Master gardeners to talk tomatoes

The “Totally Tomatoes” workshop will be held at Huntsville Botanical Garden on Feb. 26. CONTRIBUTED

HUNTSVILLE – Although snow recently blanketed the ground, spring is only two months away. With spring comes planting, and an upcoming workshop will prepare home gardeners to grow an all-time favorite.

The event “will bring together experts from Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Master Gardeners of North Alabama to help you learn how to successfully plant and grow tasty, juicy, healthy tomatoes regardless of your gardening experience,” gardeners publicist Sue Khoury said.

“Start planning now for an amazing tomato crop. The all-day ‘Totally Tomatoes!’ workshop on Feb. 26 runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” Khoury said.

The seminar at Huntsville Botanical Garden in Murray Hall, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave. in Huntsville will include a choice of four delicious boxed lunches.

After registering, participants will receive links to helpful documents that they can print for the class, including instructions for building tomato cages.

Session instructors will be Ken Creel, Madison County Regional Extension Agent; Chris Becker, Mike Reeves and Christy Mendoza, extension agents for Limestone, Morgan and Etowah counties; and longtime master gardeners Bonnie Gardener and Bill Fuller.

Sessions will cover starting seeds and hardening off plants; heirloom tomatoes; garden bed prepartion; soil testing; nutrition; and ways to stake, cage, prune, harvest and preserve tomatoes. Instructors also will discuss tomato diseases and pests; late summer planting; crop rotation; cover crops; mulch; and weed control.

Master Gardeners of North Alabama Inc., a 501 c(3) non-profit organization, has supported the Alabama Cooperative Extension System since 1988.

Cost per person is $25. Space is limited so register early, Khoury said.

Pre-payment and registration is required. To register, visit mginfo.org.