•voices’
APRIL 15. 2011
WWW.JUSTOUT.COM
Tornato Strategy is Good Strategy
It’s April, it’s cold, it’s wet and rainy. I just
got back from a business trip to Florida where,
while there, I wore shades, short sleeves and
sundresses—also, flip-flops. Upon my return, I
attempted an evening walk and before hitting
one block was practically screaming with chills,
despite wearing layers.
So this morning I bundled up to run a few
errands, and while sprinting from my car into
the grocery store, I skidded to a halt. Lined up
outside were rows and rows of vegetable starts.
At this point, the wintry wind was causing my
nose to run, and I walked in place while stand
ing in front of the vegetables. They looked so
cold. I was so cold. But then I saw them and my
heart sank with sadness. On the top row? All
tomato starts. Obviously freshly pulled from
their cozy greenhouse, they tried to stand
strong, but their little leaves were already hang
ing low. I wanted to fit each of these poor little
tomatoes with tiny fleece jackets, zip them up
and possibly throw in some ear muffs. It was a
sad sight.
I am here to tell you, Western Oregon gar
deners, it is too early to plant your tomatoes.
Too early! Do not be lured in by big box displays
of warm weather veggie starts like tomatoes,
eggplants or cucumbers. And for god’s sake, put
down the basil.
Still, it’s not too soon to develop your strate-
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prepared to plant your tomatoes and your to
mato supports (cages or side supports with
twine) at the same time.
Put in your watering system when you
plant. Tomatoes benefit from regular water
once our hot summers really get going. You can
prevent cracks in your tomatoes with regular
watering and help conserve resources by using
either soaker hoses or drip irrigation. It simpli
fies everything and frees you up from having to
stand guard with the hose every night.
Choose proper varieties for where we live.
Russian varieties from our cool weather friends
are usually good, reliable producers. I can’t help
but to include Black Krim, Green Zebra and
Taxi in my list for this year to help bring beau
tiful color to a plate filled with homegrown to
matoes. Tomatoes with shorter growth periods
are better for our (sometimes) short summers.
Have a back-up plan: cherry tomatoes to
the rescue. Speaking o f short summers, I know
the season never came last year. It was a sad one
for tomatoes. But the huge success in my gar
den, despite the cool weather, was cherry toma
toes. They don’t require as much heat to put out
the goods. Don’t let your summer go tomato
less: Plant cherry tomatoes. I recommend Sweet
Million and Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes. J#]
the sassy gardener
gy for tomatoes this summer— I'll share mine
with you.
Rotate where you’re growing them. If you’ve
suffered tomato diseases in the past year (blight,
anyone?), you'd best rotate where you’re growing
your tomatoes to another bed. It’s good practice
every few years to rotate plants through so the
soil can build up and come into better balance.
The secret is in the soil. Good plants reflect
good soil. Every year I add inches of rich com
post, and when planting tomatoes, I’ll amend
the soil with a handful of lime. (You can get it
in bulk at Garden Fever, 3433 NE 24th Ave.)
Use the beds now for cool weather plants.
Don’t stare out at your barren beds and wait for
July. Use those beds for spring salad makings
like lettuce and arugula, and most definitely
peas. Harvest heavily and then plant your to
matoes once summer is actually here.
Wait to plant. Every year I get excited and I
plant too early. Meanwhile, my plants shiver for
a few months and don’t grow an inch. I’m wait
ing until June to plant my tomatoes this year.
Well, perhaps late May, but I’m going to protect
them carefully.
Protect your starts. If you’re going to plant
BY LEANN
LOCHER
tomatoes prior to July, your little ones will do
better with some protection from cool weather.
I find walls of water to be clunky, but I’ve found
wrapping the tomato cages with plastic wrap,
and up and over the top, makes for great insu
lation as the plants take root. O n hot days you
can lift back the top plastic and then finally re
move the side plastic when our nights become
warm in the summer.
Know how you’re going to support their
growth and install it when you plant your to
matoes. It’s pretty disappointing to accidentally.
spear a successfully growing plant while trying
to stake it with a tomato cage. Don’t risk it. Be
L f .A nn L ocher is an OSU Extension Master
Gardener and gardens with her partner at their
North Portland home. View photos o f her garden
and read sporadic ramblings at lelonopo.com.
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