AFTER PULLING THE FIRST FEW VOLUNTEER TOMATO seedlings just now, I thought I’d better come indoors and remind you to do the same as they occur in your garden. I know, it’s always hard to uproot “free” babies like this. I feel the pain, too. But self-sown tomatoes can carry with them the stuff of certain diseases. Out, out, damn tomato! Here’s the whole scoop, remember? (Or browse my whole topic archive about tomatoes, if you need another kind of advice.)
THE LECTURE that he’s been giving for a number of years is not-so-subtly called “Kill Your Lawn.” Ecological horticulturist Dan Jaffe Wilder knows that starting over and creating an entire native habitat instead of a lawn isn’t for everyone. But Dan just wants to grab our attention and get us to start to make some changes at least in the way we care for the turfgrass we do want in our landscapes. And maybe give up a little square footage of it to some other kind of more diverse planting, too, like the wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana, inset). Alternative, more eco-focused styles of lawn care, along with some lawn alternatives is what he and I talked about on the podcast. Dan is Director of Applied Ecology at Norcross Wildlife Foundation in Wales, Massachusetts, and its 8,000-acre sanctuary. He’s also co-author with Mark Richardson of the book “Native Plants for New England Gardens.”
(Stream it below, read the illustrated transcript or subscribe free.)
Chase Veterinary in Tampa, FL, is collecting horse and pet hair and bird feathers, and nylon stockings to help with the oilspill in the Gulf of Mexico. You can mail or bring the items to 12501 West Linebaugh Ave Tampa, Fl 33626.The nylons are stuffed with the hair and feathers, and used as buoys to help contain the spill.
Margaret this is a way of helping . Maybe your readers would like to help.
Thank you.
Thanks for the head’s up!!
Thank you for this reminder. I clicked to the other post and realized that I have 2 volunteer potatoes from last year.
It never occurred to me that they could be a problem. Now I will go dig them up and put them on the compost pile.
Again, I thank you. And my tomato eating husband thanks you.
We have always kept our self sow tomatoes form the wind and the birds. We have gotten a lot of great cherry and grape tomatoes form them, the free- bees Also the self sewn ones lasted way into the Fall and seemed to be stronger then the others. I am going to keep my free gifts…… We didn’t grow our own last year and we had lots of tomatoes growing in pots and on the grown in between the flowers. I have a totally organic garden no chemicals and they might have come form the compost pile too.
Elaine
Hi, Elaine. I pull them “just in case” but sounds like you get a good extra bounty from yours! Good to hear. Hope to see you again soon.