Sping here was the most beautiful in years. The spring flowers, and the trees blooming at the same time. The sad part was alergy season was the worst in years too.
I counted the snows after the forsitha bloomed. We only had two..not good at all. Here I sit mid May, and still haven't planted my tomato plants, or any annuals.
People may laugh, but we've had one frost after another. I warned my neighbor not to plant anything fragile yet. He laughed it off, as I had him counting the snows as well. He isn't laughing anymore, as he has lost many plants even after he tried to cover them.
I'm planting my tomatoes this weekend, even though the chance of more frosts are more likely then not. I'll cover them when I have to, but I need them to be well rooted soon. No tomatos by the 4th this year.
The biggest problem we've had here is vine rot, or late blight. It's the same thing that created the great potato famine. Last year almost as soon as the vines produced, they died. In order for it not to spread you have to pull the plant, and put them in a container right away. These spores spread on the wind. There is no way to kill these spores once they are in place. Prevention is the only thing to do.
This is the prevention I"m gong to try this year
if you want to spray something for prevention, spray your tomato (and potato) leaves with compost tea or the Cornell Formula - a baking soda based disease preventative - first thing in the morning, once a week.
In one gallon of water, mix and repeatedly shake:
Early in the morning, place some of your finest quality compost in a porous cloth container and put it in a container full of cool water; an old sock for a gallon of water; a pillowcase or burlap sack in a clean trash can full of water. If it's city water, let it sit for a day first and stir it a few times to dissipate the chlorine. Let it steep for 24 hours, then strain the liquid that next morning and spray immediately. You want to use it right away to get the maximum number of little compost guys fighting for you. (Return the contents of your 'tea bag' to your compost pile.)
Aerated compost tea Again, make a batch of compost tea in the morning, but drop some aquarium bubblers in there to add air as it brews or use one of the commercial devices that do this, such as The Soil Soup machine or Gardens Alive's Compost tea. That extra air will greatly multiply the number of helpful little compost guys in your tea.
Good luck with your Tomatos this year!
I counted the snows after the forsitha bloomed. We only had two..not good at all. Here I sit mid May, and still haven't planted my tomato plants, or any annuals.
People may laugh, but we've had one frost after another. I warned my neighbor not to plant anything fragile yet. He laughed it off, as I had him counting the snows as well. He isn't laughing anymore, as he has lost many plants even after he tried to cover them.
I'm planting my tomatoes this weekend, even though the chance of more frosts are more likely then not. I'll cover them when I have to, but I need them to be well rooted soon. No tomatos by the 4th this year.
The biggest problem we've had here is vine rot, or late blight. It's the same thing that created the great potato famine. Last year almost as soon as the vines produced, they died. In order for it not to spread you have to pull the plant, and put them in a container right away. These spores spread on the wind. There is no way to kill these spores once they are in place. Prevention is the only thing to do.
This is the prevention I"m gong to try this year
if you want to spray something for prevention, spray your tomato (and potato) leaves with compost tea or the Cornell Formula - a baking soda based disease preventative - first thing in the morning, once a week.
In one gallon of water, mix and repeatedly shake:
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 drops dishwashing liquid or insecticidal soap
- 1 tablespoon oil. You can use vegetable oil, but horticultural oil (available at better garden centers) will work better, especially one of the new lighter-weight "summer oils". (Cowboy Gardeners: Do NOT use motor oil or WD-40 or any other such foolish thing.)
Early in the morning, place some of your finest quality compost in a porous cloth container and put it in a container full of cool water; an old sock for a gallon of water; a pillowcase or burlap sack in a clean trash can full of water. If it's city water, let it sit for a day first and stir it a few times to dissipate the chlorine. Let it steep for 24 hours, then strain the liquid that next morning and spray immediately. You want to use it right away to get the maximum number of little compost guys fighting for you. (Return the contents of your 'tea bag' to your compost pile.)
Aerated compost tea Again, make a batch of compost tea in the morning, but drop some aquarium bubblers in there to add air as it brews or use one of the commercial devices that do this, such as The Soil Soup machine or Gardens Alive's Compost tea. That extra air will greatly multiply the number of helpful little compost guys in your tea.
Good luck with your Tomatos this year!