GARDENING THIS WEEK

August for my money is the start of a new growing season, the day light hours are increasing every day plus dormant plants and trees are waking up. Time waits for no man and so the quicker we get started the better; the sooner we will be rewarded with the fruits of our endeavors

Already garden shops have tomato seedlings in cell packs and individual pots ready for you to grow on.

Likely you can find some Sweet One Hundred tomato plants which a plant is a good choice as it produces early a lot of bite size ripe tomatoes which are ideal in your summer salads.

Early Girl is another one you are likely to find as it is a medium size early maturing tomato suitable for the home garden.

Now if you have a glasshouse or the equivalent then you off growing with a smile on your face.

A glasshouse protects from the elements but it does not protect from what you do.

If your glasshouse is an open soil to grow in or even a raised garden you have constructed to grow in then do not be in a hurry to plant your new tomatoes in the cold soil.

If you have a thermometer put it into the soil and see what temperature is at 5 centimeters deep.

Until you have a consistent soil temperature of 10 degrees C (Which is the temperature many seeds will germinate at) there is no point of planting the tomatoes into the cold soil.

This is particularly so if the soil is wet. Dry soil will give a higher temperature reading.

But you are impatient, you want to be the first in your circle of friends to have a ripe, new season, home grown tomato.

Ok dig a hole a couple of spade depths and get the motor mower out with a catcher on and mow the grass (hopefully the grass is not too wet to mow.

Now stuff the grass clippings into

TOMATO STARTING TIME: By

Wally Richards

the hole and pack down firmly till it is within about 100mm of the soil level.

Sprinkle about 10mm of soil on top of the grass and then sprinkle Wallys Secret Tomato Food with Neem onto the soil then another 10mm layer of soil over that.

Thats about a 80mm hole which you can sit your tomato plant in the middle of and back fill the hole so the trunk of the tomato plant will be buried up to or just beyond the first set of leaves.

The reason to bury the plant deep is because tomatoes will produce more roots up the trunk when buried.

A bigger root system will ensure a bigger healthier plant.

Now sprinkle some of Wallys Secret Tomato Food with Neem onto the soil around the plant but not touching the trunk.

This food will be watered down over time and the Neem Powder will create a smell disguising the tomato plant smell making it more difficult for insect pests to find where to lay their eggs.

In fact you could also Spread some of Wallys Neem Tree Granules around over the soil areas to make even a bigger smell barrier.

The heat from the composting grass will warm the soil and speed the growth of your tomatoes.

Also place a stake into the soil near the plant for support later on and on the stake hang one of Wallys Sticky white Fly traps with only one side’s cover peeled off to expose the sticky yellow surface.

The still covered other side will rest against the stake.

As you plant grows taller lift the yellow sticky pad higher so it is always just above the top of the plant. Hang a White fly sticky trap near each vent and door to catch any incoming.

Do all this and with any luck you will have a season without a lot of whitefly problems.

Now if you do not want to make