Tomato time!

On this final day of March I thank Mother Nature for sparing us Northeasterners an early-Spring snowstorm! Now I can turn my thoughts to what's most important this time of year: planting. Intrepid gardener that I am, I already transplanted my hardiest plants--pansies, hyacinths and tulips--and now I must turn my attention to starting seedlings, namely tomatoes. For the earliest tomato crop in your neighborhood, start now.

I'm not suggesting you head outdoors just yet. No matter how many days have reached the unseasonably warm 70-degree mark this week, curb your enthusiasm. Weekend temperatures in upstate New York aren't forecasted to be warm; meteorologists report the mercury will struggle to get past the 40s. Yet plenty can be done inside. Below, the six steps to take now to accelerate your tomato harvest:

1. Choose a fast-maturing variety of tomato. Among the earliest growers: 'Orange Roma,' a sweet,
    fruity tomato, great for making sauce; 'Early Bush' cherry tomato, yields tomatoes 7-10 days before
    other varieties; 'Early Girl' hybrid which bears fruit a mere 50 days after planting.

2.  Select hot spots. Containers and raised beds warm up faster than soil in the rest of the garden. Be
     sure to start containers indoors, and place a cold frame over raised beds.

3.  Harden off plants. Before transplanting tender seedlings outdoors for good, let them sample the
     sunshine and wind for just a few hours a day.

4.  Keep young plants protected. Chilly temps and wind dry out plants. Place empty pots over
     vulnerable plants every evening until temperatures level off, becoming consistently in at least the
     60s.

5.  Hold off on the mulch. I know it looks neater, and cuts down on weeds, but thick mulch inhibits
     the soil from properly warming up, so wait a month before spreading a two-inch layer of straw
     around plants.

6.  Be supportive. I don't mean offering them words of encouragement to grow big and strong, though
     I suppose that can't hurt! It's vital to keep tomato plants growing upright and sturdy. Try cages,
     which support plants on all sides so there's no need to prune or tie stems. If space is an issue, try
     ladders, which offer strong support while encouraging the growth habit upward!