What to Do in The Gardens Now

The heat is on! There are several tactics to implement in gardens over summer that will ensure a successful and prolific harvest. I know everyone loves tomatoes, so now is the time to get in the garden and focus on building tomato supports. This keeps tomato stems from breaking and allows for easy pruning. I’ll be honest and tell you I am not a fan of tomato cages. Instead, I build a support system of bamboo in all of my tomato beds. DIY trellising is uber-efficient and less expensive. This also allows for easy pruning, good air circulation and good fruit maturity, as it allows sun to sit on individual tomato fruits. To Build: You need 5 lengths of 6-foot bamboo. Crossing two pieces of bamboo, tie string about 5-inches down, creating a small "X" at one end. Once tied, splay the bamboo apart, making a large "X" - these will act as the foundation for the trellis. Do this twice and position them about 5-feet apart in the bed. Position the remaining piece of 6-foot bamboo across the frame and voila! A super durable, strong trellis in which to trail over vining plants.

To Support Tomatoes: Use garden twine and loosely make a knot around the main stem of the tomato, winding the string up to the top of the bamboo and tying off. Do this in one or two places along the main stem, twisting the tomato plant around the string for extra support and VOILA. Tomato support!