Choosing Tomato Varieties

We have a vast collection of tomato seeds ready for starting.  We also have a beginning assortment of tomato starts in our bedding department.

Tomatoes group nicely into types according to growth habit and production.

Determinate types grow in a compact, bush form, requiring little or no staking. Fruit forms on the ends of the branches; most of the crop ripens at the same time. One or more successive plantings will ensure an extended harvest period. Determinate types are often the choice of those who want a large supply of ripe fruit at once for canning. Determinate types include Ace 55 and Italian Roma.

Indeterminate varieties continue to grow and produce fruit all season until the first frost. Tomatoes in all stages of development may be on the plants at one time. The plants set fruit clusters along a vigorously growing vining stem. Under optimum conditions, some can grow over 15′, but in most home gardens they reach about 6′. Some indeterminates have a bush form with stockier vines, which set fruit clusters closer together. Indeterminate types include Beefsteak, most cherry tomatoes, and San Marzano (paste).

Semi-determinate tomatoes also continue to produce up until frost. A good one to consider is Glacier.

Tomatoes can also be also grouped by use, shape, and size.

For slicing, use tomatoes that are large and juicy.

Paste (sauce/Roma/plum) tomatoes are drier (concentrated flavor), with fewer seeds, making them ideal for a sauce but also excellent for slicing.

Cherry tomatoes are bite-sized and come in several shapes like oblong, pear-shaped or round.

Vegetable	Plant Time	Amount (family of 4)	Special Notes	Plant Now
Artichoke	Year ’round	3 – 4 plants	Permanent, perennial.	4″ Pots
Beans, String	April – May Then later again in July and August	15 – 25 ft. row	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.	From Starts or Seeds
Carrots	Year ’round	20 – 30 ft. row	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.	From Seeds
Chives	Year ’round	1 clump	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.	From Starts or Seeds
Corn, sweet	April – July	20 – 30 ft. row	Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. Soil must be warm.	From Starts or Seeds
Cucumbers	April – July	6 plants	N/A	From Seeds
Florence Fennel	June – August	10 – 15 ft. row	Grown for it’s bulbous base. Sensitive to root disturbances.	From Starts
Parsley	Year ’round	1 – 2 plants	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.	From Starts
Parsnips	May – July	10 – 15 ft. row	N/A	Seed
Peppers	April – July	5 – 10 plants	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown	From Starts
Radishes	Year ’round	4 ft. row	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.	From Seed
Squash, summer	April – July	2 – 4 plants	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.	From seeds
Squash, winter	June – September	2 – 4 plants	Known as winter Squash because it stores over winter but it grows in summer-fall.	From seeds
Tomatoes	March – July	6 – 10 plants	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Weather permitting, starting in March is possible.	From Starts
Turnips	February – August	10 – 15 ft. row	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.	From Seed

EarthBoxes are a smart option for container gardening. They are efficient water users allowing a plant to grow considerably more substantial than expected from such a small container, and all water goes to the plant.

EarthBoxes have been tested here and in the gardens of some of our staff, and they work amazingly well.  The EarthBoxes produce more vegetables from a surprisingly small footprint because they are a growing system with moisture and fertilizer delivered slowly and regularly.  They have a plastic mulch cover and a water reservoir, so no water is lost to evaporation or drainage; it all goes to the plant.

Essentially, EarthBoxes are a passive hydroponic growing system.  Water and nutrients are in place, and the plant pulls water and fertilizer as needed. A water reservoir in the bottom of the box has an overflow vent, so it’s impossible to over water.

Someone worked the bugs out of this system; it just works, and if you are interested in container gardening with an eye toward water conservation, EarthBoxes have a few features that mean the plant uses all of the water wasting none to evaporation or runoff.

EarthBoxes are perfect for a new gardener. The experience will be rewarding and relatively trouble-free.  They are also perfect for the gardener who has downsized and does not have space for a large garden, or who is not as able-bodied as they used to be.  Gardening with an EarthBox is easy on the body, even more so if the EarthBox is raised up to waist level to eliminate bending.  Weeds are not a problem.  Come in and take a look.

Vine-ripened tomatoes from your own garden, it doesn’t get much better.

Grow your own and enjoy the delicious result and health benefits. April and May are great months to get your tomatoes growing!

We have the old favorites, heirloom varieties, and new hybrids. Fredriks will dazzle us with their tasty “Colorful Collection” and Upstarts will offer certified organic options. There’s something for everyone.

Invest in sturdy tomato cages and use them year after year. (In the winter turn them upside down and use to support flowering or edible peas!) Your little tomato seedlings will reach 5-6’ in height. With the cage support, you can plant more in a small space. I’ve been known to wedge seven tomatoes into a 4’ x 8’ raised bed with room on the edges for basil, chives, and other favorite herbs.

Before you know it, you’ll be slicing tomatoes for salads, making Bruschetta and delicious sauces from your harvest. Add other veggies to the garden as weather permits. Basil and melons love it warm. Save space for them and plant in May.

This week is unique in that we enter the window of time for starting vegetables for setting out into the garden later.  Gardeners can also set out starter plants for a second, bumper crop of cool season crops.

Summer Vegetable Seed Starting

Now is the time to start seeds indoors for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. We have seeds, seedling trays, seed starting mix, to get you going.

We also have lighted starting kits and trays.

Here is an example of the highly informative Botanical Interests Seed packet:

Hungarian Yellow Wax Pepper – Capsicum annuum
Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds 

75 days from transplanting. Developed in Hungary, this early-maturing pepper has a waxy texture that resembles beeswax. Wax peppers are actually orange-red when ripe but are usually picked while still yellow. Great used fresh in salads, pickled, fried, canned, or roasted. 4,500–5,000 Scoville heat units (medium hot).

When to sow outside: For mild climates only: 2 to 4 weeks after average last frost, when soil temperature is at least 70°F [Warm enough for Sun Bathing].

When to start inside: RECOMMENDED. 8 to 10 weeks before transplanting. Ideal soil temperature for germination is 70°‒90°F. Transplant seedlings outside 2 to 4 weeks after average last frost, and when daytime temperatures are at least 70°F, and nighttime temperatures are at least 55°F. Mild Climates: Also sow in late summer for fall/winter crop.

Harvesting: Harvest when 3″–5″ long or longer and when peppers are yellow or orange-red. Even though Hungarian yellows are usually harvested yellow, they will ripen to orange-red if left on the vine. When harvesting, take care to avoid touching the interior of any broken peppers, as the capsaicin is an extreme irritant, especially to the eyes. Wash hands thoroughly after harvesting, or wear gloves to harvest peppers.

Artist: Pat Fostvedt

Want to start a second “Bumper Crop” of winter vegetables?

Peas, broccoli, onions, and cauliflower set out now can squeeze in a productive run before temperatures rise in June.  Cool season crops, such as these are often planted in September and October for harvest now, but planting now allows you to work in a crop for later spring harvest. This can even out your garden harvest before summer veggies begin to fruit.

Snap peas are great for a quick, sweet snack.  Plant a couple for snacking or plant a 10′ row for meal-size harvests.

Cauliflower comes in hues including orange and white; Broccoli is in stock in green and chartreuse; try something new!

 

 

 

 

Raised Bed Kits &  EarthBoxes

Growing vegetables in a raised bed solves several problems and makes gardening more productive and rewarding. Our heavy clay soil can be tough to work and slow to drain. Adding compost helps on both of these fronts.  Using a raised bed with well-improved soil allows one to garden in a deep friable earth that drains well, plants love and does not require too much bending over to maintain.

The benefits of raised bed gardening over conventional row gardening include being able to give your plants the perfect soil mix, allowing for easier weeding and the ability to block gophers (Using hardware mesh across the bottom of the bed). Redwood raised bed kits are on sale this week, 30% off – limited to stock on hand.

Earthboxes

We also sell EarthBoxes which have many of the same benefits as raised beds… They are self-contained systems, so they use water very wisely and grow more produce in a smaller space.  We are all surprised at how much produce you can harvest from a single EarthBox.

Vegetable	Plant Time	Amount (family of 4)	Special Notes	Plant Now
Artichoke	Year ’round	3 – 4 plants	Permanent, perennial.	4″ Pots
Beans, lima	May – June	15 – 25 ft. row	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.
Beans, String	April – May Then later again in July and August	15 – 25 ft. row	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.	From Starts or Seeds
Cantaloupes/Other melons	April – June	5 – 10 hills	Soil must be warm.	From Starts or Seeds
Carrots	Year ’round	20 – 30 ft. row	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.	From Seeds
Chives	Year ’round	1 clump	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.	From Starts or Seeds
Corn, sweet	April – July	20 – 30 ft. row	Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. Soil must be warm.	From Starts or Seeds
Cucumbers	April – July	6 plants	N/A	From Seeds
Eggplant	April – June	4 – 6 plants	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.	From Starts
Okra	May	10 – 20 ft. row	N/A	From Starts
Parsley	Year ’round	1 – 2 plants	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.	From Starts
Parsnips	May – July	10 – 15 ft. row	N/A
Peppers	April – July	5 – 10 plants	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown	From Starts
Pumpkins	April – June	1 – 3 plants	N/A	From Starts or seeds
Radishes	Year ’round	4 ft. row	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.	From Seed
Squash, summer	April – July	2 – 4 plants	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.	From Starts or seeds
Squash, winter	June – September	2 – 4 plants	Known as winter Squash because it stores over winter but it grows in summer-fall.	From Starts or seeds
Strawberries	June – September	12+ plants	Bare root in November – 6-Pack arriving in Feb.	6-Packs Soon
Tomatoes	March – July	6 – 10 plants	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Weather permitting, starting in March is possible.	From Starts
Turnips	February – August	10 – 15 ft. row	Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.	From Starts
Watermelons	April – June	6 plants	N/A	From Seeds