Don't miss our favorite Easter tradition. Beautiful sugar eggs, handmade and each one unique, are now in the store. We have them in sizes teeny to extra large and in an array of colors. Made locally by our friends Jackie and Cathy, these eggs will surely be a treasured heirloom in the years to come.

 

Success with Tomatoes

Of all the crops grown by the home gardener, the tomato is number one in popularity. The choice of plants range from Heirloom (old fashioned types not suitable for commercial growing) to modern hybrids resistant to verticillium, fusariumw ilt, nematodes andt obacco mosaic. Fruits range from huge 1 - 2 lbs. 'Brandywine' to tiny "pea size" 'Currant' and from deepest (almost black) red through pink and rainbow striped to golden yellow and even green! The selection is truly staggering.

Tomatoes are classified into two groups: Determinate and Indeterminate.

Determinate plants tend to flower and set fruit which matures all at once. plants do not continue to grow after the flush of flowers; therefore the plants tend to be stockier and rarely need staking. Some of these varieties are ideal for containers.

Indeterminate plants (vines) continue to flower, set fruit and grow throughout the growing season. These vines usually need to be staked or grown in a tomato cage. Most varieties for the home gardener are of this type.

Soil preparation:

Probably the most important aspect of vegetable gardening is the soil preparation and care of the soil; thus this basic element of gardening must be accomplished prior to planting. For ease of planting, to provide proper drainage and to encourage root crops to reach their full potential, every effort should be made to increase the tilth of the soil. This is done by turning organic material into the soil to a depth of 6 - 8 inches. Master Nursery Pay Dirt or Master Nursery Bumper Crop, at a rate of one bag per 25 sq. ft., is recommended. Raised beds can be valuable where soil quality or drainage is a problem.

Planting:

Tomatoes are easy to grow, requiring sun, well-drained, fertile soil and regular, deep irrigation. Planting can begin as soon as the last danger of frost is past.

Planting is most often done by seedlings. Bury the stems of tomatoes deeply so that only two sets of leaves are above ground. this will encourage deep roots.

Watering:

Tomatoes need deep, infrequent but regular watering. Erratic or over-watering can cause problems such as fruit or flower drop and blossom end rot. A thorough soaking every 5 - 10 days is a good general watering guide.

Fertilizing:

Vegetables are heavy feeders and therefore need above average quantities of plant nutrients. In general, tomatoes need fertilizing every 30 days during the growing season with EB Stone Organics Tomato & Vegetable Food, or Master Nursery Tomato & Vegetable Food. During the summer months, supplement with feedings of liquid Seaweed Extract to give tomatoes an extra boost.

Blossom Drop and Pollination:

Tomatoes are self pollinating (with the help of bees). Temperatures below 55 degrees can cause blossom drop. Other causes of blossom drop are extreme heat or too much water, shade and/ or fertilizer (especially high nitrogen formulas).

Pest Control:

Pest control in the vegetable garden should be carried out in a curative manner rather than a preventative manner. This requires close surveillance to prevent infestation from spreading.

Apply Monterey Sluggo to control snails and slugs. Safe to use in vegetable gardens.

Tomatoes may be attacked by sucking insects such as aphids and whitefly which can be controlled with Master Nursery Pest Fighter Year Round Spray Oil or Safer Fruit and Vegetable Insect Spray.

The other common enemy of tomatoes is the voracious Tomato Hornworm, which can be controlled with Safer Caterpillar Killer, also know as "BT".

Disease Control:

Reduce the incidence of disease with these simple precautions:

1. Plant disease resistant varieties. Often labeled VFN or VFNT.
2. Rotate the area used for planting tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. They pass on the same soil-borne diseases.
3. Avoid handling plants and never handle plants after smoking.
4. Don't over water. Water at surface level, not overhead. Space irrigation 5 - 10 days apart depending upon weather condition and maturity of plants.
5. Remove seriously diseased plants from your garden and dispose, not in the compost pile!

 

With the spring weather finally upon us and tomatoes available out in the nursery, now is the time to prepare your summer vegetable beds. Amending the old soil in your existing raised beds or garden area is essential to both the structure of the soil (breaking up the clay) and for providing nutrients for your new veggies. We at Orchard Nursery recommend blending a 50/50 ratio (50% amendment and 50% existing soil) of either Bumper Crop or Master Nursery Paydirt into your existing soil. To that end, we will be running a “Buy 3, Get One Free” special on Bumper Crop through April 30th.

 

Spring is here! Officially, spring begins Saturday morning at 10:32am. At Orchard, we are excited for spring and have been getting ready for quite a while. New shipments are arriving daily – both old favorites and fabulous new finds! Here’s a sneak peek at what’s arrived this week:

• Add a little color to your tomato garden…Ginger’s tomatoes arrived this week, as well as bright colored tomato cages (new this year).
• We recently found a new source for wine barrels…great quality and the price went down on half barrels (now $40).
• A new shipment of lightweight pottery brings new styles and colors for spring, as well as a new hose pot with a cover!
• Hop on in to see what Easter décor has just arrived…ceramic bunnies, sheep, chicks and more are being unpacked as I type this!
• Pottery, pottery, and more pottery…we’re unpacking it as fast as we can (keep an eye on our Featured Pot of the Week to see some of the new styles).
• Cacti and Succulents are here!
  
  Please stop by our cactus and succulent area and see the myriad of colorful plants that just arrived. You’ll find three new kinds of decorative gravel and a new shipment of pottery for making beautiful dish gardens. In the Garden Shop, we have a great new book, Succulent Container Gardens by Debra Lee Baldwin to inspire your creativity.
  
  Remember that some cacti and succulents are frost tender and we still have potential for frost until the first of April. Keep tender varieties under the protection of a roof or overhang until then (and even after, if it’s forecasted to freeze).

Enjoy the sunshine this week!