Is the Time Right for your Tomatoes?

By Robin Stanley

U.C. Cooperative Extension, El Dorado County Master Gardener

 

Whether you are new to El Dorado County or are an old-timer in our area, vegetable gardening can be a joy and a challenge.  Trying to give one set of advice for West Slope gardeners, whose gardens range from 800’ to 4000’ elevations, means that timing must be a crucial part of the advice.  Microclimates in our hilly terrain mean that garden conditions can vary greatly from road to road in the same neighborhood.

 

To help gardeners plant their vegetables at the correct time, El Dorado County UC Master Gardeners Randy Rogers and Carolyn Stromberg created the Foothill Vegetable Planting Guide.  This guide helps gardeners calculate the best times to plant both winter/spring and summer/fall vegetables.  It gives ideal planting times whether planting seeds in the greenhouse or seeds and plants in the garden.  We have sold hundreds of these laminated guides (perfect to stand up to gardeners’ dirty hands) and have recently come out with a more compact version.

 

The Foothill Vegetable Planting Guide focuses on planting dates for Placerville and then shows gardeners how to adjust dates for their own elevation.  It includes these estimated frost dates for the west slope:

ELEVATION

AVERAGE DATE OF

LAST FROST

1000’

April 15

2000’

April 22

3000’

April 30

4000’

May 7

 

Will these dates be accurate for this year?  Who knows; with the warmest March on record, all bets are off for predictions of the last frost for this year at any elevation on the West Slope.  Weather can be unpredictable, no matter where you live.  Residents of Camino/Pollock Pines swear that it always snows on the dogwood blossoms, so gardeners who get impatient and plant too early at the higher elevations need to be prepared to protect tender seedlings or replace them if weather takes a sudden turn for the worse.

 

Our guide says it’s time in many locations for planting tomatoes and other summer vegetables.  How can gardeners get the best flavor and harvest from their summer vegetables?  Many gardeners start their own seedlings inside in February and March so they are ready for transplanting when the weather warms.  This allows gardeners to save money and choose from a wide range of unusual or heirloom (old fashioned) varieties. Other gardeners depend on local garden centers and nurseries for the varieties that are best acclimated to our locale.  Check with nurseries in your area to see what kinds of tomato starts are available.  Every year, nurseries offer both old standbys and new choices.  Try some new varieties this year to add color and flavor to your meals.

 

These helpful planting tips will give you a head start on tasty tomatoes:

¨      Pick a sunny spot in your garden.  Like most summer vegetables, tomatoes need full sun for at least 6 hours per day.  Some protection from hot afternoon sun can help prevent sunburn.  Try to plant tomatoes in a different spot than they were planted last year.

¨      Work your soil deeply and incorporate both organic matter and nutrients when planting.  Tomatoes need a fertilizer with high phosphorous (the middle number on a fertilizer bag).  Organic growers can use rock phosphate or a good dose of compost.

¨      Tomatoes will establish roots on lower parts of the seedling’s stem where leaves currently grow.  Plant your tomatoes so that 1” – 3” or more of the stem is below ground (either by laying the plant on its side in a trench or by digging an extra deep hole).  The additional roots developed by this method help your plant stay stronger and more nourished throughout the growing season.

¨      Plan for proper irrigation.  Tomatoes need deep, even watering.  Drip irrigation is best because overhead watering and moisture on leaves for long periods can cause diseases.

¨      Be ready to mulch when the weather and soil have warmed up.  Mulch keeps soil moisture more even, protecting tomatoes from drying out in between watering.

¨      Be prepared to support your tomato plants as they develop.  Whether you choose sturdy stakes, tomato cages or rings, your tomatoes need some help staying upright throughout the season.  Supporting your tomatoes early helps keep fruit clean and sunlight distributed throughout the entire plant.

 

A little work at planting time can give a big payoff at harvest time.  So pull those winter weeds, work that warming soil and get planting, if the time is right in your garden.  For details on the best planting dates in your area, purchase our Foothill Vegetable Planting Guide.  It is available in our office and will soon be for sale at garden centers throughout the county.

 

Thanks to Master Gardener Mendy Mendenhall for some of the information for this article.