Monthly Educational Seminars

All seminars will be located at the Cambridge Public Library starting at 6:30 pm.

On April 9, Dr. Andy Petran will present on Vertical Strawberry Production Inside Affordable Controlled Environments.

On May 14, Valerie Prax, retired U of M Extension Educator, will present Gardening is Science: Hands-On Horticulture Integrated into the 5th Grade Science Classroom.

Find more information on our website: isanticountymastergardeners.umn.edu.

Hillbilly Potato Leaf from Pase Seeds

Cherokee Purple Tomato from Seed Savers Exchange

YEA! It is time to start our seedlings and plan our gardens. Choose the type of tomato you plan to grow, determinate or indeterminate, bush type or vining. This might be dependent on how much room you have in your growing area. Indeterminate or vining tomatoes will need to be staked, caged or trellised to prevent them from falling over. If you start your tomatoes from seeds indoors or buy plants from a nursery or plant sale, harden them off before you plant them in your garden. Wait to plant until the soil has warmed and there is no danger of frost. They can be covered if a late frost is in the forecast.

Tomatoes come in many sizes, shapes, colors and flavors; red, pink, yellow, gold/orange, green, purple and almost black. There is also a white variety, which I think looks like a very light yellow. Some tomatoes are striped or speckled on the outside and some are somewhat multi-colored on the inside.

Hybrid tomatoes typically produce and ripen within a certain timeframe, approximately 4 to 6 weeks. A hybrid tomato is not the same as a GMO tomato. A hybrid is a plant that has been cross bred to come up with specific characteristics and has been done for hundreds of years. It may have been cross bred to change the color, the flavor, the size or to withstand disease. A GMO plant has been genetically modified. Seeds from a hybrid tomato will not produce the same tomato if seeds are saved to plant the following season.

Heirlooms typically continue to grow, produce and ripen until frost. They are open pollinated by wind, insects or self-pollination. Seeds saved from heirloom plants will produce the same plant every time. If you have several types of heirloom tomatoes in your garden, the wind or insects could cross pollinate them and this would result in a tomato with characteristics from your different varieties. Heirlooms are bred for their flavor and simple preparation best allows that intense flavor to shine through.

Store your tomatoes at room temperature. The flavor and texture of tomatoes suffer when the fruit is chilled.

Tomatoes may be sliced and drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper or you could layer slices with basil and mozzarella for a Caprese salad. Dependent on the variety, tomatoes are used for sauce, salsa, eating fresh, soup, salad and casseroles. Roasted tomatoes have a richer, concentrated flavor. They may also be sliced and dried in a food dehydrator or frozen when you have too many to process or eat fresh. Tomatoes are also the main ingredient in Gazpacho, a cold soup that is perfect for summer.

Author: Poppy Irwin, Isanti County Master Gardener