UNH Cooperative Education Center Info Line Questions of the Week
 Q. What’s a pretty, easy annual that can survive even my black thumb?
A. Geraniums are one of the toughest and most popular annuals, valued for their bright flowers and attractive foliage. Natives of South Africa, annual geraniums are members of the genus Pelargonium and are very easy to grow. As long as they are planted after the last frost, have well-drained soil and get at least 4 hours a day of full sun they will flourish and flower prolifically.
Geraniums fall into several broad groupings. The common garden or zonal geranium is most popular. Many, many millions are grown and sold each spring. The name comes from the distinct markings or “zones” on the leaves. The most common marking is a deep maroon band. Fancy-leaved zonals can have tri-colored leaves or leaves with white markings. Zonals are grown from seed or cuttings and generally have flower colors that are pink, red, white, orange or salmon.
Martha Washington geraniums are the first geraniums offered for sale in the spring. The flowers are quite large and often bi-colored. They are not heat tolerant and flower best in spring and early summer when night temperatures remain below 60 degrees F. Ivy-leaved geraniums have glossy, ivy-shaped leaves and a trailing growth habit. They are most commonly used in hanging baskets and window boxes. Scented geraniums are prized for their aromatic leaves. Scents include lemon, rose, peppermint, citronella and others. Most don’t have showy flowers.
When shopping look for stocky plants with plenty of leaves. It’s a plus if they don’t have flowers as energy from early growth will go into root and leaf development rather than flowering.
Q. There are so many varieties of tomatoes in garden centers. How do I choose?
A. The best way to choose tomatoes is to think about what you like to eat, and about the space where you will be growing them. Most people want small tomatoes (cherry, grape or pear), medium sized tomatoes for salads, huge tomatoes that cover an entire slice of bread for sandwiches or tomatoes for sauce. Because New Hampshire has a variable growing season you need to know that even if the varieties you choose are supposed to mature early, in the middle or late in the growing season there are years when your tomatoes will all ripen at the same time.
Tomato varieties are either determinate or indeterminate. Determinate varieties reach a certain size and then stop growing. They also flower and set all their fruit within a relatively short time which is great if you want Romas for making sauce and not so great if you want tomatoes until frost. Indeterminate tomatoes will keep growing and producing all season, but they will also need a sturdy cage and lots of space for growth. There are some determinate varieties that are especially good for growing in containers and labels should indicate this.
Lastly, tomatoes are generally either hybrids or older varieties called heirlooms. Hybrid tomatoes have 1 or more letters following their name indicating resistance to certain diseases. If you’ve had disease problems in the past, you might want to choose a hybrid. Heirloom varieties are often less resistant to disease problems, and are chosen for their fine flavor and/or unusual appearance. Still not sure what to choose? Shop at a local garden center where you can ask knowledgeable staff for help.
Got questions? UNH Cooperative Extension's Education Center Info Line offers practical help finding answers for your lawn and garden questions. Call toll free at 1-877-398-4769, M-F, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. p.m. or e-mail answers@.unh.edu
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