General · 17th May 2011
B C Garden Club Bulletin
Tomatoes
A handful of oyster shell placed in the hole when planting tomato, gives them the calcium they re- quire to stop blossom end rot. Apparently calcium also helps the tomato to be meatier instead
of watery. Oyster shell is available at most feed stores and sells for approximately $1.40 per kg.
Damping Off Chamomile Tea is an organic anti-fungal agent that pre- vents damping off. Just make the tea as if you were going to drink it, cool it off then put in a spray bottle. Spritz your soil after planting your seed.
Pole Beans
Get two crops of pole beans from the same site. When planting the first crop, dig a trench deeper than what you require. Cover the seed to the proper depth, leaving the rest of the trench open.
When the beans first start to bloom, seed another layer of beans in the trench at the base of the first crop. Cover to the level of surrounding soil. When you have finished harvesting the lower part of the first planting, the second planting will just reach that level and will climb on the stems of the first planting.
Note: make sure you fertilize adequately as this is considered ̳intensive‘ gardening.