Georgia Magazine - April 2013 - (Page 50B)

Gardens plant of the month Homegrown delights B ite into a homegrown tomato and you’ll be overwhelmed by fl avor and juice. Tomatoes are one of the most gratifying vegetables to plant, and they reward you with baskets of produce. The options are nearly endless when it comes to tomatoes— small cherry tomatoes are ideal for salads; large, juicy varieties like “Better Boy” or “Big Boy” are great for slicing and using on hamburgers and sandwiches; and heirloom tomatoes are rich in fl avor and available in a rainbow of colors. To prolong your harvest, plant a few tomato varieties, and be sure to plant a mix of both determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. Determinate tomato varieties yield all of their tomatoes in a short time frame so you’ll have an abundant crop— these are perfect if you plan on canning. Indeterminate tomato varieties like “Beefsteak” and “Early Gir”’ have blossoms and fruit that progressively develop, so you’ll be harvesting tomatoes until the fi rst frost. If you’re looking for a variety that produces an amazing amount of tomatoes, try the new Mighty ’Mato® These tomatoes are grafted onto Growing your own tomatoes is easy and yields a bountiful harvest. strong root stocks, so you get a stronger plant with bigger, better and longer harvests. tomatoes. Plant tomatoes in well-amended soil where they can get full sun. Experts at Pike Nurseries recommend mixing the native soil with Pike Planting Mix at a 50/50 ratio. This helps break up Georgia’s hard red clay and allows for better drainage. Make sure to plant your tomatoes deep into the soil. Pinch off a few lower leaves, then plant the tomato so the remaining lowest level leaves are just above soil level. The portion of the stem that is buried will form roots, giving the plant a strong foundation for absorbing water and nutrients. The only tomato that shouldn’t be planted this deep is the Mighty ’Mato. While your tomato plants may start small, they will grow to large plants, and it’s important to put a tomato cage or stakes around the plant as soon as it’s in the ground. Consistent watering, prefer- ably every one to two days, will help prevent the fruit from splitting as it grows. Once planted, it won’t be long before you’re enjoying healthy, homegrown tomatoes! Source: Pike Nurseries, www. pikenurseries.com Gardening tips for April • Prepare vegetable beds for summer planting of tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers and beans. You can plant after all danger of frost has passed, usually April 15. • Rehabilitate and clean out birdhouses and bird feeders. After they’ve bloomed, prune forsythia, azaleas and other spring-blooming plants to rejuvenate them. • Fertilize lawns when warm-season grasses have greened up about 50 to 70 percent. • Reshape butterfl y bushes. You can cut them back as much as two-thirds their height and width. Are you a resourceful reader? One lucky reader who fi nds and submits the correct answers to these trivia questions will win a $25 Target gift card. Answers can be found in this month’s digital edition. 1) Georgia’s Dig Law requires that homeowners, landscapers and other professionals contact Georgia 811 to have underground utility lines marked at least how many hours before beginning any mechanized digging work? 2) The Troup County Master Gardeners class of 2011 undertook an extra project last year to landscape what Warm Springs location? 3) Name the 144-year-old church that will host a community worship service as part of the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Darien April 12-14. 4) What is one of the Earth-friendly things Jennie Turner Garlington did as a kid, as mentioned in our Georgia Cooks story this month? 5) What are the two organizations that raised funds to build specially adapted “Smart Homes” for two Georgia soldiers who were severely injured in combat? 50B More online at www.georgiamagazine.org Find it this month!Want to win? $25 TARGET gift card How to enter: Send an email to magazine@geor giaemc.com with the answers to all fi ve questions by April 30, 2013. Be sure to also include your name, address and phone number. (If more than one person answers all the questions correctly, we’ll draw from among all correct answers to determine the $25 Target gift card winner.) GEORGIA MAGAZINE COURTESY PIKE NURSERIES Bonus content http://www.pikenurseries.com http://www.pikenurseries.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - April 2013

Georgia Magazine - April 2013
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Liberty Notes
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar of Events
Festival Guide
Currents
The Blessing of the Fleet
A Tale of Two Soldiers
The 2013 Readers’ Choice Awards
Mug Jugs
Along Our Borders
Travel Guide
Get Out in the South
My Georgia
Georgia Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot
More Snapshot Photos
Gardening Tips for April; Plant of the Month
April’s Online Trivia Contest
Second Helping: More Earthfriendly Recipes
Georgia Grown Spotlight
Colleges Host “Open House” Events

Georgia Magazine - April 2013