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12.03.2024 - 16:35 / theprovince.com / Helen Chesnut
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Q. In the past two summers my potted greenhouse tomatoes grew and flowered well but set very little fruit. The greenhouse becomes over-heated in hot weather despite shade cloth, open vents and misting several times a day. I’ve also never been sure how much to water.
A. This issue has become a major problem in the hot summers of recent years. Temperatures at and over 30 C will sterilize tomato pollen and put a stop to fruit set.
Adding a fan to your shading, misting and ventilation measures would help, but the only sure way to ensure fruit set during very hot weather is to move the pots to a cooler site.
How often and how much to water depends on variables such as the size of the pot, the water retention quality of the potting mix, and the size of the plant. It is far easier to keep the soil adequately and evenly moist in large rather than in small pots.
I plant very compact patio tomatoes in pots around 25 cm wide. Larger tomato plants need pots in the 30 to 45 cm range. I set my patio tomato pots in trays, and water into the trays after I’ve watered the soil — every day in hot weather. Lifting the pots, where possible, to sense the weight, or poking a finger into the soil, are low-tech guides to moisture needs.
Some purchased potting mixes are very light-weight and have less than ideal moisture retention capacity. Adding some hefty-textured, all-purpose potting soil enhances the “staying power” of such blends.
These days, product availability fluctuates, but my habit has been to use as the base for my potting mixes Pro-Mix BX (for “basic”) and then,
When I first heard of the Scandinavian Sleep Method, I initially thought it was a pretty nifty idea—and I could use any upgrade to my sleep routine—so my partner and I decided to give it a try.
Oxalis triangularis, also known as false shamrock, is an eye-catching bulbous perennial that makes an excellent and long-lived house plant. Bold, dramatic foliage in shades of dark purple to wine-red creates a striking contrast to blush-white flowers borne in summer. The leaves are three-lobed, hence the name of shamrock which it resembles, though is not actually related to. Oxalis triangularis is native to from Brazil. Its leaves have extra fascination because they open during the day and close at night.
Acidanthera (Acidanthera murielae syn. Gladiolus murielae) – also known as the Abyssinian gladiolus, callianthus, sword lily or peacock lily – is a graceful summer-flowering perennial. It has erect grass-like leaves and slender stems up to 1m tall, each one bearing several nodding, funnel-shaped, white flowers with purple throats. The flowers are attractive to a range of pollinators, including bees, which visit for nectar and pollen.
Goji berries (Lycium barbarum) are a popular ‘superfood’ to eat fresh or dried. Native to China, they’re packed with vitamins and antioxidants and have been used in Chinese medicine for over a thousand years. They’re easy to grow at home in the UK and bear fruit after just one or two years. The best thing about growing your own goji berries is that you can eat them straight from the bush – most commercially available goji berries are dried.
Peace lily, Spathiphyllum wallisii, is a popular, low-maintenance house plant with glossy, green leaves and white flowers, called spathes. Native to Central America, it’s used to a warm, humid environment and is perfect for growing in a bright bathroom. Peace lilies are easy to grow and relatively trouble-free.
The plant kingdom is full of surprising doppelgangers, and these fruits that look like tomatoes are no different! Let’s learn how to differentiate them for good!
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