I’m still grumbling about the cold, wet late spring we’re having in Seattle. I like some sunshine, and I like some heat. And so does my garden.
Under 45F Does Not a Good Tomato Make
Sure, rain out of the sky is better than rain out of the tap. It’s likely more pure, and it’s certainly less expensive. With all the rain we’ve had so far this spring, I haven’t turned on my irrigation once. That’s a bonus. But in return, I’m having to tent crops like garlic to protect it from too much rain and keep it from rotting. As well, I’ve had to come up with creative solutions to get my heat-loving crops into the ground and growing despite the cold.
My first line of defense against unpredictable Seattle spring and summer weather is to grow tomatoes designed for short, cool growing seasons. And, I grow them from seed (or at the very least buy starts from local growers who produce starts designed for this area). A few of my favorite tomatoes for our region are Oregon Springs, Stupice, Siberia and Gold Nugget. Plus, this year I’m trying out another – Peron. These have proven to hold up against the cold, grow strongly and withstand fungal diseases like blight.
My next trick is to do several successions of seedings and potting. This way, if an early crop fails, I have others coming up behind them. Even in a short growing season, this can make a difference. (more…)
