Can we plant tomatoes yet?

I was beginning to wonder if it would ever warm up enough to plant summer flowers and vegetables. Were we going to have another spring like last year? The forecast for early May looks promising. You might want to try a couple of things which will speed growth of heat loving vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons and squash.

Black and colored plastic mulch will not only warm the soil but prevent weed growth. I like red or solar plastic mulch because it also reflects heat back up into the leaves. Red and solar mulch are seldom available in stores but can be ordered from territorialseed.comlink text or johnnyseeds.comlink text.

Plastic mulch can be applied either before or after planting. Make an X slit and pull the plant through or transplant or place seed below the X hole. Make a dip in the soil where the plant is located and water will run to the hole.

Plastic or spun fiber row covers and individual stimulators like Wall-O-Water create a greenhouse-like effect that speeds plant growth. Combining both devices doubles the effect.

For more detailed information, go to our web site: naturalpruning.comlink text. Click on vegetables under the How to Guide. Scroll down to vegetable gardening tips. You can print 4 pages of detailed information on vegetable gardening.