Short Season

From Rob Diether, Horse Lake Farm Cooperative

Successful tomato growing in our part of the province requires a greenhouse. The elevation at Horse Lake is officially 3250 feet and higher in much of the surrounding area. Nearby Lone Butte is the highest spot along the PGE/BC Rail/CN railway line between North Vancouver and Prince George. We have very few frost free days to work with. Besides tomatoes the greenhouse offers a safe environment for other tender crops including peppers, cucumbers and basil.

I use the greenhouse to first grow a crop of starter plants that I sell at the farm gate and at the farmers market in 100 Mile House. After the bedding plants sell, with some going to plant at the co-op garden, it’s time to plant tomatoes, cucumbers and pepper into the greenhouse beds. Late May and even into June. It makes for a short season. I do rely on some hybrid varieties which grow robustly and quickly. The main one being beefsteak, a couple cherry varieties and roma tomatoes all offered by William Dam Seeds. I grow at least a couple open pollinated varieties- notably Yellow Galina cherry tomatoes and a large beefheart variety called Grightmire Pride. I save seed from both the Grightmire and Yellow Galina. I’d like to experiment with more open pollinated varieties but there is only so much room in the greenhouse. I avoid planting too closelythe . I generally use two foot spacing and keep side growth (suckers) trimmed. However I don’t radically prune foliage. Tomatoes are such lovely plants I hate to see them hacked to pieces!

Soil in the beds: I work in composted manure each spring then supplement the plants during the growing season with fish fertilizer and an organic granular fertilizer along with powdered kelp for trace minerals. I use dolomite lime and crushed egg shells for calcium. I’ve had issues with blossom end rot which may be due to irregular watering. Something perhaps worth noting is that I use cardboard to cover the beds and plant the tomatoes and cucumbers through 6″ holes I cut in the cardboard. The original intention was to discourage the cats from using the beds as a litter box. However I found the practice also served to control weeds and retain water.

Another variety I love growing is the San Marzano. The very best ones I grew came from Stellar Seeds and I kick myself for not saving any seed! Maybe there’s someone out there that has saved some – please let me know!