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PAGE A6, VJHITBY FREE PRESS, OUTDOOR LIVING, JUNE 15, 1988 It's niot too late to transplant your f avorite plants ByVERONICA COLANGELO By now marxy of you will have planted your"'vegetable gardens. Some will have pianted seeds and probably imost of you will.. have transplanted already started plants such as tornatoes or peppers. The traditioiai time for doing all of this is around the iast frost date or for our area May 24. Over the years I have learned that there is no absolute panic in getting the pan-ts in at this time. A couple of weeks later the soil bas warmed up and have found that those planted during the first or seconid week in June actuaily "took" better than earlier transplants. So for ail of you who thought it was too late, think again. Here is*a brief overview of four of my favorites. Tomatoes are the most popular garden vegetable by far. There are so rnany varieties ranging in size frorn the tiny cherry types- to the fat juicy beefsteaks. There is a variety to suit every gardener. The tiny ones lend thernselves very well to pot culture and those of you who live in apartrnents can enjoy growing tomatoes too. Tomato cultivators are referred to as determinate and indeterminate. The deterininates are those varieties that produce a single crop, all at pretty much the sarne tirne. Most of the srnaller and bush varieties fali into this group. Indeterininates are those that generally grow taîl and produce fruit on an ongoing basis as long as the weather holds out. Tomatoes. are very frost tender and ail should be planted as transplants rather than seed because of the length of tirne they need to produce fruit. Tornatoes thrive in full sun and where there is plenty of air circulation. When transplants are first set into the garden, a special transplant fertilizer (10-52-10) will help elirninate shock and get the plant off to a good start. This applies te just about ail vegetable transplants as well as flowers. Moist garden centres carry fertilizers designed especially for tomatoes te use once *they are established. Tornatoes are susceptible to a few problems. "Blossom end rot" is caused usually by drought. Regular, consistent watering will help avoid this problern. Nematodes are tiny worrns that attack the plants' roots. Marigolds are a good conipanion plant for tornatoes and help to repel the pests. The tomate and tobacco horn worrns are so big that they are easily seen and can be just picked off the plant. Look for them in the early morning or evening, when they are rnoet active. Pot rnarigold or calendula is said to deter these worrns. Basil is. said to repel flies and inosquitoes . and supposedly improves the flavor of the tomato when they are grown nearby. Slugs can be a probleni too. Crushed egg sheils scattered açound the plant are supposed to deter them frorn reaching the plant and doing damage. Cheniical sprays and powders are available, but care should be exercised when using these on edible crops, check with your garden centre first. Peppers corne in ail shapes ,and sizes and even in a variety of colors. There are hot ones and SEE PAGEA7 Wn ne r MARY WONG of Whitby was the first winner of the Imonthly draw and a $100 gift certificate at Oshawa. Garden Service Garden Gallery, draws to continue un- tii December to celebrate OGS's 35th year in Whitby. Gallery manager Doug Land presents the certificate to be used in a shopping spree. Free Press photo ADERMEER NURSER & Garden Centre Grower of Quality Bedding Plants ' àÀRGp Impatiens, Begonias, Geraniums, Petunias, Marigolds and other popular plants stili available. See us for daily on selected annuals. Available from .50/box ~»792 Bayly St. East 1 401 E GAjax 427-2525 Ïl Open 7days, 8am - 8pm lit