Tomatoes like the same temperature range as people, so planting them too early is not smart. Night temperatures above 50˚–ideally above 60˚–are what you want. There is a right way and wrong way to plant tomatoes. The wrong way is to take the tomato out of its pot and plant it at the same level as it is growing.
A shallow trench is the best planting method for tomatoes. Buy the tallest tomato plant you can find, pick off the lower leaves leaving at least two pairs of leaves on the top of the plant.
Dig a trench that runs north and south no more then 4” deep. Place the tomato in the trench with the root ball at the south end and the growing tip at the north end. Place a stake by the growing tip, bend the plant’s tip and tie it to the stake. Cover the root ball and stem with soil. Water with a transplant fertilizer after planting.
Weeds in the garden
Dealing with weeds in the garden is a frustrating
aspect of gardening. Here are a few tips for keeping your garden weed free: First, nature doesn’t like open ground. If you have bare areas, get something green growing on them.
Once the ground is planted, mulch is the next step to fewer weeds and more flowers. In perennial gardens, fine organic mulch like Green Smix® Soil Conditioner, also known as bark fines, is great for retaining moisture and keeping weeds at bay. Bark fines look very much like rich topsoil. The material is designed to break down over the course of a season, wich allows the gardener to move plants easily because there’s no heavy wood mulch in the way.
If you apply bark fines now, you’ll actually cover small seedling weeds, killing then in the process. Larger weeds will need to be pulled. Grassy weeds should be dug out of the garden or apply an Ortho product called Grass B Gone®,
following labeled direction. Try to do a little weeding each day–take a half hour early in the morning, if possible. It’s a relaxing and constructive way to start your day.
Cypress mulch
Of all the mulches available for use in landscapes and gardens, cypress mulch is one of the best. Like other organic wood mulches, it helps suppress weeds, retain moisture, prevent erosion and cool the soil. As a bonus, it looks great. Cypress mulch is made from the shredded bark of Bald Cypress
trees from the southern United States. It is one of the most rot resistant woods around.
When you first pour it out of the bag, shredded cypress is a reddish brown. Over the next few months, it ages to a soft gray.
The shreds can be up 6” long and they knit together to keep the mulch in place. Because it knits, shredded mulch helps control erosion.
Cypress mulch should be refreshed every other year. To calculate how much mulch you need, measure the area you want to cover. As a basic rule of thumb, a 3 cubic foot bag of mulch covers about 16 to 17 square feet to a depth of 2 inches. Or bring in your measurements and a Bachman’s staff member will do the math for you.
The history of America’s favorite flower-the tea rose
Hybrid tea roses were developed by crossing tender roses and hardy hybrid perpetuals, which were then crossed
with Oriental and European natives. The first officially
recognized hybrid tea was La France, a pale pink flower that was introduced in 1867. From then on there has been an explosion of tea rose varieties, with new ones
being developed every year.
Tips
Clean up spent geranium flower by snapping off the stem
of the flower right above the main stem of the plant.
If grass won’t grow under your trees, don’t fight it.
Convert to ground covers. Pachysandra (Japanese Spurge) is a great ground cover even under pine trees. Make sure
the ground stays moist for the first growing season
so the plants can get established.
Flowers and gifts from Bachman’s make any day a special one. When you order your flowers or gifts online, you know you’ll be getting a beautiful fresh floral arrangement from a trusted florist known for outstanding floral design, plus quality and service.
If you’re sending flowers or gifts out of town, you can rely on us to choose the best florist from either the FTD or Teleflora nationwide flower network. Florists who can be counted on to deliver the best fresh floral arrangements and gifts, even when doing a same day delivery.
