Heirloom tomatoes top the list of favorites for the home gardener, especially with the almost unlimited number of varieties that are available. Knowing which varieties are best suited for the San Fernando Valley’s hot summer climate can make the difference between an adequate crop and a bonanza of fruit.
California State University, Northridge’s next CSUN-al Gardening Series workshop will offer strategies for planting tomatoes, fertilizing and watering to ensure a successful harvest.
Scott Daigre, proprietor of Tomatomania and owner of Powerplant Garden Design, will present “Tomato U,” a lecture on growing heirloom tomatoes from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 3, at the university.
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Among his topics are when and why hot weather is bad for tomatoes, why it is best not to plant tomatoes in the same location two years in a row and which varieties perform best in containers.
“Attendees will feel like they’ve earned a degree in tomato growing, but there won’t be a quiz at the end of class,” said Brenda Kanno, manager of Cal State Northridge’s Botanic Garden, which hosts the CSUN-al Gardening Series.
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“Scott grows dozens of tomato varieties in his garden every year,” Kanno said. “His decades of experience growing heirloom tomatoes gives him unrivaled insight into what works.”
Registration for the free class begins today, and is required. Email botanicgarden@csun.edu to request a space in the class or for more information. Driving and parking instructions, as well as the class meeting location, will be sent upon registration.
Cal State Northridge Botanic Garden is operated by the university’s Department of Biology and serves as a field site for botany, entomology, photography, painting and other classes. In addition to outdoor landscapes and natural botanic environments, the garden also features greenhouses where noteworthy botanical specimens are grown. The garden is open to the community.
For more information about the event and CSUN’s Botanic Garden, go to www.csun.edu…
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