Seed Guide 2007 pgs 01/41 - McKenzie Seeds

When your sunflowers have fully
bloomed, take onion sacks or nets
and wrap the sunflowers. This
prevents the birds from eating the
seeds when they are fully mature.
Natalie Scherbey, Regina SK.
If you take the bottom leaves of a
sunflower plant off, the heads will
grow larger.
Catherine Sperle, Unity SK.
SWISS CHARD
Do not dig up your swiss chard in
the fall. Just leave "as is" and you
will have a great crop the next year.
Lois Wilson, Toronto ON.
TOMATOES
Mix some fresh grass clippings
with the soil, when you plant your
tomatoes. It generates warmth
and the tomatoes thrive.
Marlene Wilkie, Okotoks AB.
I grow my tomatoes right beside
the house over the weeping tile.
There is always good drainage and
they never get water logged.
They also get radiant heat from
the side of the house.
P. Shebaylo, Winnipeg MB.
To enjoy larger tomatoes pinch off
all the flowers that have not started
to form a fruit after the first three
weeks that they started blossoming.
Pruning is also required.
Roland Proulx, Sudbury ON.
To prevent rot on the ends of my
tomatoes, I put milk, that has
soured, on the ground beside the
plants or mix six tablespoons of
powdered skim milk with two
quarts of warm water and pour
this on the soil. Tomatoes love it!
Annabelle Slattery, Hussar AB.
144
G A R D E N I N G T I P S
Shredded paper or newspaper put
in the bottom of the hole when
planting seems to keep the plants
healthier and insect free.
Ardith Speaker, Boswell BC.
When transplanting tomatoes,
pinch off all the leaves except the
few on top. Dig a deep hole and
bury the plant to the top leaves.
The transplant will be set back a
little, but the entire stem will
produce roots and the extra
nutrition will give extra fruit
production.
Claire Bruce, Winfield BC.
Plant tomatoes in a sunny
location, in well-drained soil. The
richer the better! Water
frequently when dry periods occur.
Steve Andrusiak, Flin Flon MB.
Make a mound around your
tomatoes to keep excess water
away from the roots.
L. Bradbury, Newbridge NB.
In mid August pinch off the
growing tips of your staked
tomatoes. This will encourage the
ones left to develop quickly and
ripen before frost.
D. Peebles, Keswick ON.
In really hot weather, take large
plastic milk bottles, drill a small
hole into the cap and a small hole
into the bottom. Turn upside
down and put next to the plant
(about one-quarter of the bottle).
Fill with water. This will keep the
roots moist and help the plant.
Yvonne Greenwood, New Sarepta AB.
W W W . M C K E N Z I E S E E D S . C O M