The Winchendon Courier
Serving the community since 1878 ~ A By Light Unseen Media publication
Week of May 5 to May 12, 2022

Gardening

Growing Tomatoes in Pots

Torenzo tomatoes in pots
Terenzo is a productive red cherry determinate tumbler tomato excellent for hanging baskets.
Photo courtesy of All-America Selections


Keep garden-fresh tomatoes close at hand this season. Grow one or more in containers on your patio, balcony, or front steps.

Any tomato can be grown in a pot, but determinate varieties are smaller and more compact, so they are a bit easier to manage in a container. They produce fruit in a relatively short period of time, making them great choices for preserving as well as using fresh. Look for a D or determinate on the plant tag, seed packet or in the catalog description.

Indeterminate tomatoes, often identified with an I, are large, sprawling plants. These are usually staked or grown in wire cages to save space, reduce pest problems and make harvesting easier. They continue to grow, flower, and produce fruit until the frost kills the plant. Indeterminate tomatoes usually produce more tomatoes, but the harvest is later in the season than determinate varieties. New containers with built-in trellises or creative gardeners crafting their own makes growing indeterminate tomatoes in pots an easier possibility.

Grow one tomato per container for maximum productivity. Use a 5-gallon or bigger container for large varieties and at least a two to three gallon or similar size pot for smaller varieties. Some research suggests growing tomatoes in a pot that is at least 14 inches but preferably 20 inches wide will yield greater results. Adding flowers and herbs to the container boosts the beauty and diversity of your container garden but will reduce the number of tomatoes produced.

Growing tomatoes in containers also allows you to extend the season. Start earlier by moving the planter inside when the weather is harsh and back outside when the weather is warm and sunny. As the weather turns cold at the end of the growing season, cover the planter or move it into a frost-free location as needed. Some gardeners even move a pot or two inside to finish off the tomato season.

Grow tomatoes in a container with drainage holes or a self-watering pot that has a reservoir to hold water and extend the time between watering. Further reduce the need to water by adding an organic, sustainable soil amendment like Wild Valley Farms' wool pellets (wildvalleyfarms.com) to the potting mix. Made from wool waste, this product reduces watering by up to 25%. Adding a low nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer at planting will eliminate the need to fertilize weekly. Just make a second application, if needed, mid season.

Plant tall tomato transplants a few inches deeper than they were growing in their container. Remove the lowest leaves that would otherwise be buried in the soil. Cover with soil and water. This is also a good time to install any stakes, trellises, or cages to support taller varieties.

Initially, check tomatoes growing in containers every day and water often enough to keep the developing root system moist. Reduce watering frequency as plants become established. Feel the top few inches of soil and water the established plants thoroughly whenever this is dry. Mulch the soil with evergreen needles, shredded leaves, or other organic mulch to keep the soil consistently moist and suppress weeds. Consistent soil moisture encourages more flowering and fruiting, while reducing the risk of blossom end rot, cracking, and misshapen fruit.

Harvest tomatoes when fully colored or leave them on the plant a few more days for an even sweeter flavor. You'll enjoy the convenience of harvesting fresh tomatoes right outside your door for use in salads, sauces, and other favorite recipes.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Wild Valley Farms for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

Antiques

Collecting Postcards

Vintage postcards


Long before email and texting, postcards were a popular way to stay in touch with friends or family members and I often come across old postcard albums when I'm handling New England estates. In today's column I'll discuss the history of postcards along with collecting and studying postcards, which is known as Deltiology.

Smithsonian magazine reports that from 1848 to 1878, prior to postcards, people sent cards through the mail with applied postage. They weren't actual postcards but were instead referred to as "mailed cards." In 1861, Congress passed a law allowing cards of an ounce or less to be sent through the mail. In that same year, James P. Charlton copyrighted the first postcard. Then in 1870, Hymen L. Lipman began reissuing Charlton's copyrighted postcard under the name "Lipman's Postal Cards."

The U.S. government began producing postcards in 1873. It cost 2 cents to mail privately produced postcards while sending a government made postcard only cost 1 cent. From 1898 to 1901, "Private Mailing Card" was required on privately made cards to distinguish them from government owned postcards. From 1901 to 1907, private makers were allowed to label the cards as "postcards." The Universal Postal Congress voted in 1907 to allow the address to appear on the right side, reverse of the postcard and for a message to be written on the left. The "Divided Back Period," with an address on one side and writing on the other, lasted until 1915 and is considered the "Golden Age of Postcards."

Postcards with white borders were made from 1915 to 1930. Cards with high rag content were produced during "the Linen Period," from 1930 to 1945. The modern "Photocrom Period" started in 1945 and has continued ever since. "Chromes" are the colored images that we are now accustomed to sending and receiving when traveling.

Postcards by famous artists from any era can be very valuable. For example, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat sold painted postcards early in his career. A group of 10 of his postcards sold for $37,000 in 2016.

Among the postcards I encounter most often, older postcards from the early 1900s are some of the most sought after. Postcard albums with cards from that era typically sell in the low to mid-hundreds.

Halloween postcards typically fetch the highest prices for holiday related postcards. A postcard with Kewpie dolls dancing around a jack-o-lantern that advertised Hazelwood ice cream went for $1,325 in 2016.

Real photo postcards are photographs that were printed on pre-printed postcard backs. Photos of unidentified people may sell for under $1 but rarer ones can command huge prices. For instance, a 1915 real photo postcard of the American League Champion Boston Red Sox cleared the fences when it sold for over $100,000 in 2018.

We have two postcard albums in our online auction of historical memorabilia and sports cards ending May 11th. Our estate jewelry, coins and sterling silver auction will end May 10th. We currently have three more auctions planned and bidding will open soon. Please visit our website https://centralmassauctions.com for a link to the auction and for other upcoming events.

Contact us at: Wayne Tuiskula Auctioneer/Appraiser Central Mass Auctions for Antique Auctions, Estate Sales and Appraisal Services www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111) info@centralmassauctions.com