part about growing tomatoes is the tomato hornworm. You'll know you have one (or more) when you come out to inspect your garden and find that one of your tomato plants looks like a large animal was munching on it. Now the hard part - finding the nasty thing. Despite their size (as big as your finger), they attach themselves to stems and blend in so completely that you may be tempted to give up. Don't. You'll find it eventually, and maybe a few others as well. If you pick them off and squish them - wicked gross - and keep an eye out for others, your problem should be solved. If you leave them, you can plan on buying your tomatoes at one of our local farmstands.

Some tips for keeping tomatoes healthy are:

• Don't water after 2 p.m., so the plants will be dry going into the nighttime hours.
• Never handle wet plants.
• Don't smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products around your tomato plants.
• Make sure your tomato plants get plenty of sun and water.

We've been getting plenty of water. So, the main thing we need now for a good tomato crop is a little sunshine!