May 2011

Spring is here and it is time to get those tomatoes growing.  My garden has very limited space so I am planting half of my 13 varieties of heirloom tomatoes in pots.  Below, I give some special growing tips.

 

This is a hard time financially for many of us gardeners.  There is just not as much money to spend on those extras.  Hopefully, we can help a little.   Due to increased volume of Humisoil, we are passing on some great savings:

          12-Gal Bountea Refill reduced from $35.99 to $29.99 – 16% discount, 

40-lb Bulk Refill reduced from $229.99 to $204.99 – 10% discount,  

20-lb Alaska Humisoil reduced from $19.99 to $13.99 – a full 30% discount!

 

And we have not stopped there!  In June we will launch both the new Garden Tea Brew Kit and SupeFood Plant Tabs:   

• The Garden Tea Brew Kit will replace the 4-Gal Bountea Brew Kit with an enhanced air diffuser unit and lower price point.  
• The SuperFood Plant Tabs are the easiest way to enhance your plant growth.  Just drop a tab into your watering can and you have instant Bountea.

We are doing everything we can to make all Bountea products more affordable. We know that you and your garden deserve the best.

Roland Evans
Organic Bountea     

 
Bountea Compost Tea:  Keep with a regular  schedule of applying Bountea every 2-4 weeks.  When plants begin to set flowers and fruit, add B3 to the Bountea instead of M3.  The B3 is high in phosphorus and potassium which really help produce a good crop of tomatoes, peppers, beans and all fruit.
  

Put in the coupon code SPRING11 at the end of your order to receive 10% discount!  This is only for readers of the newsletter.

There is never enough room for all those tomato plants, certainly not in a small garden.  The answer is to grow them in containers on your patio or deck.  While cultivation is similar to soil growing (see All About Tomatoes), some aspects need more attention.

• Choose determinate or semi-determinate bushy varieties that need less space for roots; cherry types are often the easiest to grow.  Select store-grown plants
  carefully for health and vigor as well as variety.  Do not buy those that are flowering heavily or have a thin, leggy look.
• Use big containers, at least 5-gallon size or larger per plant.  For 5-gallon pails, drill 4 to 6 drainage holes 1″ from the bottom.  For pots with large drainage holes, fill the bottom with leaves.
• Plant into rich potting soil, with added Humisoil and/or living compost.  Add a tablespoon of SuperStart to each pot.  Do not use un-amended garden soil.  Cover the bottom of the pot with 1 to 2 inches of soil and plant the tomato as deeply as possible.  Remove tomato leaves four to six inches above the soil level.
• Choose a location that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day.  Take care to harden off the tomato plant: leave out in the sun or part shade for a few more hours each day over a week or so.  Support with sticks, cages or trellis and cover with a floating row cover if the sun is very strong or the nights are cool.  Move containers into partial shade if the temperature is above 85F.
• Pinch out any suckers that you do not want to grow into stems.  Keep the soil
  moderately damp at all times; never let the soil get completely dry.  Mulch with compost, leaves, small rocks or even plastic.
• Feed well.  Sprinkle a teaspoonful of Epsoms Salts into each pot to supply needed magnesium.  Use Bountea every week to 2 weeks over the season, adding Root Web and M3 the first time.  After the flowers are set, add B3 to the Bountea for the rest of the season.  Alternatively, add the new SuperFood Plant Tabs to your watering can each week.  

With a little care and attention, you can expect a bumper crop of nutritionally-rich super-tasty tomatoes!

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