TIPS FOR TOMATOES
Can we talk? Gardening should be fun! It should be a learning experience every year, and it should provide you with a sense of accomplishment as well as home grown produce. It should be a skill you pass along to your kids.
Should, should, should! Somewhere in all those shoulds I've noticed a problem, especially in the Generation X and Y cohorts. Customers are coming to us concerned and stressed out about their gardening choices and methods, and I blame the internet and its information overload.
Take a deep breath; it's not rocket science.
PLANTING: Planting tomatoes too early in spring is an easy way to fail. Until night time temperatures are reliably in the 50 degree range, why not just wait to plant? Sure, get your favorite varieties early, but don't plant them too soon. May 15 is reckoned to be our last frost date, but I usually plant mine the first week of May.
Plant tomatoes in an area where they'll receive the most sun possible. Planting against a house or retaining wall provides the added benefit of reflected heat. Tomatoes can be planted directly in a garden bed, or grown in containers.
When growing in a pot or grow bag, make sure the container is adequately sized, about 24" wide and at least 12" deep. You could probably get away with a slightly smaller container, so experiment this year to find out. Hanging baskets that are at least 10" in diameter could also be workable.
Most importantly, you need to know that the 5.5" pot that large tomatoes are sold in is not intended to be the pot the plant remains in all season; nor are the 3.5" or pack size containers adequate for cultivating tomatoes.
WATERING: Tomatoes want quite a bit of water, but they don't want to be in soil that's constantly saturated. Confusingly for the new gardener, the symptoms of over and under watering can look the same: yellow leaves, a limp and droopy appearance. Water frequently, especially for container grown tomatoes. Containers dry out faster than the soil in your garden beds.
Proper technique for watering: water at the base of the plant. Don't splash the leaves with water.
FERTILIZING: Choose a fertilizer formulated for food crops and follow the package directions for tomatoes. We use Dr. Earth fertilizers, and I make a diluted "tea" out of the fertilizer feed our tomatoes with it about every two weeks.
So really, those are the basics. If you want more information, here are some of our FAQ's:
*What does "determinate' and 'indeterminate' mean?
Tomatoes labelled determinate are generally compact in growth habit, but they may still require a cage or support. Determinate varieties produce one crop of fruit all at the same time.
Indeterminate tomatoes get large and sprawl, and will require a cage or support. Indeterminate tomatoes continue to bloom and set fruit all through the growing season.
*What does the reference to "days" mean on the tomato tags?
Once the tomato plant has flowered, the "days" on the tag refers to how long it will take for the plant to produce a mature fruit. For instance, Early Girl produces tomatoes 52 days after flowering.
*What are heirloom tomatoes?
Heirloom is a term that generally refers to varieties of tomatoes that are antiques, about 100 years old. Heirloom tomatoes are not difficult to find. Our growers provide us with many different heirloom varieties throughout the tomato plant season (April- June).
*Can I save the seeds from my tomatoes and plant them next year?
Most modern tomato plants aren't suitable for seed saving; because modern tomatoes have a large family tree, the seeds produced may be a throwback to an earlier tomato ancestor, not the variety of tomato you planted. Heirloom tomatoes are suitable for seed-savers.
*Are your tomato plants GMO?
No, they are not.
*Where can I get some GMO tomatoes?
We don't have a clue. It's not a "thing" for the home gardening sector, or for the commercial agriculture sector for that matter. The "Flavr Savr" was a gmo tomato introduced a number of years ago. Ironically, its "flavr" was pretty bad, and it was a flop.
*Is it ok to plant tomatoes in the same spot every year?
Not the best idea; it's good to rotate crops through different spaces in your garden to avoid depleting the soil's fertility and to discourage the spread of soil-borne, crop-specific pathogens. If you're re-using a container from last year's tomato crop, clean it thoroughly with hot, sudsy water.
*Is it true that tomato plants can see the color red?
Studies out of Clemson University in SC show that tomato plants mulched with red colored fiber were more vigorous, flowered earlier, and ripened faster than plants mulched with other colored material. Per the 1989 study, "…the beneficial effects of mulch color are related to its effects on spectral distribution of upwardly reflected light as well as soil temperature."
Further experiments conducted in the greenhouse tomato industry seem to show that even hanging red material near tomato plants increases yield and speeds ripening, so yes, tomato plants can sense the color red.
*How can I prevent pests?
Bait for slugs and snails. We use Sluggo, it's pet and bird friendly. Follow package directions, and also, clean up gastropod habitat! Pick up un used lumber, containers, toys, tools, anything the slimy critters can hide under. Consider planting "companion" plants that attract good bugs and repel bad ones. For tomato plants, good companions are: basil, bee balm, chives, calendula, garlic, marigolds and parsley.
*If I do get pests, what pesticide should I use?
Identify the pest and start with the least invasive pest control methods: hand-pick and destroy pests, or use a blast of water to hose off harmful insects. You can make your own pesticide out of simple ingredients such as hot peppers (recipe follows), or use a commercial pesticide that's approved for use on food crops, such as neem oil, which is an oil made from the nut of the neem tree. Read and follow label directions.
*What are common tomato diseases and how are they spread?
There's the early blight, the late blight, the verticillium wilt, the fusarium wilt and about a dozen different spotty problems. Many are spread through soil, airborne spores or contact with contaminated plants. Tomato plants that are stressed from having been planted too early in cold, wet soil, or tomato plants that have been over or under watered are more susceptible. For more information, visit the Pacific Northwest Vegetable Extension Group---it's a collaboration between OSU, WSU and the University of Idaho and is a great resource.
*What kind of dirt should I put in my container for growing tomatoes?
Use potting soil or topsoil. Our soil products are locally and organically made. The potting soil contains additional natural fertilizer.
Are you still with me? I know it's beginning to sound a little like rocket science, but it isn't, not really. Just plant your tomatoes at the right time. Just give your tomatoes what they need for water and food.
Observe and learn! But most of all, enjoy. Enjoy a new connection between your labor and your food. Enjoy a new connection to the weather; you'll learn its relevance to the quality of what you eat and when you eat it. Enjoy the fruits of your harvest.
A 4-pack of tomato plants is 1.99. That's 50 cents per plant. A packet of seeds starts at 1.99 and will grow a whole yard full of tomatoes.
You can afford to learn how to do this! Take a deep breath, and engage in some…rocket horticulture!
Fruitfully yours,
KARIN
HOME MADE BUG SPRAY
---"Pesticide" is a word that simply means pest-killer, and that's what you're making here. "Spray" is a method of applying a liquid. Make your own pesticide spray with just a few common ingredients. Use caution when working with hot peppers as the oils can linger on your skin and cause irritation. Gloves and even eye protection are not bad ideas. Label your finished product.
1 clove garlic
5 hot peppers
4 cups water
a few drops of liquid dish detergent
In a blender or food processor, combine and process garlic and hot peppers until they are finely chopped. Transfer to a saucepan, add 4 cups water and simmer about 10 minutes. Let the mixture sit overnight at room temperature. Carefully strain the mixture, add a few drops of dish detergent (helps the spray stick onto plants) and fill a sprayer or storage container. Apply the pesticide as needed. Rain will wash it away, so you watch the pests and the weather.
--Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.---Brian O'Driscoll
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