The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-04-29, Page 40Page 6
Nothing can beat the healthy, tasty tomato
By Ian D. W. Smith
Soils and Crops Branch
OMAF
Tomatoes'. are the most
popular vegetable grown in
home gardens. A few tomato
plants grown even in small
areas, such as fence corners or
along a patio, can produce
several kilograms of fruit;
with proper care.
Unless your garden is large,
and you have a small
greenhouse for growing your
own plants from seed, ' it is
usually best to buy plants from,
a reputable grower or garden
• centre. Look for healthy, well -
colored, stocky plants, entirely
free from suspected disease
symptoms, such as mottled -
Mustard greens,
a -salad treat
What are your basic tossed
salad ingredients? Lettuce,
radish, tomatoes, green
• onions, occasionally spinach
or endive in season. and a
, • pinch of fresh dill ,or,;other
herbs, right?.,
Very few gardeners know
how good mustard greens
taste in salads. Tender,
young mustard leaves have a
peppery nip and, a mild,
distinctive taste appreicated.
by almost all adventurous
eaters. Substitute chopped
mustard greens for half the
lettuce in salads.
Mustard greens have been
held back by being typed as.a
South'6rn 'vegetable for
simmering alone or with
pork. They are delicious
cooked but they are not just a
Southern vegetable. Quick
growing mustard greens will
thrive anywhere in the USA
if* -planted to mature during
cool weather.
"mustard
name - mu stard
greens" is unfortunate. The
greens don't -have a mustard
flavor. Condiment mustard,
is made from .mustard seeds
from a different species. The
only similarity, between the
taste of greensand prepared
mustard is in the mild
peppery tang.
Mustard greens will
mature in about 45 days from
planting. Your first harvest
will be ready in only 30 days
in the form of surplus
seedlings thinned out' of the
row. Young mustard plants
are classed as "semi -hardy"
and can be planted 3 to 4
weeks prior to the average.
date of the last killing'frost in
the spring. Late summer is a
good time for seeding a fall
crop.
Three kinds of mustard
greens are usually available
•
—smooth leaf, curly leaf and
a variety with broad stems
preferred for oriental
cooking. Smooth -leaved
varieties win out where the
'soils are sandy )because the
leaves are easier to "wash.
The curly leaved types are
superior for salads; they
fluff up tossed salads much
like curly endive.
green leaves, or leaves with
black or brown spots. Remove
any small fruits or open
blossoms before planting,
Otherwise, plant vigor and
fruit production will suffer.
There are many varieties
from which to choose. If you do
not intend to stake your plants,
plant determinate (bush -type)
varieties. Examples are
Springset and Starfire (early),
Basketvee (a new variety from
Vineland) andJetfire.
Where space is limited, plant
staking varieties. These
require more attention, but
can be planted closer. They
usually produce larger,
earlier, cleaner fruit when
they are staked. There are
many varieties„ such ars
Vogue and Gardener (early),
and hybrids such as Ultra Girl,
Better Boy or Wonder Boy.
Some varieties produce
small fruit, paste -type 'fruit
and pink tomatoes. Try to
select varieties adapted to
your growing conditions, with
resistance to as many diseases
as possible.
Before planting, apply a
complete fertilizer, such as 15-
15-15 -at 10 kilograms per 100
square metres (20. pounds per
1000 square feet). I•f manure
has been applied use 5-10710 at
about 12'to 15 kildgrams 'per
100 square metres (25 to 30
pounds per 1000 square feet')
Apply half the amount before
planting time, and work it
throroughly into the soil. The
remainder can be used as a
side -dressing around the
plants, a few weeks after
planting. Soils for tomatoes
should also contain a good
supply of organic matters.
Set your plants in warm,
well-prepared soil. Wait until
all danger of frost is past
before planting. Don't risk
frost injury or slow growth just
for the sake of earliness. When
transplanting, becareful not to
disturb the, roots, 'and set the -
plants about 5 centimetres (a
couple of inches) deeper than
they were in the original
container. Press the soil firmly •
around the roots, and then
apply a capful of liquid fel,:
tilizer or plant -starter solution
around each plant. Fer staked
tomatoes. space plants 30 to 45
centimetres apart U2 to 18
inches),' in. rows 105 to 120
centimetres apart (42 to 48
inches).
Get rid of weeds when they
are small. Practise shallow
cultivation. because • feeding
.roots develop near the soil
surface . can be damaged
easily by hoeing or cultivating
too deeply.
After plants are • well
estabushEd 13 to 4 weeks after
planting) they can he mulched
with clean straw, wood
shavings, compost, or other
suitable materials..M'ulching
helps control weeds, conserves
Moisture, and keeps the soil
cooler during hot weather,
. Since summer rains do not-
nrirma fly supply 'all the water
requirements of tomatoes,
periodic watering is
necessary. Apply enough
water to wet the soil at least 12
to 15 centimetres deep 15 tor,
inches). Inadequate or fluc-
tuating soil moisture is tilt
main cause of blossom -end rot,
characterized , by a black,
decayed area at the bottom of
the fruit.
For home use, dont harvest
tomatoes until .they are fully
ripe. Artificial ripening results
in loss of. flavor.`
To reduce losses Irim
diseases practise rotation. it
possible: use disease•resistwrt
'varieties; plant health
plants; promote fast dr\ rng nI
wet plants by providing.
adequate spacing and
sunlight; control weeds and
spray or dust regularly wing a
recommended fungicide to
help prevent leaf blight and
fruit rots.
For - detailed information
refer to Ontario Minis) r•> of
Agriculture and 1•'(
publication 64, insect and
Disease Control in the home
Garden. This booklet is
available free at countand
district agricultural offices
-HYBRID
..
TOMATO -MOST POPULAR GARDEN VEGETABLE!'
VARIETY
Sweet 100
Small Fry
T•""
Early Cascade
Patio
Sunnpe
Floramenca
the Juice
Edey Gin
Cane, Boy
Pantos,
Super
F antav�i
ever Bop
�,
Bae/masfe,
SHAPE
t�
�6'�t4
Incur
��
V
r `'��
4100
0
- '.
,
2
•
.., /\I\
J' .
�v Jc
_
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,
a
SIZE
1- -
t`
• 3.44
4.5oz
810 oz
8 12oz
68oz
4 hoz
a ,0 or
8 in oz
5 10oz
m t 4 oz_
Over '0,
4
GROWTH .
Indetermmete
Determinate
Indeterminate
Determinate
Determinate..
Determinate
Determinate
Indere,minate
Indelerm.nare
uareiermin,ia•
Indere,mi,ate
inrlete,meiate
0,Oererminalh
MATURITY
- 65 days
65 days '
55 days '
• - 70 days
• 75 days --
75PJays--
-- 65 days
52 days
80 days_ ..
. 10 cloys ..
_ IQ dt y.9 ,. ,
J0 days
80 nay,
DISEASE
TOLERANCE
None
VFN
VF
F
VFN
VF
• VF
V
None
. F
VFN
VFN
VFN
NOTES
'
EauBTety
sweet
6.8 It tell
Che type
/N
Good llevor
Garden or
container
Crus(e)s of
7.9 fruits
Neswly
piorirofed
?1.30 m tell
Containers
or small
gardens
Widely
adapted
Good tesla
Tolerant to
nlossom-end
rot
78 AAS winner
Widely adapted
GSow in cages
nr an snort
staves
B. ed
es' /5/00
for toles
No stewing
Earliest yet
Smoofn
Goon havu,
Gorden yenvw
)roil
Very miltl navo,
Omy n gond
yellow
Pin, )wiled
i.r;ir�ro,e,anr
'Sm«on
Fay„ yiehls
Goon raver
Cpnnnunus
r unpin y
Most popular
EKSlen)lravo,
Smooln
Grow on slates
m sprawled
Beelsteals type
Rough good flavor
9
lough of er'Ia.,'
or spnnmy
Sunflowers
ersatile and bright
Like porkers from which
everything is used but the
squeal, sunflowers are ef-
ficient, adaptable and in-
finitely useful to gardeners.
The huge, golden sunlight
seeking blossoms are
beautiful, more than com-
pensating for sunflower's
tall, coarse leaves, often
used for screening. Seeds
form quickly, their weight
making sunflower heads
nod. After the seed heads are
harvested the sturdy, fibroin,
stalks can be dried and
saved for use as rustic
tripods to support vining
vegetables or flowers.
If you want to plant giant
sunflowers, be sure to select
,a variety bearing the name
"Giant" or '''Mamrrloth".
Plant breeders have
developed all sorts of
shorter, smaller flowered
sunflowers in their quest for
more decorative' garden
plants. These newer
varieties are beautiful but
they don't have, giant
flowers.
Sow again
Extend your supply of fresh
garden vegetables this sum-
mer by planting a second crop
of carrots, beets, beans and
lettuce in late June for late
August harvest.
Tomato Hybrid Super Fantastic
Tomato Hybrid Rebel Red
Beat the High •Cost
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e UP
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