MAY 21, 2015 11
The Picton Gazette
Growing tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet potatoes in your garden
In last week’s column I touched on the topic of growing food particularly focusing on those seeds that can be planted before all prospects of frost have passed. I had included beans that do need to wait until frosts are over and the soil has warmed up. As well I discussed some of the vegetables that need to wait for the warmer days in June. Well June is getting closer, but the warmer weather particularly at night is not yet here. This week I am going to discuss three warm weather vegetables but proceeding with any of them outside your house or greenhouse will have to wait. Possibly the most frequently home-grown vegetable is the tomato. Whether you grow large crops of various sizes, shapes and colours or a few in pots, they all have needs in common. They prefer warm weather in the 20s, so the cold evenings in May and also in September do not promote good growth and may even seriously damage the plants. If you grow you own seedlings or buy small plants while it is still cool, tomatoes thrive in being transplanted more deeply each time. Even if you just
transplant them once, into your garden, plant them deep enough to cover the bottom pair of leaves. Use a big hole, line with newspaper, add the best soil you have along with a dash of Epsom salts and some well composted manure. Cutworms are a serious menace in the first weeks. Cut a toilet paper roll down one side and then divide it in quarters width wise. Wrap these a little out from the stem, sticking it firmly into the soil and making sure that the ends overlap. I read recently that a tooth-
Wind and solar developers planning projects in Prince Edward County may see their development costs increase. Council approved a motion last week directing staff to amend the development charge bylaw to introduce a development charge on industrial wind turbine energy projects and solar projects. The cost of the process to make the change is not to exceed $5,000. A report presented to
council at their meeting on May 12 says adding a charge for the projects requires a formal amendment to the bylaw and the requirements of the Development Charges Act must be followed. A statutory public meeting must be advertised 20 days prior to the public meeting date and a development charge background study must be issued two weeks prior to the public meeting.
ASK A MASTER GARDENER Sandra Goranson
pick on two sides works as well but have not tried it yet. If you have the space it is preferable to plant them in a different areas every year and you must move them if the plants had health issues in the previous year. Water them early in the day so they can dry out and try to water under the leaves as well to prevent fungal infections. Tomatoes are of two growth types, determinate and indeterminate. The former grows to a limited size and can be used in pots and needs little pruning except for the occasional wayward sucker. The latter continues to grow throughout the season and needs to be pruned all season. A large strong cage is helpful and I usually stake mine on two sides as well. Cucumbers may look rather bland but they are rich in vitamins and electrolytes. I grow the English type with edible skin, or perhaps it would be better to say easily eaten skin. I prefer to grow them on a trellis or tripod type structure. These help me to locate mine before they are so large they are inedible. Growing them in this manner is said to increase the yield. Picking them from 15 to 20 cm long yields a less seedy tastier product and regular picking
increases the yield. Again the temperatures should be in the twenties during the day and no lower than fifteen at night before they are planted outside. If they are getting large before it is warm enough to transplant them, you could use a chop stick to start them growing upward so it is easier to attach them to a trellis if you plan to use one. Unlike tomatoes they do not like being transplanted so handle them with care during this process. They also do prefer a rich soil so well composted manure should be worked into their beds before planting. They can become bitter if there is not sufficient water so water well in times of drought. Some types tend to be bitter free and seed packets or plant tags should contain that information. I grew sweet potatoes for the first time last year and they were a very cooperative crop to grow. So much so, that I am a little nervous doing it again this year with twice the seedlings. What if it was simply beginners luck! The slips arrived with clear instructions and I had a well-weeded bed waiting for them. Given that I use nothing but a variety of raised beds I made sure that
I had filled the bed to within a few inches from the top of the board so the roots would not end up embedded in the limestone rock and bedrock mixture underneath. Fortunately they do not need as much soil as potatoes as they largely grow outwards in a vine position. After the slips arrive they should be kept either in water or a moist seeding mixture for a week to help develop roots before being planted. They are then planted under black plastic as it helps retain the heat they need to develop well. It also prevents the growth of weeds, an added bonus. Cut a small slash or puncture a hole with a trowel to allow the base of the slip to be planted about 5 cm deep. As well space them about 40 cm apart, and further apart if they are not in a raised bed. Not only did every slip of mine take after an anxious week of waiting but I ended up with three extras. Other than watering liberally during dry periods no other labour was required until the first frost. They should be harvested immediately after a frost, so at times it may be more convenient to harvest them earlier. The cold weather before a frost actually improves the
County eyes development charge on energy projects Send us a letter to the editor... “All attempts will be made to expedite the development of the background study with the aim to hold the statutory public meeting before the end of June,” the report says. The report says 90 per cent of the cost of the study can be funded through the development charge reserve fund.
-Chad Ibbotson, Staff
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flavour. If it is a warm sunny day they can be left outside for the day otherwise bring them indoors for curing after harvesting. The only area in which I did not follow exact directions caused problems. It was suggested that they should be placed in a very warm room kept at about 35 C for about a week for curing. The room I kept them in was considerably cooler and they did not last long in storage before becoming soft so I cooked them more quickly than I had planned to. They were delicious nonetheless. After curing they can be stored in a cooler space in the range of 15 to 20 C. Please mark your calendar for Saturday, May 23 to attend our annual Master Gardener’s plant sale held in Metro’s parking lot from 8 to 12 a.m. The Master Gardeners are happy to answer questions regarding your garden and to help you locate the right plant. There will be a demonstration on container planting at 9 a.m. Send your gardening questions to askamastergardener@bell.net. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check out our web site pecmastergardners.com.
gazette@bellnet.ca
THANK YOU PICTON
Our 22nd Annual McHappy Day was an outstanding success! Our employees, customers, and special guests came together to help raise money for Quinte Children’s Foundation “Camp of Hope” Program. Thanks to their efforts we raised $3,264.00 to go towards sending children in Prince Edward County to camp. Thanks to the following volunteers for all their contributions on McHappy Day:
Bobbi Vandenburg – Quinte Children’s Foundation Lucy Elbourne – Quinte Children’s Foundation Dana Glass – Highland Shores CAS Keshia Veenstra – Highland Shores CAS Melissa Harrison – Highland Shores CAS Angela Algar – Highland Shores CAS Drew Robinson – Highland Shores CAS Christine Demille – Picton Gazette Shelby Larner – Picton Gazette Deb Simpson – 99.3 County FM Ian Batt – 99.3 County FM
Mayor Robert Quaiff Councillor Kevin Gale Marvin Chapman – Flowers by Marvin Linda Duffy-Brown – Community Living Jim Young – Picton Fire Department Rick Lee – Kiwanis Club Frank Wilson – Kiwanis Club Ron Hicks –Kiwanis Club John Inrig – Kiwanis Club Carol McIntosh – Hospice Dean Locke – Kiwanis Club
A special thank you to David Inch Youth Pastor of the Hope Centre who was so generous with his music entourage that always seems to bring in the customers!
The incredible generosity of our customers, the enthusiasm of our employees and the support of our special guest volunteers helped our restaurant support the activities of the Quinte Children’s Foundation “Camp of Hope” Program.