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Home & Garden • May 2012 • A special advertising publication of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • www.valcomnews.com2

By SUSAN LAIRDValley Community Newspapers editorsusan@valcomnews.com

The spring rains are tapering off, the local area received some “previews” of the summer heat to come, and home gardeners’ thoughts are turning to…tomatoes. California’s capital city is nick-named “Sacra-tomato” with good reason – to-matoes thrive here. The locals may not worship the tomato, but they certainly revere it.

Rich heritageWhile a “fruit” by botanical definition, the

tomato was designated a “vegetable” by the Su-preme Court in 1893. It originated in South America and was distributed throughout the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

Thomas Jefferson grew tomatoes at Monti-cello. At that time, some thought tomatoes were poisonous (they aren’t). Urban legend says that,

on a visit to Lynchburg, Jefferson terrified on of the locals when he paused to snack on a tomato on the steps of the Miller-Claytor house.

Good for youTomatoes are nutritious and low in calories. A

medium-sized tomato boasts only 35 calories.There is a tomato for every taste and culi-

nary need. Cherry and grape tomatoes are bite-sized for

snacking and are a staple of summer salads.Paste tomatoes are used for sauces, catsup,

tomato paste, and canning.Slicing tomatoes are the largest of all. Some

of these “big boys” can weigh in at over two pounds. They are wonderful sliced and served on a plate, or on sandwiches and burgers.

Get gardeningSo, it’s absolutely the right time to be think-

ing about getting Sacramento’s favorite sum-mer vegetable into the garden.

Avid tomato enthusiasts started their plants from seed in late January and through February. If you started plants from seed, now is the time to begin gradually acclimating your plants to the outdoors.

If you got a late start in the garden, it’s not too late. Now through June is the ideal time to get

young tomato plants into the ground. There are many tomato plants available at local nurseries and garden shops.

Each gardener, according to the UC Coop-erative Extension Sacramento County office,

Grow your own tomatoes for convenience, taste and nutrition

Photo iStockphotoHEIRLOOM TOMATOES are Sacramento favorites. Sacramento’s unique growing climate is ideal for tomatoes. Hence, the Capital City’s nickname, “Sacra-tomato.”

See Tomatoes, page 8

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Home & Garden • May 2012 • A special advertising publication of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • www.valcomnews.com4

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Home & Garden • May 2012 • A special advertising publication of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • www.valcomnews.com6

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Home & Garden • May 2012 • A special advertising publication of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • www.valcomnews.com�

has an opinion about the most reliable tomatoes to plant each spring. These opinions are based on flavor, yield and disease resistance.

Heirloom or hybrid?Another factor to consider: heirloom vs. hybrid? Heirloom tomato varieties are more than 50 years old and

open-pollinated. Often, seeds are saved and passed down by generations of tomato growers. These seeds are even traded.

Hybrid tomato cultivars are newer. They were developed af-ter 1950. Hybrids are the result of crossing different parents.

Pros and consHybrid tomatoes have greater disease resistance and high-

er yields than heirloom tomatoes. The trade-off is that the flavor is not necessarily better than heirloom varieties.

Another factor to consider is nutritional value. A Uni-versity of Texas study notes that nutritional value in su-permarket tomatoes has dropped since 1950, when hybrid tomatoes began to enter the food supply.

“Emerging evidence suggests that when you select for yield, crops grow bigger and faster, but they don’t neces-sarily have the ability to make or uptake nutrients at the same, faster rate,” said Dr. Donald Davis, the leader of study wrote.

One positive factor for the home gardener is the ability to control the use of inorganic chemical fertilizers and pesti-cides. Keeping these chemicals out of your garden – and out of your food – will keep them out of your body.

Most of all, having these beauties in the home garden is a source of satisfaction. The ability to conveniently retrieve the freshest, tastiest tomatoes for your next backyard bar-beque with friends and family surely rates as one of the unique advantages to living in this region.

Tomatoes: California’s capital city is called ‘Sacra-tomato’ for good reasonContinued from page 2

UCCE Sacramento County Master Gardeners have had best results growing the following “tried-and-true” varieties in their home gardens and at the Fair Oaks Hor-ticultural Center:

Cherry/Grape TomatoesBlack Cherry (black/brown – heirloom)Green Grape (greenish yellow – heirloom)Juliet (red – hybrid) Sweet 100 (red – hybrid)Large Red Cherry (red – heirloom)Sun Cherry (red – hybrid)Sun Gold (yellow-orange – hybrid)Sun Sugar (orange – hybrid)Sweet Million (red – hybrid)

Paste TomatoesFresh Salsa (red – hybrid)Italian Gold (yellow-orange – hybrid)Orange Banana (orange – heirloom)Super Marzano (red – hybrid)

Heirloom Slicing TomatoesAbe Lincoln (red)Amana Orange (yellow-orange)Aunt Ruby’s German Green (green with yellow hints)Azoychka (yellow)Caspian Pink (pink)Cherokee Purple (purple/black)

Eva Purple Ball (dark pink)Evergreen (green)Hawaiian Pineapple (yellow-orange)Jaune Flamme (orange)Julia Child (deep pink)Kellogg’s Breakfast (orange)Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom (yellow)Marianna’s Peace (pink)Mortgage Lifter (pink)Omar’s Lebanese (pink)Paul Robeson (black)Redfield Beauty (pink)Rose (deep pink)Rose de Berne (pink)Virginia Sweets (yellow with red stripes)

Hybrid Slicing TomatoesAce (red)Better Boy (red)Big Beef (red)Brandy Boy (pink)Celebrity (red)Dinner Plate (rved)Early Girl (red)Lemon Boy (yellow)Oregon Spring (red)Park’s Whopper (red)Super Fantastic (red)Whopper VFN (red)

Tomatoes that grow best in Sacramento County

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By SUSAN LAIRDValley Community Newspapers editorsusan@valcomnews.com

Ah, spring. The daffodils are just about finished in the garden, the song birds are building their nests and (hope-fully) that tax refund will arrive soon – if it hasn’t al-ready.

Another rite of spring involves getting the house and the garden all straightened out. It’s a time to clean out the grunge of winter, before the heat of summer.

Some savvy Sacramento area home owners will be put-ting their tax refund to good use this spring – taking care of some needed home and yard maintenance and up-grades.

“Investing available resources to maintain and improve one’s home is a good idea because the expense of de-ferred maintenance in the future is far greater,” says David Macko, a Sacramento real estate broker. “Not to mention, a well maintained and updated property is more desirable to potential buyers when it comes time to sell.”Where to start

So, what projects should you tackle first?One good exercise, recommended by Marla Cilley of

FlyLady.net, is “to imagine that you are a real estate agent and you are going to help your client get their home ready to sell.” Grab a clipboard and your pen. Then, go through each room of your home. Jot down anything you feel needs repair or looks outdated. Do the same in the yard.

After this exercise, you will have a good idea of which projects should be done sooner than others.What to repair

In order to stretch your dollars, consider what projects might be “renovated.” Put on your thinking cap and con-sider the local resources that are available to you. For ex-ample:

Can the grout in the bathroom or kitchen tile be re-paired, sealed or stained for a new look? The Grout Medic of Sacramento can help you to “Re-create the Beauty of Home.”

Want to get a few more years out of your carpeting or upholstered furniture? Sacramento Chem Dry uses the industry’s most powerful equipment and proprietary cleaning solutions to ensure the best clean for your home and family.

Do the screens or siding need pressure washing? The Cleaning Brothers is a local family-owned business, pro-viding professional pressure washing and window, gutter and solar panel cleaning services.

Sometimes, all it takes to make an improvement is a lit-tle extra help. Prime Quality Maintenance offers cleaning and professional services to home owners.

What to replaceSometimes, it’s time for a change altogether.Kitchens and bathrooms are subjected to the hardest use

in the family home. No other rooms see so much activity. As families tend to gather more and more in the kitchen,

this room may be in need of an entire change – in floor plan, cabinetry and more.

A remodel or completely new kitchen can add life to your home, and dollars to your pocket book should you decide to sell in the near future.

“ There are no problems, only solutions,” says Steve Frkovich Casci of Casci DesignWorks, Inc. He specializes in a stress-free approach, made possible by taking a kitch-en or bath project step-by-step. He helps clients through the entire process: from establishing a budget to shopping for all the products that will go into the space.

This saves clients time and money. The experience a pro-fessional designer has can “head off ” any potential chal-lenges with your project, too.

“Allowances and assumptions are the curse of remodeling,” Casci says. Working with a professional designer is worth the investment. “It’s no mystery, you will get what you pay for.”

LandscapingRe-thinking and renovating the garden “rooms” sur-

rounding your home is another area for home improve-ment. Take a look at your existing yardscape. Do the trees need thinning or trimming? A number of fine Sacramen-to businesses offer tree and lawn care services, as well as landscaping care.

Capital Nursery offers a landscaping service. At Capi-tal, you can speak with a Master Gardener and plan the garden of your dreams – or update the one you already

Spring cleaning, restoration and renovation can add value to your home

See Spring, page 15

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Home & Garden • May 2012 • A special advertising publication of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • www.valcomnews.com14

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Spring: Hiring professional services is efficient, cost effectiveContinued from page 12

have. Also check out Talini’s Nursery in East Sacramento. Each of these businesses offer unique, specialty plants that can give your home real curb appeal.

Could the “hardscape” – the pathways, pa-tios and walls – use some updating (or instal-lation, if you don’t have these)? What about decorative rock and stone? Ask the profes-sionals at Hasties and Richardson Concrete for ideas that can bring beauty to your yard – and the ability to use these outdoor spaces.

Home sweet homeWhen it comes to maintaining, restoring and

improving your home, the possibilities are end-less. Each project brings a sense of accomplish-ment and pride as it is completed. Your home can be an oasis – a true place of rest and refresh-ment that reflects your unique personality.

Make this your season to shine in the neigh-borhood!