If you start tomato plants from seed indoors, you'll be able to begin that project in just a week or two. Whether you're starting indoors or looking towards getting your hands in the warm outdoor soil to put in tomato transplants, now is a great time to choose which types of tomatoes you're going to try this year.
Two variations come straight from Italy and have a unique shape, color and flavor. You can use them in salads, make them into your favorite sauces or just enjoy eating them out of hand. One of these varieties can even last for months after harvest.
The first one to look for at your local garden center is the." It's in the potato leaf family and is a green heirloom variety. Captain Lucky is a heavy beefsteak type, with red and bronze striped flesh, and is great for slicing on sandwiches. This tomato is not fortunate enough to avoid common tomato diseases, though, so be on the lookout for those.
Another sort is also a good addition to salads as well as sauces and is These are also known as winter tomatoes or storage tomatoes. In their native Italy, they grow around Naples, in the foothills of Mount Vesuvius.
They are smaller, red- and yellow-colored varieties that look similar to grape or plum tomatoes in shape and size. Look for and 鈥� Italian for "red" and "yellow" 鈥� seeds.
When ripe, their flesh tends to be dry. When you harvest them, take this practice from their native country: In the fall, cut trusses 鈥� or clusters 鈥� of them, still with the tomatoes on, and hang them in a kitchen or cool room. Stored in this way, they stay fresh for up to six months.
Celeriac that looks like an H.P. Lovecraft monster
Q: I love celeriac, but when I grow them from seed at home, they look nothing like what I was used to when I worked for large CSAs. Mine come out looking like Cthulhu. Even when they're big, they have multiple tap roots with only like a small central ball. I do lasagna gardening. I'm guessing there's some mineral that's out of whack. Any hints as what I should do? - Theresa, via email
A: First, try out some different celeriac varieties, like the newer Brilliant or Porthos. These types have more of a smooth skin on the roots and tend to form a less gnarly ball.
And you certainly could test the soil this spring. This is a good way to check that you don't have too much nitrogen or not enough phosphorus. That nutrient imbalance can affect the size and shape of your celeriac roots.
Choosing shade cloth for a hot, sunny garden space
Q: I've got a question about choosing shade cloth. I'm planning a straw bale garden on an unprotected western-facing patio. The patio is on the top of a large concrete retaining wall itself and is made of compacted gravel. All in all, it's hot. Last year I planted some seedlings in large soil bags, and they just didn't grow. This year, I have a base of trellises that are ready for straw bales. I'm guessing they'll do well with a shade cloth but which one? - Darryl, in Winooski
A: Plants like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants love the heat. Try a black or dark-colored 30% shade cloth. This will block some of the sun, but keep that heat.
If you're growing cool-season plants, like greens and lettuces, go for a lighter colored or white 50% shade cloth.
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