Tomatoes But Not Other Summer Veggies Yet

Brilliant mesembryanthemum groundcover above geranium, poppies, and other bulbs.

Amaryllis galore.

Golden mini-rose.

Purple freesia.

Richly brown iris.

Lilac iris.

Lemon yellow iris.

Blue iris.

Yellow and white iris.

Purple and yellow Dutch iris, and rich blue one in the background.

Mini-gladiolus.

Lobelia latifolia.

Pink sweet pea.

Purple sweet pea.

Euphorbia above nasturtium groundcover.

Dinosaur kale and mustards and chard.

     It’s raining yet again.  Even though we’ve had so much over the last several months, I continue to appreciate all we receive because it refills the soil pores for future absorption by plants’ roots.  I love hearing the dribbling on the roof, the soft and yellowish cast to the lighting, and knowing that the plants will look lush and healthy during my next walk through the garden.  And the thrill that I’m not paying for the water!
 
Tomato Planting Time
     I’ve let my tomato plants that I purchased 3 weeks ago sit next to the bed where I’ll plant them so they’re acclimated to the area where they’ll live out their lives and produce their tomatoes that I so look forward to. 
     I’ve already incorporated compost and manure so the soil has accomplished its warming-up and cooling-down process before I transplant the tomatoes so their roots aren’t damaged.
    Varieties I’m relying on this year have been my favorites over the years -- Big Rainbow, Black Zebra, Black Krim, Celebrity, Cherokee Carbon, Cherokee Purple, Pineapple, and Sungold.
     Last year’s tomatoes planted in another area with more late-afternoon shade didn’t produce many fruits although their plants were tall and lush – telltale signs of being too happy and never getting around to reproducing themselves. 
     In that area this year, I’ll plant other edibles that can benefit from the apparent too much nitrogen and water and less direct sun, like broccoli and lettuce and kale and chard that we eat the greenery instead of waiting for fruit.
 
Still Not Planting Other Veggies
    I’m still not seeding or transplanting other summer-loving veggies like beans, cucumbers, and squash since the soil is just too cool.  In past years, the weather would have already consistently been warm and therefore the soil would also have warmed.  But this year we’ve had only a couple of single days of 70-80 degree temperatures for a continuous early spring climate.  So, instead of trying to get an early start for the summer-loving veggies, I’m choosing to wait until the seeds will be happy to germinate quickly, especially since the soil is so nicely hydrated with all this rain.
       I’ve learned this lesson from years of trying to beat the season with planting seeds and seedlings as early as I possibly could, but with consistently unsuccessful results of poor germination and unvigorous plants until later plantings. 
     After years of observing the seeds and plants struggling through the still-chilly weather, I’m now committed to waiting for the warmth to consistently remain before subjecting seeds and transplants to poor conditions.  I want to see seeds pop up out of the soil and transplants perkily carrying on with their growth.
 
For more garden tasks, go to April
 
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