If you’re in an unlucky ‘hailzone’ this summer and your plants take a pounding during a storm, don’t throw away those beat-up vegetables just yet Why?  Because many of them, particularly tomatoes, have a good root system already established and will likely produce tomatoes faster this summer than any replacements you might plant fresh out of the nursery or garden store.   You will be surprised how quickly those green stems without leaves will re-leaf and start to produce flowers.

If you have your young tomato plants inside ‘Walls O Water’ protectors, you should leave them up until the plants climb over the top.  Why? Because they will protect the tender plants from wind this time of year, and also serve to hold the heat in at night.  Remember that it’s necessary that night-time temps be at least 50 degrees for tomatoes to bloom and set fruit .

It’s a great idea to put out as many buckets, old pans, or anything that holds water when rain is forecast.  You can save it in a cool place for watering those early-season vegetables and flowers as soon as the dust starts blowing again.  Collecting rain water from roof-top runoff is also a good idea, as long as it’s legal in your state.  Check with the state officials to clarify yes or no.   I know several homeowners who have designed a system to collect their runoff water, which includes several large barrels where it’s stored for future use.

All along the front range, we’re hearing folks say their fruit trees, particularly peach and sweet cherry, are either late in blooming, or perhaps that 28 degree night we had about  a week ago, either zapped some of the blossoms, or froze the cherry buds.  But not to fret, two years ago, my wife and I didn’t see many blooms on our peach trees, and then all of sudden about  a month later, we saw all these little peaches growing amidst the branches.  Have no idea how it happened.  But (slurp) really glad it did.

That’s right, tomatoes like it hot. Well, at least warm. This means they will bloom and produce more fruit when the night-time temperature is at least 50 degrees.  You can accomplish this with a little trick.  Put  ‘Walls o’ Water’ around them from the first day you set the tender plants outside, and they will collect heat in their little water chambers (arranged in a teepee-shape when filled) then dispense it at night to the plants inside.  If you take care of your ‘Walls’, they will last for years.

  FACT– potatoes and tomatoes are related!  They are both members of the nightshade family, and because of this relationship, you should never plant tomatoes where potatoes were last year, and visa-versa.  Kind of like you should never marry one of your cousins, eh?  Just one of those things about vegetables  that is nice to know.  AND–for a list of good companion plants with all vegetables, see my book…

 I remember two tips about planting spuds from my sweet grandmother:  Always plant your potatoes on Good Friday (has something to do with the moon phase), and never plant them in the same place as they were last year.   The reason is that there might be nematodes in the soil and they will infect the next year’s crop if planted in the same place.