Since lots of folks are trying to grow tomatoes in containers at present, it’s worth pointing out that there are no potting mixtures on the market that in my opinion will support good tomato growth. They drain too readily and are generally too acidic. I’d suggest a 38cm diameter pot and add about 20-30% sandy loam to your premium potting media and sprinkle garden lime over the surface to raise the alkalinity to pH8, where tomatoes thrive. Failure to do so will see your tomatoes with blossom end rot.

On watering potted tomatoes, only do it when plants are showing signs of moisture stress. That way they keep flowering and don’t get carried away with lots of leaf growth. Healthy leaves might look great but we don’t grow tomatoes for their leaves! In the really hot weather move your pots to an aspect where they get only morning sun. If soil temperatures are consistently above 27°C, they will stop flowering and of course fruit set stops too.

You know why we call potting mix a medium, well like steak it is neither rare nor well done. Best to remember that potting media is best serving your plants when it is alive with soil-organisms and the sight of worms when you are repotting is a sure sign your are winning. The sight of ants nesting in the base of a pot suggests the root ball is not draining well or the ants couldn’t live there. You may water daily, but in a non-wetting medium the water just moves down the sides of the pot and drains away, leaving dry roots and a stressed out plant.

I’ve noticed adverts in a national lifestyle magazine, where a Sydney supplier is offering “Giant Tree Tomatoes” that they claim zoom to over 2 metres in 3 months and set enormous fruit up to 1 kg each. The diagram shows a half wine barrel with a massive fruit set, but has any local gardener grown this variety successfully. I’d like to hear from anyone who has, since I have heard from a few who are at best doubting Thomas’s! Mail me care of your local Messenger office.

With petunia planting season upon us, there’s time to get a great display by Christmas if you plant seedlings now. Local mixtures such as ‘Monaco’ which is a lilac, pink morn and cream blend are very hardy grandiflora types, while for the eternally optimistic and patriotic Crows supporters they is the navy, red and gold of “Adelaide’. ‘Song Song Blues’ is a subtle blue blend and ‘High Society’ for pots takes some beating. The tiny ‘Lullaby’ mix is an ankle high groundcover that trails.

Petunia seedlings planted now will result in a great display by Christmas. Local mixtures such as ‘Monaco’ which is a lilac, pink morn and cream blend are very hardy grandiflora types, while for the eternally optimistic and patriotic Crows supporters they is the navy, red and gold of “Adelaide’. ‘Song Song Blues’ is a subtle blue blend and ‘High Society’ for pots takes some beating.

Another popular petunia is the ‘Lullaby’™ mix which has four colours in the pink range and they are carried on very compact ankle high plants that makes a great groundcover or can be used to trail over a wall or from a hanging basket. This type of petunia is called a milliform and a lot of plant breeding work is being undertaken to give us new colour breaks in this range.

If you grew the ‘Moonface’™ Pansy last winter and mine are still flowering their bright faces off, you might do a double take when you see a ‘Moonface’ ™ Petunia in the stores this spring. It’s a riot of colour with contrasting morns or throats to each bloom and as with the same named Pansy, some proceeds are going to support a Bert Newton nominated children’s charity.