Herbs for Summer!

Botanical name: Ocimum basilicum

Plant type: Herb

Sun exposure: Full Sun

Soil type: Loamy

Basil is a leafy, fragrant annual with a bushy appearance. The most common type of basil is sweet basil; other types include purple basil (less sweet than common basil), Lemon basil (lemon flavour), and Thai basil (liquorice flavour). Basil is easy to grow and works well in Italian dishes, but it only grows in the summer, so plan accordingly.

Planting

To get a head start, start the seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last spring frost.

 Ensure your outdoor site gets 6 to 8 hours of full Sun daily; soil should be moist and well-drained.

After the last frost date, plant the seeds/seedlings in the ground about 1/4-inch deep. The soil should be around 70ºF for best growth.

Plant the seeds/seedlings about 10 to 12 inches apart. They should grow to about 12 to 24 inches in height. For smaller plants, plant farther apart (about 16 to 24 inches).

During the dry periods in summer, water the plants freely.

 Remember to pinch out the flower heads as soon as they appear to make sure that the leaves will continue growing.

If you're planning on cooking with these plants, plant in clean soil (don't use fertilizers that leave harmful residues) and grow them away from driveways and busy streets so that exhaust won't settle on the plants. Tomatoes make great neighbour's for basil plants in the garden.

 Care

 Make sure that the soil is moist. Basil plants like moisture. If you live in a hot area, use mulch around the basil plants (the mulch will help keep the soil moist).

Make sure to pick the leaves regularly to encourage growth throughout the summer.

After 6 weeks, pinch off the centre shoot to prevent early flowering. If flowers do grow, just cut them off.

If the weather is going to be cold, be sure to harvest your basil beforehand, as the cold weather will destroy your plants.

Wit & Wisdom

Where salt is good, so is basil.~Italian saying

 Magically, basil can be used in love magic and in love divination. Scott Cunningham says in his Encyclopaedia of Magical Herbs that two basil leaves placed on a live coal will give you an indicator about the state of your relationship: if they burn to ash quickly, the marriage will be harmonious, but if they crackle and hiss, your marriage will be disruptive.

Pests

 Aphids

Variety of bacterial and fungal leaf, stem, and root diseases

 Harvest/Storage

After the seedlings have their first six leaves, prune to above the second set.

Every time a branch has six to eight leaves, repeat pruning the branches back to their first set of leaves.

The best time to harvest is right when the plant starts to bud (before the flowers bloom).

Basil is most pungent when it is fresh.

If pruned regularly, twelve basil plants will produce 4 to 6 cups of leaves per week.

The best method for storing basil is freezing. Freezing will prevent the plant from losing any of its flavour. To quick-freeze basil, dry whole sprigs of basil and package them in airtight plastic bags.

 Another storage method is drying the basil (although some of the flavour will be lost). Pinch off the leaves at the stem and place them in a well-ventilated and shady area. After 3 to 4 days, if the plants are not completely dry, place them in the oven on the lowest heat setting with the door slightly open. Remember to turn the leaves (for equal drying) and check them frequently.

Recommended Varieties

Cinnamon basil, to add a hint of cinnamon to a dish.

Purple basil, to add some nice colour to your garden (when steeped in white vinegar, it creates a beautiful colour).

Thai basil, to add a sweet liquorice flavour to a dish.

Tomatoes

Botanical name: Lycopersicon esculentum

Plant type: Vegetable

USDA Hardiness Zones: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

 Sun exposure: Full Sun

Soil type: Loamy

 Soil pH: Acidic

Tomatoes are America’s favourite garden vegetable. (Yes, we technically eat the fruit of the tomato plant, but it's used as a vegetables in eating and cooking and, thus, usually categorized in vegetables.)

This vine plant is fairly easy to grow and will produce a bumper crop with proper care. Its uses are versatile, however, tomatoes are susceptible to a range of pests and diseases.

Wit & Wisdom

 In 1522, Spanish explorers returned home from the New World with tomatoes. Wealthy people believed that the fruits were poisonous. Only the peasants were brave (and hungry) enough to eat them. Europeans at first thought it was poisonous because its leaves, flowers, and fruit were similar to those of the nightshade family.

 Magickal Uses: Health, money, love, and protection, associated with Venus and the Water element. Tomatoes can be used in a variety of ways: tomato sauce, tomato juice, pizza, etc..

Ease a headache by drinking tomato juice blended with fresh basil.

Planting

If you're planting seeds (versus purchasing transplants), you'll want to start your seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the average last spring frost date. See our post on "Tomatoes From Seed the Easy Way."

 Select a site with full sun and well-drained soil. For northern regions, is VERY important that your site receives at least 6 hours of sun. For southern regions, light afternoon shade will help tomatoes survive and thrive.

Two weeks before transplanting seedlings outdoors, till soil to about 1 foot and mix in aged manure, compost, or fertilizer.

Harden off transplants for a week before moving outdoors.

Transplant after last spring frost when the soil is warm. See our Best Planting Dates for Transplants for your region.

 Establish stakes or cages in the soil at the time of planting. Staking keeps developing fruit off the ground, while caging let’s the plant hold itself upright. Some sort of support system is recommended, but sprawling can also produce fine crops if you have the space, and if the weather cooperates.

Plant seedlings two feet apart.

Pinch off a few of the lower branches on transplants, and plant the root ball deep enough so that the remaining lowest leaves are just above the surface of the soil. Water well to reduce shock to the roots.

Care

Water generously for the first few days.

Water well throughout growing season, about 2 inches per week during the summer. Keep watering consistent!

Mulch five weeks after transplanting to retain moisture.

To help tomatoes through periods of drought, find some flat rocks and place one next to each plant. The rocks pull up water from under the ground and keep it from evaporating into the atmosphere.

Fertilise two weeks prior to first picking and again two weeks after first picking.

If using stakes, prune plants by pinching off suckers so that only a couple stems are growing per stake.

Practice crop rotation from year to year to prevent diseases that may have over wintered.

Pests

 Tomatoes are susceptible to insect pests, especially tomato hornworms and whiteflies.

Aphids

Flea Beetles

Tomato Hornworm

Whiteflies

Blossom-End Rot

Late Blight is a fungal disease that can strike during any part of the growing season. It will cause grey, moldy spots on leaves and fruit which later turn brown. The disease is spread and supported by persistent damp weather. This disease will overwinter, so all infected plants should be destroyed.

 Tobacco Mosaic Virus creates distorted leaves and causes young growth to be narrow and twisted, and the leaves become mottled with yellow. Unfortunately, infected plants should be destroyed (but don't put them in your compost pile).

Cracking: When fruit growth is too rapid, the skin will crack. This usually occurs in uneven water or uneven moisture due to weather conditions (very rainy periods mixed with dry periods). Keep moisture levels constant with consistent watering and mulching.

Harvest/Storage

Leave your tomatoes on the vine as long as possible. If any fall off before they appear ripe, place them in a paper bag with the stem up and store them in a cool, dark place.

Never place tomatoes on a sunny windowsill to ripen; they may rot before they are ripe!

The perfect tomato for picking will be firm and very red in colour, regardless of size, with perhaps some yellow remaining around the stem. A ripe tomato will be only slightly soft.

If your tomato plant still has fruit when the first hard frost threatens, pull up the entire plant and hang it upside down in the basement or garage. Pick tomatoes as they redden.

Never refrigerate fresh tomatoes. Doing so spoils the flavour and texture that make up that garden tomato taste.

To freeze, core fresh unblemished tomatoes and place them whole in freezer bags or containers. Seal, label, and freeze. The skins will slip off when they defrost.

Recommended Varieties

Tomatoes grow in all sizes, from tiny "currant" to "cherry" to large "beefsteak." There are hundreds of varieties to suit different climates and tastes. Here are a few of our favourites:

‘Amish Paste’: Large paste tomatoes, good slicers.

‘Brandywine’: A beefsteak with perfect acid-sweet combination. Many variants are available.

‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’: Foolproof in any climate, cherries bear abundant fruit in high or low temps and in rain or drought.