A recent study coming out of UC Davis confirms that organically grown tomatoes are much healthier for you than conventionally grown ones.  Think this news is coming too late for tomato growing this year? Think again! Tomato King Steve Goto is bringing his organically grown Cool Season Tomatoes to Yamagami's Nursery August 25th and 26th from 10 AM to 2 PM for planting in your late summer garden.. Planted by September, they will grow and fruit this fall and into winter. Imagine serving homegrown, vine-ripened tomatoes at your Thanksgiving feast!

Steve's tomatoes are heirloom varieties from places like Siberia where the growing season is cool. Steve grows them not only with organic fertilizer and soils, but also uses his secret blend of amendments for the healthiest plants, most likely to thrive in cool weather. The conclusion drawn from the recent UC Davis study was that tomatoes, not having to metabolize chemical fertilizers, spend their energy developing their own immune systems and thus withstand stress (like cold) better. The "secret" recipe that Steve uses and recommends is formulated to boost plants immune system. The best part of this is that boosting plants' immune system results in greater production of the very things that make tomatoes so good for you: flavonoids and lycopene.

 Come to Yamagami's Nursery August 25th and 26th from 10 AM to 2 PM to learn Steve's secrets to success with cool season tomatoes and start a new healthy tradition of a second season of harvest. Mike Castro, developer of Wormagic, will also be here to tell you how to grow the best and healthiest tomatoes possible.  The Steve and Mike shows will go on the hour at 11 AM, 12 noon and 1 PM. They will be available for questions in between talks. Join us for a healthy good time. Yamagami's Nursery, when you want to succeed…the first time!

Click here to view the list of Steve's Cool Season Tomatoes arriving 8/25!

A beautiful new vine--so new that it is still unidentified!-- has just arrived from Suncrest Nursery. This nearly ever-blooming Solanum species with dark foliage and clusters of fragrant purple flowers comes from Mexico and is hardy into the mid 20°'s. This new Solanum is available in very limited quantities, so come in quickly to get a peek and a whiff of this new garden treasure.

The stunning cover girl from the Garden Compass Spring and Summer Guide, 'The Imposter' rose, has just arrived! This rose got its name from its blossom's striking resemblance to a Clematis blossom. The Imposter bears a profusion of 5 petaled, single pink flowers splashed with a deeper shade of pink with prominent golden stamens. The rose plant itself is compact (to 3' tall) and makes a great border or container plant. This is one Imposter that is easier to grow than the original!

Come to Yamagami's Nursery this summer to see these and other exciting new garden plants. Our buyer, Nick, is always on the lookout for new garden delights!

Fruit Lovers Rejoice! Our first Loquats of the year have just arrived. These sweet, succulent fruit grow on an evergreen tree with large bold leaves. They look very tropical but are hardy into the teens.  The tree can get 25 feet tall, but can be kept lower with pruning. The fruit flavor ranges from very sweet to tangy sweet.

Gold Nugget Loquat is the variety most people have tasted. It is a late season (April - May) variety with medium-sized, light orange skinned fruit and yellow meat. It is very sweet and juicy, somewhat resembling an apricot.

McBeth Loquat is an early season (March) variety with very large teardrop shaped yellow fruit with few seeds. It is sweet with a hint of bubblegum in its flavor.

Big Jim Loquat is a mid-season (March - April) variety with very large, pear-shaped orange fruit. It is sweet and tangy with excellent flavor. It is a heavy bearer.

Plant one of these sub-tropical treats and enjoy its tropical look and delicious fruit!   

Many gardeners give up on their roses in the summer, believing they only produce quality flowers in the spring. Rose blossoms do tend to be smaller in the summer and the colors not quite as vivid, because the summer heat forces the blooms to open before blossom size and color pigment have completely developed. But given the proper care, combined with a few simple pruning techniques and fertilizing strategies, roses will re-bloom every six weeks until the first frost.

There are two ways to prune roses during the growing season, and both will encourage new blooms to set. Most roses have leaflets (with three to seven leaves) every couple of inches along the stems. In order to produce blooms you need to prune at least to the second five-leafed leaflet. (Pruning just above will eliminate nasty dead stems called coat hangers).

If you also want to prune for size control, you can go as far down as two leaflets above the previous cut. Pruning beyond the previous cut tells the rose you don't want it to bloom. Remember that hybrid tea and grandiflora rose stems tend to grow at least 18 inches after each pruning before blooming, so if you only prune the minimum amount you will have a very tall (and possibly leggy) rose by the end of summer.

Because roses are constantly growing, they are in constant need of food. It's important to feed roses every other month with Dr. Earth Rose And Flower Food. The secret to beautiful summer blossoms is to supplement your fertilizer with an application of EB Stone Alfalfa Meal and EB Stone Sul-Po-Mag. These additions will give you bigger and better colored flowers by correcting pH problems, adding trace elements and stimulating blooming. So don't give up on your roses this summer! With a little help, they will provide loads of blooms for you all season long.

It can be hard to spot budworms. They are very small and they tend to take on the color of the bloom or foliage they are infesting, further enhancing their camouflage. You will see irregular chewing on the blossoms and round holes through flower buds and leaves. The numerous black droppings they leave behind are one of the telltale signs. Many gardeners may not know they have a problem until the damage becomes severe.  

Controlling this pest depends on the size of the affected planting. With a small patio of plants, physically removing and killing them should be effective. A larger garden will require spraying. Insecticides that contain Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), such as Safer Caterpillar Killer, offer reasonably effective biological control. Because the Bt must be ingested by the insect to be effective, it may take a few days before you no longer see any signs of budworms. Another organic solution, Monterey Garden Insect Control, is very effective in controlling budworms and lasts up to 10 days. It contains Spinosad and should be sprayed at dusk to avoid spraying bees.

Now that you know what to look for, and what to spray, you'll be armed and ready for this summer pest.