FoxFarm Blog

Tiger Bloom Rocks the Tomato Patch

Say hello to Skyler, age 8, and Spencer, age 4.  They grow tomatoes with their family in Conroe, Texas, and their secret weapon (OK, it's not such a big secret at this point) is Tiger Bloom.

These 'maters went in the ground in March, and this is what they harvested in May.  We know that everything is bigger in Texas, but wow!  Good work, guys!

What's At Stake?

This time of year, the garden gets overgrown in a hurry.  Even gardeners who like a free-flowing, natural look should consider the benefits of staking those tall perennials that start to flop over.

• Keeping plants off the ground helps prevent the spread of soil-borne disease.
• Well-staked, upright plants make it easier to water at ground level without getting the plants wet.  This means that more water gets down to the roots, and you avoid the risk of powdery mildew or sun scorch on leaves, both of which can be caused by getting the plants too wet.
• It makes it easier to mulch, which helps hold water in and protect root systems (naturally, we like Happy Frog Soil Conditioner, with its beneficial microbes, earthworm castings, and bat guano, for a mid-summer mulch)
• It can make an untidy, seedy garden look fabulous in a hurry.

Don't feel the need to go out and buy fancy stakes, however.  Here are a few ideas for easy, affordable garden stakes:

• Take a ball of twine and a pair of scissors into the garden.  Ornamental grasses and floppy perennials like yarrow or catmint can easily be redirected into an upright shape by just  gathering the stems together and tying a piece of twine around them.  While you're at it, cut out any dried or tired stems--this will reinvigorate the plant.
• Use branches that were too big to go in your compost pile.  Strip off the leaves, trim to the right size, and place two or three around a drooping or overgrown shrub.  Most people will hardly notice the branches, and it will keep the plant upright but still natural.
• Recycle old, broken tomato cages to stake annuals like cosmos, delphinium, zinnia, or sunflower.  Alternatively, wrap a little chicken wire or metal fencing around the plant, forming a loose cage.  These kinds of materials can be used over and over in the garden.

Fruit Trees

It's easy to forget about fruit trees this time of year.  They've already bloomed, and the bees have already worked their magic and helped them to set fruit. Your trees may have clusters of hard, round fruits the size of grapes that will become apples or peaches in a few months. But while you wait for your harvest, here are a few things to think about:

Check the leaves for signs of disease. Fruit trees are prone to a wide variety of diseases, so if you see spots or leaf curl, the best thing to do is to pick a few leaves, seal them in a plastic bag, and bring them to the nursery for identification.  Minor infestations can usually be handled by picking off the affected leaves and throwing them away, but if you do need to try fungicide or other treatment, be sure and ask for an organic product as your first line of defense.

Watch out for pests. Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more exotic pest infestations, like the light brown apple moth infestation taking place in California.  Contact your county agricultural extension office if you see any unfamiliar pests on your trees.  Soft bodied insects can be controlled with a targeted spraying of Don’t Bug Me, and organic products like biopesticides with Bt can help control caterpillars.

Water and feed, water and feed.  The two go hand in hand.  Plants just can't access the fertilizer in the soil unless they have an adequate supply of water. Water deeply once a week. Try our Happy Frog Tomato and Vegetable to help ripen your crop, and use Big Bloom as a root drench to add essential nutrients. And then, stand back and wait.  It's almost harvest season!

Vacation!

Sooner or later, you're going to have to abandon the garden and go on vacation with your family. We understand-it's not fair that they expect you to go to the beach just when the garden is really taking off. But just think of it this way: it's an excuse to give your plants a little extra boost just when they need it the most. So before you find a plant sitter and start typing up watering instructions, look around and see what you can do to help your plants survive on their own.

Mulch. If the ground is looking a little bare, this might be the perfect time to add a layer of Happy Frog Soil Conditioner to help hold moisture in and add beneficial microbes, which help plant roots extended their reach and acts as water and nutrients located far away.

Feed. Giving the vegetable garden an extra boost now will guarantee a luscious harvest when you get back from vacation. If you haven't been feeding the vegetable garden all summer, this would be the perfect time to work in some Happy Frog Tomato & Vegetable to really get things going.

Water. If you're going to be gone for a week or less, give the garden a good, long soaking. Walk around with a hand shovel and dig in the dirt around some of your plants to make sure that the water has soaked in. It may be that one exceptionally deep soaking will be enough to get your garden through the entire week. If you're going to be gone longer, consider adding soaker hoses or drip irrigation so that it easy for a neighbor to turn on the faucet and get the watering done. And if you really want to get fancy, put the irrigation on a timer and tell the neighbors that all they have to do is come over and help themselves to your ripe tomatoes!