Leggy tomatoes easily remedied

QThe tomato plants I’ve grown from seed have become a bit leggy. How should I handle this at transplanting, which I’m planning on doing within a week?

A: Tomatoes can be safely transplanted into the open garden once overnight temperatures are no longer dipping below 10 C.

Legginess is easily remedied at transplanting. Simply remove all the lower leaves, leaving the top tuft, and bury the denuded stem when you plant. This deep planting gives the advantage of an extra strong root system as roots grow out from the length of buried stem.

You can plant the stem straight down to take advantage of deep soil moisture, or, if the soil is easy to keep consistently moist, you have the option of planting at a slant to keep the roots in warmth.

QTwo questions about heather plants: Will deer eat them? When plants are available in both one-gallon and smaller pots, which is preferable?

A: In my experience, heathers purchased in small (nine-cm wide) pots settle in beautifully and do well. I’ve had far less success with larger, one-gallon heathers. For almost all the plants I buy, I look for the youngest ones. Over the years, I’ve found they almost always are the easiest adapters to the garden’s conditions.

Last year, when I picked up a few plants, I found them on a table with a sign: Not Tonight Deer, to let gardeners know that deer don’t usually eat heathers. I noticed the same sign displayed with the ornamental grasses, lavenders and other deer-resistant plants.