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6 Friday, August 25, 2017 brooklintowncrier.com Of tomatoes and lawns Blooming in Brooklin By Ken Brown It's been a strange year for gardens. For instance, we're nearly at the end of August and I just picked my first large ripe tomato although I've had tiny ones for a couple of weeks. But a real tomato is one where you only need one slice to cover the whole piece of toast for that delicious summer treat, the BLT. It was worth waiting for. Now if only the slow season continues so we can enjoy them a month from now. Some things don't wait. The tomato plants' bottom leaves are turning yellow and brown indicating the arrival of a fungus disease called early blight. There's little we can do about it. A copper-based spray like Bordo will be of some help and it is certified for organic culture but I haven't had much success. Instead, cut off and destroy the infected leaves at the bottom of the plant and keep doing that as the infection moves up. The frost will probably arrive and kill the plant before the infection does. Calcium problem I've also had a problem with blossom end rot on the tomatoes, the black soft spot on the blossom end of the fruit. It has to do with consistency of water supply but is more indicative of a lack of calcium. I place a tablespoon of powdered milk in the hole when transplanting tomatoes but I must have missed a few. I'm also growing tomatoes in large sub-irrigation containers like an "Earthbox." It might have some effect on the availability of calcium. Next year, I'll try a different calcium regime. A mixed blessing of the wet summer is the condition of our lawns. They haven't required extra watering and have stayed a rich green all summer. We've had to cut them more frequently and finding a dry day to do it has been a challenge. The constant growth requires a bit more fertilizer than we might normally apply. Since we're entering what is usually a lawn's active growing season, it's a good idea to supply another dose of fertilizer so we can continue to cut it more often than we might like to. It's also time to start thinking about fall planting. Bulbs of many types are some of my favourite plants. By early September they'll start to appear in garden centres and they're inexpensive. An hour or so of planting now will provide so much colour and joy next spring. Finding bulbs However, There's no hurry to get them into the ground; you can easily wait till the first frost has knocked down our annual flowers. Still, you should be perusing bulb racks to find the best varieties. Narcissus will last many years and the squirrels don't like them. Don't forget the many smaller bulbs like crocus and bulbous iris that are inexpensive and bloom just after the snow melts, just when we're anxious to see signs of spring. If your containers are looking tired, then rip out those old petunias and replace them with some of the many colours of Chrysanthemums that are available. They're much happier if they can get out of those small pots and get planted into bigger containers that will provide a better water supply. Autumn's coming, a great gardening season because there's so much we can do to stay active in our gardens. Our Councillor's Report by Rhonda Mulcahy North Ward Councillor, Town of Whitby • mulcahyr@whitby.ca Mending Fences By now, you have perhaps noticed the removal of the decorative horse/goose/fox fence on the east side of Thickson Road. This issue came to me last year during the election while campaigning door-to-door when many residents asked about the state of the fencing. It was rusting and an eyesore. Since it was rusty metal, it was also a safety concern so I agreed to look into the available options. I learned there had been many complaints. I asked for a town report on three options: replace, re- pair or remove. We discussed alternative compensation in the way of plantings for the area along the main arterial roads. Once down, we would see if we could bridge the gaps with plantings. Three options The report's options were: removal for $30,000, or replace for $240,000 (25 year lifetime and no animal cut outs), or repair for $32,000 (lasting four years, with touch-ups every two years). Note: This was for the public fencing. Most of the fencing within the interior of the subdivision is on private property and is therefore the homeowners' responsibility. The one-time cost to remove the fence was by far the most responsible thing to do when considering all factors. This is an example of one of the many things I inherited with the job, items that aren't easy nor popular to fix (similar to the lack of parking at baseball diamonds and soccer fields.). I remember the developer being adamant this fencing was the right thing to install, and Sue Pitchforth shaking her head about it at the time. During a recent discussion, Mayor Mitchell's recount wasn't much different. Some knew the fence would come back to haunt Whitby. But it was a council decision to approve it and now here we are with the results of that decision. Improperly done The fence was unique in the Town; there's nothing like it anywhere else. If it had been done properly, we likely wouldn't have had to worry about it. But it was not galvanized dipped fencing you see elsewhere and would have required endless maintenance. We've had this happen many times before in the Town where a builder's decorative features needed to be removed years later because they weren't built to last. Council has a responsibility to do the right thing no matter its popularity. If given the opportunity to vote on it again, council would not have approved that fence. All I can do is learn from it and not allow it to repeat itself (and the same goes for no parking at baseball or soccer fields). In the meantime, I will keep asking about shrubbery to cover the gaps. I appreciate and understand the concern from those of you who have expressed it. As always, I welcome your calls if you wish to discuss it further.