I received the following from Johnny's seeds and thought that it was cute, but worth reading:
The June 2009 Retail Store Calendar
from Johnny's Selected Seeds
*Dear Johnny's Catalog Store Customers,*
My vegetable garden is in except for the tomatoes and a few other
stragglers. The tomatoes are always the last to go in perhaps because
of their status as the crown jewel of the garden. Every year I pore
over gardening articles with tips on how to grow the best tomatoes.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on how to get the best tasting
tomato. It starts with choosing a variety to grow: heirloom vs.
hybrid, determinate vs. indeterminate. I opt for a mix. At planting
time the debate shifts to mulch: red vs. black plastic, or a cover
crop of crimson clover or cut Sudan grass, or, heaven forbid, just
plopping the transplant right into the soil. I have done them all.
Next come the pruning theories: one leader or two or just forget
pruning all together. I usually go with one leader. Recently, various
methods of trellising have drawn attention. There are tomato cages,
staking, the Florida weave, the Dutch spiral, the Caribbean quadrapod,
the English long row, and on and on. Ugh, it is enough to send a
gardener packing her spade and hoe and heading to the produce aisle or
better yet the farmers' market.
It was in this context that I recently read of yet another study on
growing the best tasting tomatoes. The British Horticultural Society
is conducting a study at Wisley in Surrey to see if tomatoes respond
to voices. Auditions were recently held and a cadre of people with
different voices was selected to read verses by Shakespeare and John
Wyndham. Recordings of the readings are being played to the roots of
the plants while a control group of tomatoes grows in silence. The
study follows claims by the Prince of Wales that he talks to his
tomatoes and thinks it helps them grow. While the study is fun, a BHS
spokesman says it is definitely a serious study.
The results of the test have yet to be released. However, past tests
have shown that plants respond to grower's stress; i.e. if you think
your plant won't make it, it probably won't. Bottom line here is don't
worry about whether you should talk to your plants or not, just enjoy
them. When you are taking a break from the garden, don't forget to
check out the June edition of "What's Growing on?"
<http://dmiemail.johnnyseeds.com/t/349932/81181923/184765/0/>.
Happy gardening,
Joann Matuzas
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