Tomatoes: Start Small, Then Grow Them All!

It always breaks my heart a little when I have a friend or customer tell me they wish they were good with plants, but they just “have a black thumb.” I don’t believe in “black thumbs.” I think most plant mistakes are usually due to lack of information, or outright misinformation. In our age, many people automatically turn to the internet for guidance or they walk into a big box store to pick up a plant.

Unfortunately with gardening, and especially with growing your own food, success depends on knowing what to plant, when to plant and how to plant it. We live in a very unique climate here in Tallahassee, and the varieties, planting dates and planting techniques are very different than they are in other areas. You might be able to buy a dill plant in July, but it’s just going to die as soon as you plant it; dill can’t survive the heat of July here. Plant garlic in the spring and you might get a plant, but no tasty bulbs. It’s not your fault, and believe me I have killed my fair share of plants too before I learned.

This brings me to tomatoes. I like to think of them as the gateway vegetables that lead into the wide and rewarding world of growing your own food. They are highly productive in terms of space, and their homegrown flavor far outweighs the unripe, tasteless ones you find in the grocery. So it’s always disappointing when I hear someone say they tried tomatoes, but they just can’t grow them. It’s not that they can’t, as long as they have some space and some sun, they just need some guidance.

I always recommend beginners start with cherry-type tomatoes. The smaller the tomatoes, the better chance of success you have. Most beginners want to start with the big, round, red tomatoes that they are familiar with and this is a mistake. Cherry tomatoes are closer to the first wild tomatoes that originated in the Andean mountains of South America. Our big red tomatoes are highly cultivated selections and hybrids of the small wild tomatoes. As we have selected for traits we like such as flavor, size and shelf-life, we lose the natural traits they evolved to withstand pests, disease, extreme temperatures and drought, thus making the plants weaker and more susceptible to these ailments.

Cherry tomatoes and other types of smaller tomatoes are less cultivated and therefore tend to withstand these afflictions and still manage to be very productive. They are more tolerant of drought, shade, overwatering, pests and disease. Here are a few of my favorite varieties that are tough, reliable producers here in Tallahassee;

‘Sungold’- a tangerine colored hybrid, is one of my favorite cherry tomatoes. Its burst of warm, fruity flavor is so sweet, it’s like garden candy. I end up eating handfuls right off the vine. Luckily they are so productive, you will still have plenty to bring to the kitchen after you gobble your fill in the garden.

• ‘Napa Rose’-I grew this rosy red cherry for the first time last year. It has a very unique, sweet but full-bodied and complex flavor-really tasty! It also just kept pumping out tomatoes long after the others in the same bed had succumbed to the heat and rain.

• ‘Riesentraube’-the name of this old German heirloom translates to “Giant Bunch of Grapes.” The sweet red fruit grow in large clusters and have a rich, full classic tomato flavor.

• ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’-deep red tiny tomatoes just keep coming on a plant that may take over your garden. Delicious flavor and the plants are unstoppable.

Although cherry tomatoes are more tolerant of shade, they do best planted in full sun. How you plant your tomatoes is crucial to your success. I teach a workshop about choosing and planting tomatoes called Totally Tomatoes (information below). Here are a few tips; cherry tomato plants are much more successful in containers than the large tomato varieties, but make sure you plant them in an adequate sized container. I recommend at least a seven gallon size. If you’re planting in the ground, be sure to give each plant adequate space, 3-4 feet each.

In my garden, the majority of cherry tomatoes never make it to the kitchen. They are so perfect for snacking in the garden while you work. However, they are delicious on salads, in stews, savory pies and even on shish-kabobs! I hope you give them a try, you will be well rewarded.

Fall in Love with Native Grasses

By Lilly Anderson-Messec

As fall approaches, the thrill I feel as the air cools is enhanced by my eagerness to experience the
visual feast of native grasses at their peak.  The colors and textures in the crisp golden light are
not static, they undulate and sway with the wind, their graceful dance creating a whispered
symphony. Yet native grasses are one of the most unnoticed and undervalued plants, despite
being an important part of a balanced ecosystem and having many landscape uses. I’ve been
delighted to notice that native grasses are beginning to be used more in landscapes, but they are
typically only planted in mass and very few species are utilized. They are beautiful planted in
mass, but they are also an often overlooked asset for both formally landscaped yards and more
naturalized wildflower gardens.

I’ve found the addition of native grasses to visually bind together individual plants within a
flower garden, giving it a more complete look. In nature, native grasses mingle beautifully with
native wildflowers. They fill open areas around fall blooming wildflowers, forming a supporting
matrix for the tall flower spikes of blazingstars and goldenrods, and the arching branches of
native asters.  Several have striking fall foliage and colorful seedheads that add visual interest
well into winter. Native grasses also provide food, nesting materials and habitat for birds and
other wildlife, and many are larval host plants for numerous butterfly and moth species as well.
There are a multitude of lovely native grasses, below I’ve described a few of my favorites.

Purpletop Grass (Tridens flavus)

The lime green fountains of foliage are a sight when lit up by the evening light in fall. The tight
clumps of grassy leaves grow only 2 to 3 feet tall, but in fall they produce multiple 5-foot- tall
stems topped with dangling clusters of purple-red seed heads. Purpletop grass is easy to grow; it
prefers full sun, but is not particular about soil and will grow in moist to dry conditions of many
types once established. It is also salt tolerant, which makes it a common sight along roadsides at
the coast.

Yellow Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Tough and adaptable to many soil types, this stately grass produces 4 to 6-foot- tall golden-
yellow plumes in the fall that float above its striking blue green foliage. The plumes have tiny, bright yellow pollen sacs that stand out in the dark seed heads. In winter, the blue-green foliage mellows to a copper-tan color. Yellow Indian Grass is tolerant of an array of soil types, including heavy clay, but it always looks best in full sun.

Lopsided Indiangrass (Sorghastrum secundum)

This wispy bunchgrass has showy, 4 to 5-foot- tall arching flowers clusters that lean to one side, hence its name. The tawny, lopsided florets are highlighted by yellow anthers and tipped with long, twisted awns; the showy display lasts about 2 to 3 weeks. Usually found in flatwoods or underneath pine trees, these graceful grasses thrive in full sun to part shade and average to dry soils. Drought tolerant once established.

Purple Lovegrass and Goldenrod

Purple Lovegrass and Elliott’s Lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis and Eragrostis elliottii)

These showy, clump-forming grasses are low-growing, only 1 to 2 feet tall, salt-tolerant,
adaptable to many soils, and can even withstand mowing. Purple lovegrass has bright green foliage that produce clouds of pink wispy blooms in fall. Its blooms have a similar appearance to the more commonly used pink Muhly grass, although the plant is much smaller and compact.

Elliott’s lovegrass sports lovely blue-green foliage that produces numerous wispy whitish tan,
occasionally pinkish, masses of blooms in fall. These plants look best in full to mostly sunny
spots, are drought tolerant once established, and are excellent additions to any landscape.

Chalky Bluestem (Andropogon virginicus var. glaucus)

One of my favorites for its year round color, this graceful species produces leaves and stems that
are brilliant bluish-white, forming tight clumps of short leaves in spring that grow 3 to 4 feet tall
by fall, when they are topped with spikes of short, dangling racemes. Their bluish-white foliage
is tinged with purple-red highlights in fall and create an interesting color contrast when planted
among other grasses or fall blooming perennials. This species looks best in full to part sun, is
salt-tolerant, and is easily grown in average to dry soils.

River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

With its unique and interesting seed heads, this adaptable native grass is very ornamental. Lime
green foliage produce arching stems, 2 to 3 feet tall, adorned with dangling seedheads in the
summer, eventually maturing to a golden bronze in the fall and winter.  The bobbing flat
seedheads sway beautifully in the wind and make a lovely sound. The seedheads stay on the
stems well into winter and are a nice addition for dried flower arrangements. Unlike other
grasses I’ve mentioned here, River Oats can spread vigorously in the right conditions. In the wild this grass is found in the moist soil of shady wooded areas and along streams, but it also grows well in drier soils where it’s less likely to spread. It will grow in full sun too, but may need supplemental water in periods of drought. Cut off the seed heads in fall, if you want to prevent it from spreading.

The Case for Goldenrod

The court of public opinion delivered its verdict long ago: goldenrod is just a weed. This beleaguered plant is blamed for seasonal allergies, condemned for it’s raggedy appearance and accused of possessing an aggressive habit. True goldenrods are all members of the Solidago genus. What many people don’t realize is that this is a genus of numerous species, many of which have garden-positive traits that make them both attractive and valuable in your garden.

Goldenrods are erroneously blamed for seasonal allergies because their showy blooms appear right as the real culprit, giant ragweed, begins to disperse its small grains of pollen into the air. Goldenrod pollen is not airborne; it relies on insect pollinators to move it from plant to plant. This pollen does not affect your sensitive nose, and it is in fact an indispensable food source in fall for hungry bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

At the mention of goldenrod, what likely comes to mind is the common Canada goldenrod, Solidago canadensis. This species thrives in urban areas like vacant lots and roadsides, where its seeds quickly occupy disturbed soils. Despite it’s sometimes raggedy appearance and weedy reputation, each fall it offers up attractive golden plumes-rich with nectar and pollen.

There are several Solidago species however, that offer these valuable resources to pollinators while still maintaining an attractive appearance and good manners in the garden. I have included below descriptions of a few favorite goldenrod species that are just about to burst into bloom in my yard. They are well suited for the garden and will soon be abuzz with a myriad of butterflies and bees. I hope you will find some spots in your yard for these beautiful and beneficial native wildflowers.

• Seaside Goldenrod, Solidago sempervirens – salt-tolerant, adapts to many soils types and is tolerant of wet or dry conditions once established. Very showy stalks of blooms reach 3-6 feet tall. The plant forms a clump and will reseed, but not aggressively. Prefers full sun to part sun.
• Sweet Goldenrod, Solidago odora – pretty pyramidal clusters of yellow blooms atop stalks 3-4 foot tall. Grows in average garden soil and is adaptable to clayey soils. Anise-scented foliage makes a tasty tea. “Liberty Tea” was used by colonists after the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Clump grower, reseeds. Full to part sun.
• Wand Goldenrod, Solidago stricta – sends up tall, thin ‘wands’ 2-4 foot tall topped with bright, clear yellow blooms. Very easy to grow and adaptable to many soil types. Prefers full to part sun.
• Downy Goldenrod, Solidago petiolaris – one of the most uniform and compact goldenrods, forms a clump, which grows wider but is not agressive. Spikes of canary yellow flowers 2-4 feet tall. Average soil and water needs. Full sun.
• Wreath Goldenrod, Solidago caesia- arching branches of blooms on low, 2ft tall stalks. Reseeds and spreads by root, but not aggressive. Grows in full sun, but is also tolerant of dappled shade.