In case you have not received the memorandum, March is the time of Tomatozania-Mania-Party in southern California, when specialized producers offer emerging sales of tomato varieties difficult to find, rain or sun.
We are talking about serious exotic with a variety of flavors, from smoked names to sweets and evocatives such as Terra Cotta de Thornorn, Cherokee Purple, Evil Olive Cherry and Brandywine Pink.
The 28th Sale of Tomatania plants of Cal Poly Pomona begins on Saturday, March 15 in the school's farm store in Pomona, which sells more than 150 varieties of tomatoes, all grown by student employees of Cal Poly Pomona (which are also specializations in plants science). Income supports the school science program and students. Its annual Pepperzania begins in April in the store, with more than 150 varieties of peppers, and in May it offers hot peppers during its best sale of pepper plants.
Tomatomania of independent property! It is celebrating its 25th year of emerging sales of tomatoes and peppers, offering more than 100 varieties of tomatoes in 13 places among the counties of Santa Barbara to San Diego and Santa Ynez. His first event began on February 28 at Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar (where the remaining tomatoes are available until March, until they sold out) and other tomatomania events are scheduled until April. Their places for the rest of March include the Otto & Sons nursery in Fillmore (March 13-15), Tapia Brothers Fruit position in Encino from March 21, Wachter's there are & Grain in Ojai on March 29 and Anawalt Lumber in Hollywood from March 29 to 30.
And from March 22 to 23, Jo Anne and Alex Trigo are reopening two organic dogs for dogs just for the weekend to sell 44 tomato varieties, 12 more than last year, in their nursery in the home of Mid-Wilshire from 10 am to 4 pm, both days. The wheats closed the daily operation of their nursery in 2021, “but there is something about sowing many seeds at the beginning of the new year from which I can not” retire, “Jo Anne wrote in his email announcing the sale. And faithful to their nature, wheats are also offering some complementary plants, such as tomatillos, basils and Persian cucumbers.
Enter these sales as soon as you can, but before planting, keep the rain into account, which we need long after a very dry winter. Depending on the amount of rain we receive, its ground may need a few days to dry before starting, said the owner of Tomatomanía, Scott Daigre. Trometer in wet gardens can compact their soil, which makes it difficult for small roots to grow and water penetrates deeply into the ground.
Daigre has a long list of general tomato growth tips on its website, as well as tips for the cultivation of tomatoes in coastal areas and containers. (Two dog nurseries also have an extensive list of tips). Here are some important reminders:
- Tomatoes love heat and do it better with at least eight hours of sun every day.
- However, if it is growing in containers, keep in mind that also Very heat in a pot can emphasize their plants, especially if they are sitting in particular or asphalt, so try to shade them after 2 pm more or less, especially in interior areas where temperatures regularly push 90 degrees during the tomato season.
- The containers must have at least 15 inches deep and 15 inches wide to handle deep roots, and have many drainage holes so that they do not drown when they laugh. “The best advice is to buy a bigger pot,” said Daigre.
- Choose smaller size fruits such as dwarf or cherry varieties if you are growing in containers. Great varieties like meat luujos will take a long time to mature and produce only a few tomatoes.
- Always remove the lower leaves from your tomatoes so that the plant does not touch the ground. This helps increase air flow to the plant and reduce the possibilities of spreading mold or other diseases.
- If you want faster results, buy tomatoes in 1 gallon containers, remove the lower leaves and plot them as deep as in the pot. It does not need to disturb the roots unless the plant is linked to the root, Daigre said, which should not be such an early problem in the season.
- The high plants of the legs with main stems of more than 5 inches tall can angle in the soil horizontally, to encourage a strong growth of the root along the stem, but plants with stems of 3 to 4 inches do not need to be deeply planted, Daigre said.
- Some people like to add special things in their tomato holes, such as a banana peel for an extra potassium, since it breaks down, but at least, said Daigre, be sure to work compost and organic fertilizer at the bottom of the hole to maintain its soil and healthy plants. Add a little more fertilizer and compost at the top of the ground once the plant is on the floor, so that these nutrients will be filtered on the floor when it water.
