It was May 30, and the race was on to get the tomato plants in the ground before it started raining again. Belmont High School Class of 1973 alum Ross Zagami was busy digging holes with a tulip-bulb auger for his friend and former classmate, Cynthia Papoulias DeAngelis. Both now reside in Arlington, but they met in Belmont in the 1960s after his family moved from Roslindale. His first eight years of childhood were in Sicily, where “everyone tends a little vegetable garden.” DeAngelis asked for his help establishing her garden after seeing photos of Zagami’s impressive harvest several years ago.
Zagami has been growing tomatoes for decades, but since retiring a few years ago from financial advising, he has more time for his plants. “You have to take care of them like you take care of your children,” he said.
He learned from his father and has passed his knowledge down to his son and daughter, who live nearby and tend their own gardens. He loves that they are following in his footsteps. He remembers watching his father grow tomatoes while he was in high school, but he only took up the hobby himself as his father’s gardening slowed down in later years. “He had the touch,” Zagami reminisced.
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I had heard that Mother’s Day was a good time to plant tomato seedlings outdoors, but Zagami follows the risk-averse rule his father instilled in him: “Do not plant before Memorial Day.” This is to avoid damage from a late cold snap, like we got this year with a chilly nor’easter on May 22. It may not take an actual frost to kill tomato plants; they suffer when temperatures dip into the 40s.
Zagami usually buys young plants from Wilson Farm in Lexington or McCue’s in Woburn, or he gets them from friends who grow from seeds collected from their fall crop. The technique is to leave a few tomatoes on the vine until they are overripe, push the pulp through a screen to collect the seeds, dry them, and store them in an envelope. Come February, the seeds can be planted in a mixture of good-quality loam and compost and nurtured indoors until Memorial Day.
For outdoor planting, Zagami turns the soil and bores the holes, then sinks the first four inches of the stem to encourage new root growth. He removes any leaves touching the ground and any suckers growing in the space between the leaves and main stem. Before backfilling, he lifts the root ball about an inch from the bottom of the hole, which leaves space for new roots. Then, he shapes a small well around the base of the plant and waters into the well, avoiding splashing the leaves.
He waters every other day while plants get established, and thereafter when the ground is dry. He interplants with marigolds to deter pest insects and encourage beneficial ones, such as ladybugs and pollinators. Fertilizing with a 10-10-10 formula is a must. He scratches the soil around the base of the plant and applies the granules “like you would sprinkle pepper on your food,” a few weeks after planting and again every month. Staking to support the plants is another important step, along with the continued removal of suckers and weeds.
By the end of June, flowers will start to develop, with the first fruits ready for picking by the end of July. He uses tomatoes in all kinds of dishes, but enjoys simple recipes. “There’s nothing like coming into the house with your own fresh tomatoes and adding salt, pepper, oregano, and olive oil,” he said.
I was curious if he also had a green thumb for flowers. He replied, “I don’t do flowers. I want to plant stuff I can eat.” One flower he does grow (and eats) is the large, showy yellow blossom of his zucchini plants, which his wife fries after stuffing with breadcrumbs. Besides tomatoes and zucchini, this year he is also growing herbs, celery, and green beans.
When I asked if he had a favorite Italian restaurant, he answered with a laugh, “My house.” He doesn’t go out for Italian, but he loves Kowloon in Saugus, owned by Bobby Wong, another Belmont High School classmate. No fewer than three Class of 1973 reunions have been held at Kowloon, including the recent 50th. DeAngelis, whose heritage is Greek, recalls how tight-knit the class was. “We all mingled, no matter our backgrounds, and many of us stayed lifelong friends.” For those who stayed friends who garden together, even better!
Jenny has been gardening in Belmont since 2001 and became a member of the Belmont Garden Club in 2019. From 2010 to 2013, she was the volunteer editor for the Belmont Farmers’ Market newsletter, “Roots & Sprouts.”
