Now that the heat is on, my attentions turn from the cool season crops to the warm season ones (cucumbers, melons, peppers, tomatoes, etc.).

The key to crack-free tomatoes is consistency of watering. I like to hard water my tomato plants in the evenings. This way, the water soaks into the soil with less evaporation from the hot sun. In the mornings I’ll check my plants again and if the forcast calls for really high temps, I’ll give them another soak to get them through the day.

This month is also a great time to ‘sidedress’ (feed) your plants. I like to use a granular fertilizer we carry at Timberline called El Primero. It’s organic, pet safe, and made by Alpha One, a company based out of Loveland. Always nice to support local businesses.

I take a handful of the fertilizer and sprinkle it 4-6″ away from the stem of the plants, gently cultivating it into the soil.

If you prefer to use a liquid fertilizer, Seaweed Extract applied weekly is great for ‘pushing’ those longer maturing varieties. Timberline’s got concentrated Seaweed Extract in a couple of different sized bottles, so it’s a good bargain since a bottle goes a long way.

*Special Note: If you have purchased any of our new heirloom tomatoes this season, namely Caspian Pink, Legend, Jaune Flamee, Manyel, Nyagous or Speciled Roman, I’d love to hear how they worked for you. Should Timberline continue to carry these varieties or explore others? Let us know in the comments.