I know that you are all busily getting your gardens and yards planted. But I wanted to share these tips I got from a friend this week about planting tomatoes…

• Bury tea bags and coffee grounds in the holes where you are planting tomatoes.
• Plant basil about 12-18 inches away from each tomato plant to keep pests at bay.
• Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon baking soda around each plant for sweeter tomatoes.
• Water plant at base (not on leaves), using a watering can or drip irrigation, 1 to 1.5 inches a week, watering evenly around the plant. Don’t touch stem.
• Enrich the soil with coffee grounds (for nitrogen), ½ cup of dead grass, mixing into top inch of soil (prevents mold and attracts earthworms).
• Early in the season, start weekly pruning the lower 6-12 inches of plant using clean sharp scissors.
• Apply 2-3 inches of organic mulch (straw, wood chips, or shredded leaves around plants). Leave 2-inch open circles around stems.
• Plant marigolds and/or nasturtiums 12- 18 inches apart around tomato plants to attract beneficial insects.
• Dissolve 1Tablespoon Epsom Salts in 1 gallon of water. Apply 1xmonth. Drench soil.
• Use tomato cages or stakes.
• Rotate the spot where you plant each year. Don’t return to a used spot for 2-3 years.
• Crush 4-5 eggshells and mix in soil at planting time or sprinkle around stem of established plants

Cherry tomatoes need 8 hours of sun each day. Pinch off suckers.  Put on organic fertilizer one time a week. Water every 2-3 days. 

Grow these naturally mosquito-repeling plants in your outdoor spaces.

• Mint: Rub a few leaves together when sitting outside (can also be used as a garnish)
• Rosemary: Toss on a bonfire to keep mosquitoes away (can be used in cooking)
• Bergamot: a pretty flower that attracts bees and butterflies and repels mosquitoes
• Lavendar: Mosquitoes hate this. Rub some over your skin while outside
• Garlic: Mosquitoes can’t stand the odor.  Useful for cooking.
• Lemongrass: A low-maintenance plant that mosquitoes hate. Repels snakes.
• Basil: Deters mosquitoes. Great for sprinkling over pasta.
• Eucalyptus: A plant with a relaxing scent that mosquitoes despise.
• Catnip
• Lemon-scented Geranium: Mosquitoes stay away, but don’t plant if you have a pup because this plant is toxic to dogs.
• These are all great to plant in areas where people will be gathering, or to plant in pots that can be moved to places where people will be gathering.
  

Have a great time getting your garden and/or yard planted…Happy Summer!