The ground isn’t even frozen yet, and already I’m searching the new seed catalogues, looking for sweet cherry tomatoes to grow next year. Seed catalogues and gardeners all seem to agree that cherry tomatoes have greater concentrations of sugar than larger, full-size fruits. Most catalogues will describe a cherry tomato as sweet, or even very sweet, but seldom do they let on … [Read more...] about Searching for sweet cherry tomatoes
Food to grow
How to plant garlic
I decided to plant garlic for the first time this year. After spending a couple decades loving garlic, and a couple minutes researching how to plant garlic, I concluded that it was both a gardening undertaking I could handle and a project that would reward me greatly. The large amount of pleasure that I’ll get from eating and sharing homegrown garlic next year is so going to be … [Read more...] about How to plant garlic
Taste-testing veggies at Stokes
Last week, I visited Stokes Seeds’ trial gardens in St. Catharines, Ont., where I ate veggies, learned about a new way to grow tomatoes, and then ate more veggies. I’m convinced that a tomato eaten while standing in the garden right after it has been picked is far more delicious than a tomato eaten in the kitchen just a few feet away. Along with other gardeners who had … [Read more...] about Taste-testing veggies at Stokes
Grafted tomatoes promise hardier plants
For the many Canadian gardeners, new and experienced, who grow tomatoes, there will be a new type of tomato plant available next year that will be stronger and more productive, but still very tasty. I wrote about new roses that are grafted onto the rootstock of a hardier and disease-resistant rose to create a rose with the best qualities of both. It’s a technique that … [Read more...] about Grafted tomatoes promise hardier plants
Tips for late tomatoes
Tomatoes are notoriously sensitive to temperature and weather changes, more so than the plants. In spring, a little tomato plant will take capricious winds in stride, and even ride out a crisp (but not frosty) night of low temperatures. But the fruit are another matter; they’re vulnerable to fluctuating day and night temperatures in late summer, as well as seasonal … [Read more...] about Tips for late tomatoes
