I'm addicted to this fabulous weather, and have been gardening from dawn to dusk. Hence the delay in posting my notes from Saturday. At the West Seattle Edible Garden Fair, Willi Galloway presented Some Like it Hot: How to Grow Warm Season Crops in the Cool Pacific Northwest, from which I - who had never unintentionally killed tomato plants until attempting to grow three in Washington last year - took tremendous tips for growing healthy tomatoes in this challenging climate. A lot to absorb, so I'm going to break it up into several posts. This first post is specific to tomatoes, fruits that thrive in climates with hot days and warm nights, not the warm days and cool nights we enjoy here in Washington. Last year, I ignorantly planted three tomato plants in one of the sunniest spots. They hardly grew and yielded one or two dwarfed tomatoes before dying all together. The concept I have now adopted as my tomato mantra (Thanks to Willi!): ACCUMULATED HEAT. Willi explained tomatoes like to be warm, which is somewhat dependent on the air (50-55 degrees Fahrenheit consistently, to be specific), but soil temperature is actually the most critical. Beds must be warmed before planting the tomatoes. "How does one warm a bed of soil?," you ask...Well, that was the first question that came to my mind. Here are some answers: How to heat a bed: 2-3 weeks before planting tomatoes...
When to plant: Conventional wisdom is a month or so after the last frost, which is too early. Planting in mid to late may or early June is best. Where to plant: In the sunniest spot you can find...but consistent watering is also crucial, so be sure to have a sprinkler system or soaker hose ready. How to plant: What to plant: |
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Some interesting discussions re: Tomato Woes in Seattle. Everyone is having trouble getting them to grow, it seems:
http://www.meetup.com/Seattle-Plant-Exchange/messages/boards/thread/7088250
(You must join to participate in the discussions - it's free.)
Posted by: Hillary | June 16, 2009 at 10:28 PM