Size matters with tomato containers
Plants in large pots easier to water, more likely to give a prolific harvest
Dear Helen: How large should containers be for growing tomatoes? C.L.
That depends on the kind of tomatoes you wish to grow. The easiest for pots are dwarf, smallfruited varieties like Red Robin, Tiny Tim, and Totem. You’ll find other “patio” type tomato transplants at garden centres. For the most compact plants I use pots that are 30 centimetres wide and 25 cm deep.
One of the container varieties I plant grows to around 45 cm high. For this one I use a larger pot, around 38 cm wide, with a tomato cage inserted into the pot to support and contain the plant.
Among larger tomato plants, choose ones that are a manageable size, such as Early Girl, Stupice and Celebrity, and plant in pots at least 45 cm wide and deep. Keep in mind, when matching plants to pots, that plants in large pots are easier to keep adequately watered and more likely to give a prolific harvest over a longer period.
Assess the containers you have, and select tomato transplants to suit different sizes. Check transplant labels for plant size and ask for recommendations. You’ll likely encounter garden centre personnel who are eager to suggest their favourites.
For staying power in a planting mix, add some real, sterilized and bagged, all-purpose soil to a commercial mix. I also blend in a slow-release, natural-source fertilizer. In July, I top up the soil surface with a nourishing compost.
Dear Helen: When my family and I were in Mexico we developed a taste for jicama tubers. Is it possible to grow jicama here on Vancouver Island? I’d love to give it a try, but I can’t find any Canadian seed companies that carry the seeds. L.A.
Jicama is listed in the Gourmet Vegetables section of the Richters herb catalogue (Richters.com), a wonderful Canadian source for common and rare herb seeds and plants.
Gardens that can produce sweet potatoes can probably also grow jicama, though the tubers will be smaller than in their native tropical habitats. Start the seeds indoors and transplant in the warmth of late spring into soil pre-heated by a covering of clear plastic. Choose the hottest, sunniest available garden site.
Consider also trying a few of the transplants in large (five-gallon), dark-coloured containers — a method that works well for some gardeners with sweet potato vines. Jicama (yam bean) is a tropical vine that, like the sweet potato, forms tubers toward the end of summer. The sweet, juicy white flesh of jicama tubers is a speial treat eaten raw.
Garden Events
Lily meeting. The Victoria Lily Society will meet this evening (Wednesday, April 11) at 7 in the Salvation Army Citadel, 4030 Douglas St. Gord Hutchings will present “Dragonflies.” Nanaimo meeting. The Nanaimo Horticultural Society will meet this evening at 7 in First Unitarian Fellowship Hall, 595 Townsite Rd. Dorothea Kieser will speak about Community Gardens. There will be a parlour show with judging of various spring flowers. More information at 250-758-6783. Floral arts. The Mid Island Floral Art Club will meet on Thursday, April 12, at 2:15 p.m. in St. Stephen’s United Church Hall, 150 Village Way in Qualicum Beach. Guest demonstrator Paul Jaras, from Kelowna, will present “Designs of a Structural Nature,” using natural materials together with commercial supplies and fresh flowers in an exploration of contrasting and complementary components. Visitor fee is $10. Information at 250-752-1858. Spring show. The View Royal Garden Club will host its annual Spring Show on Saturday, April 14, 1 to 3 p.m. in Wheeley Hall at Esquimalt United Church, 500 Admirals Rd. The show will include a plant and bake sale. Admission of $5 includes refreshments and door prize tickets. Chrysanthemum sale. The Victoria Chrysanthemum Society is holding a sale of rooted cuttings on Saturday, April 14, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in St. Matthias Church Hall, 600 Richmond Ave. Plant sale. The Mill Bay Plantaholics Charity Plant Sale will take place on Saturday, April 14, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2836 Oceanside Lane in Mill Bay (east off Trans Canada Highway at Kilmalu, south on Church Way, east on Welch Rd, and south on Oceanside). Proceeds go to a secondary school scholarship for a young Malawian woman and a transition house run by the Cowichan Women Against Violence Society. Healthy plants, master gardeners on hand to answer questions. Cash or cheque only.