A re-post of the videos on planting your heirloom tomatoes.
Enjoy
The below movie walks you through the pruning process in preparation to plant
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Preparing the Soil for Planting
The movie below discusses soil, in preparation for planting your Heirlooms
Putting your Heirloom Tomatoes in the Ground
The below video gives directions on how to plant your Heirlooms into the ground... enjoy!
Planting Early With a Frost Protector
Last year I Planted a Siberian Pink Honey and a Carbon Tomato in Mid April. Using a frost/ wind protector it increased the growing season by over a month. See the video below.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Transplanting your Heirloom
May 24th is fast approaching... historically this is when we are free to plant as the chance of frost is very low. Click here for more information. At this point you should be bringing your heirlooms outside on nice days and keeping them out overnight if the temp stays above 10 degrees C (somewhere sheltered from potential wind). If you are finding that your heirloom is getting really big and it is need of watering once or twice everyday, you should think about doing an intermediate transplant for the last 2 weeks.
Why do an intermediate transplant so close to the final garden transplant?
The main reason for this transplant is because your heirlooms have outgrown their pots and become a bit root bound. If your heirlooms are still in the 3.5" potter from purchase and they are bigger than a foot high, you should probably transplant. Below are a couple of pictures of a plant that should be transplanted for the next couple of weeks.
This heirloom is about 1.5' high. As discussed in one of the planting videos, height is important because we want to plant deep so the heirloom creates feeder roots along its stem. It should be noted that this is unique to vine plants only. If you are planting peppers for instance, do not bury the stem deep... you will kill the plant.
Notice the root ball is starting to wrap around itself. Before transplanting, we need to loosen the roots so they spread outwards into the new soil.
Releasing the roots to spread outward is key. Like a parent, be firm but gentle. Release some of the dirt from the bottom and gently massage the roots away from each other. The picture below shows what it should look like.
What Size pot should I use?
For the intermediate transplant, use a pot that is just a bit bigger than the original planter. It is not recommended that you transplant into something large because excess soil will keep excess moisture which can promote root rot. You are also planning to replant into the ground in a couple weeks so you want the soil to hold together. Try to use a good quality potting soil or triple mix that is light a fluffy. Don't use the dollar store stuff that come in a small bag but seems to weigh 10 pounds... It will hold too much water and promote root rot. After transplant, keep your heirlooms out of direct sun for 24 hours as it adjusts. Keep the soil moist so the roots can get settled in to their new surroundings.
Why do an intermediate transplant so close to the final garden transplant?
The main reason for this transplant is because your heirlooms have outgrown their pots and become a bit root bound. If your heirlooms are still in the 3.5" potter from purchase and they are bigger than a foot high, you should probably transplant. Below are a couple of pictures of a plant that should be transplanted for the next couple of weeks.
This heirloom is about 1.5' high. As discussed in one of the planting videos, height is important because we want to plant deep so the heirloom creates feeder roots along its stem. It should be noted that this is unique to vine plants only. If you are planting peppers for instance, do not bury the stem deep... you will kill the plant.
Notice the root ball is starting to wrap around itself. Before transplanting, we need to loosen the roots so they spread outwards into the new soil.
For the intermediate transplant, use a pot that is just a bit bigger than the original planter. It is not recommended that you transplant into something large because excess soil will keep excess moisture which can promote root rot. You are also planning to replant into the ground in a couple weeks so you want the soil to hold together. Try to use a good quality potting soil or triple mix that is light a fluffy. Don't use the dollar store stuff that come in a small bag but seems to weigh 10 pounds... It will hold too much water and promote root rot. After transplant, keep your heirlooms out of direct sun for 24 hours as it adjusts. Keep the soil moist so the roots can get settled in to their new surroundings.
5 Reminders to Prepare for Planting
With the May 24th weekend coming up and the long range forecast looking good after Wed, many of us are considering planting this upcoming weekend. Below are a few tips to remember before planting your heirlooms. Remember, this upcoming weekend is only a guideline, see this article for more information.
1. Choose a Sunny Spot: Tomato plants need lots of sun 6-7 hours/ day minimum.
2. Use well amended soil: Compost, bone meal, egg shells, aged manure and sand (in clay conditions). In sandy conditions add extra organic matter to hold the water (leaves, grass clippings, compost). Once again be carful of purchasing compost by the yard.
3. Soil pH Level: Try to obtain a pH level of 6 - 6.8. Tomatoes like slightly acidic soil. If your soil is too acidic, add lime to bring the pH up. If the soil is too alkaline you can add sulphur, cottonseed meal, peat moss, or iron sulphate (be carful not to get it on anything like your cloths or sidewalk). Many municipalities buffer their water supply up to a ph of 8, to increase the the life of the water pipe infrastructure (Including London see water quality report).
5. Soil Temperature: Try to make sure the soil temperature is close 62 degrees Fahrenheit or 17 degrees Celsius. If you do not obtain this temperature your heirloom will struggle to uptake vital nutrients including phosphorous, which is key for root growth. Use a digital cooking thermometer to test the temp of the soil. Remember to the dig the hole before you do this. Keep in mind, the deeper you dig, the cooler it will be. If you have raised beds or are container planting you have a distinctive advantage in the spring soil warm up. If your soil is too cold, leave the hole exposed for a few sunny days. You can also poor some warm water in on a daily basis... be sure not to use hot water as it will kill the biological microbes that your soil is teaming with. If you have a frost protector, set it up over the hole for a few days prior to planting. It will quickly warm up the soil below.
5. Harden off your Heirlooms: If you have had your heirlooms inside in a window, you will need get them outside to acclimatize them back to outside conditions. For more informations on hardening off your heirlooms... Click Here
1. Choose a Sunny Spot: Tomato plants need lots of sun 6-7 hours/ day minimum.
2. Use well amended soil: Compost, bone meal, egg shells, aged manure and sand (in clay conditions). In sandy conditions add extra organic matter to hold the water (leaves, grass clippings, compost). Once again be carful of purchasing compost by the yard.
3. Soil pH Level: Try to obtain a pH level of 6 - 6.8. Tomatoes like slightly acidic soil. If your soil is too acidic, add lime to bring the pH up. If the soil is too alkaline you can add sulphur, cottonseed meal, peat moss, or iron sulphate (be carful not to get it on anything like your cloths or sidewalk). Many municipalities buffer their water supply up to a ph of 8, to increase the the life of the water pipe infrastructure (Including London see water quality report).
5. Soil Temperature: Try to make sure the soil temperature is close 62 degrees Fahrenheit or 17 degrees Celsius. If you do not obtain this temperature your heirloom will struggle to uptake vital nutrients including phosphorous, which is key for root growth. Use a digital cooking thermometer to test the temp of the soil. Remember to the dig the hole before you do this. Keep in mind, the deeper you dig, the cooler it will be. If you have raised beds or are container planting you have a distinctive advantage in the spring soil warm up. If your soil is too cold, leave the hole exposed for a few sunny days. You can also poor some warm water in on a daily basis... be sure not to use hot water as it will kill the biological microbes that your soil is teaming with. If you have a frost protector, set it up over the hole for a few days prior to planting. It will quickly warm up the soil below.
5. Harden off your Heirlooms: If you have had your heirlooms inside in a window, you will need get them outside to acclimatize them back to outside conditions. For more informations on hardening off your heirlooms... Click Here
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Website Issues
Hi Folks
Thanks to all who came out to the markets this past Saturday. For those of you who are trying to access the website TheTomatoPatch.ca we are having some technical difficulties which are getting worked out as we speak. Hopefully this is just a brief blip due to increased usage. Once again thanks to those of you who came to see us, hope to see you again next weekend.
Mark
TheTomatoPatch.ca
Thanks to all who came out to the markets this past Saturday. For those of you who are trying to access the website TheTomatoPatch.ca we are having some technical difficulties which are getting worked out as we speak. Hopefully this is just a brief blip due to increased usage. Once again thanks to those of you who came to see us, hope to see you again next weekend.
Mark
TheTomatoPatch.ca
Friday, May 9, 2014
Market Update
Hi Folks
With some consistent warm weather, Heirloom planting is around the corner. A number of people have contacted us about which markets we are attending this year.
The Covent Garden Market: Starting Saturday May 10th we will be at the Outdoor Market, we will continue to be there every Thursday and Saturday into June.
Western Fair: Sorry about the confusion on this one, but we are happy to finally received conformation that we will be outside the Western Fair Market starting Saturday May 17th.
**NEW** Ogilvies Food and Artisans Market: We are very excited to announce that we will be at Ogilvies Market on Hyde Park starting May 17th. We will be there every Saturday and most Sundays into June. Holly, a new member of The Tomato Patch team will be working there.
New Staff:
Holly: We are thrilled to have Holly working with us, she is an outgoing young lady, with a keen awareness about the environment and polyculture gardening. She enjoys gardening and hopes to hone her backyard gardening skills this season.
Brian: We are very happy to have Brian working at The Tomato Patch this season. Brian is a great guy who has taken up an interest home gardening. He enjoys time spent in the garden with his kids and the harvest of fresh, organic produce. Brian will be working different markets throughout the season.
With some consistent warm weather, Heirloom planting is around the corner. A number of people have contacted us about which markets we are attending this year.
The Covent Garden Market: Starting Saturday May 10th we will be at the Outdoor Market, we will continue to be there every Thursday and Saturday into June.
Western Fair: Sorry about the confusion on this one, but we are happy to finally received conformation that we will be outside the Western Fair Market starting Saturday May 17th.
**NEW** Ogilvies Food and Artisans Market: We are very excited to announce that we will be at Ogilvies Market on Hyde Park starting May 17th. We will be there every Saturday and most Sundays into June. Holly, a new member of The Tomato Patch team will be working there.
New Staff:
Holly: We are thrilled to have Holly working with us, she is an outgoing young lady, with a keen awareness about the environment and polyculture gardening. She enjoys gardening and hopes to hone her backyard gardening skills this season.
Brian: We are very happy to have Brian working at The Tomato Patch this season. Brian is a great guy who has taken up an interest home gardening. He enjoys time spent in the garden with his kids and the harvest of fresh, organic produce. Brian will be working different markets throughout the season.
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