6-05-2012 Subject:
Tricks for Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the plants that almost
everyone grows (or tries to grow) in the summer here in the south. If you are a tomato lover, there are a few
tricks that may help you along the way.
There are also a few things to consider before you even put a seed in a
starter medium.
One thing that many who decide to start a
green-thumb lifestyle don’t take into consideration in the beginning is, “What
kind of space do you have to grow in?”
If you are limited to a container on the porch, deck, or patio … the
type of plant you put in has a large impact on your usable space. For instance, I was experimenting with a
“Sweet 100” variety of cherry tomato and was able to get one to grow to 16 feet
high using a cattle panel bent in a tube as a cage. It did yield about 5 gallons of cherry
tomatoes over the season, but if you just have a patio to grow on … not very
practical.
For a smaller space you may want to grow
using one of the many “patio” varieties that grow small and compact while still
yielding a colorful and succulent fruit.
If you are limited by height but not by width, you can grow one along
the ground and guide it in a direction instead of letting it grow “up”.
In very wet conditions or soil, growing up
and as a single plant would be much better than massing several together
because it would allow more air flow to the lower part of the plant. In very hot/dry conditions, massing several
plants together works better because it allows the lower parts of the plant and
the soil to retain more moisture through less evaporation. There are also varieties that work better in
different conditions, so a little reading-up first may be a good starting
point.
Next thing to consider would be, “What
are you gonna do with the tomatoes?”
If
you like ‘em fried and green, then just about any tomato will do, but if you
are looking for a large slice for a burger or sandwich, then you are probably
going to want a larger smooth skinned variety.
Some are meatier and work better in sauces and salsas, some are juicier
and work better as a juice or stewed tomato, some are small for popping in your
mouth, and some are even advertised as “low acid” for those who have a reaction
to the high acid content in many varieties.
Once you determine which variety may serve
your needs better, you usually have a choice of buying a plant (or plants) that
are ready for transplanting, or you can start one from seed yourself. The plant should be ready to transplant
anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks from the time you put the seed in the ground. Just something to think about when you start
the seeds … if you want to put it in the ground outside in the middle of March,
then at the beginning of February will be a good time to plant the seed.
“When
should you plant outside?”
Normally
after the last average frost date is the best time to set tomatoes
outside. If you are prepared to cover
them for a frost, then you can put them out a little earlier. This year was really weird because of the exceptionally
mild winter we had here in Arkansas, and the last frost was a full month
earlier than the average. You can check
with an almanac (or google it) to find when the last average frost date is for
your area. Just remember, if you are
wanting to save your plants, then a frost will take a bite out of them quick …
when in doubt … cover them up.
“Watering
your tomatoes” …
Tomatoes generally can handle large
amounts of water … we had a lot of extra rain a few years ago and I was trying
an experiment with plant ponds (depressions in the ground to plant in for water
retention). The only plants that didn’t
make it were those that were completely submerged by the excess rain … I guess
they drowned. The plants that still had
a couple leaves over the water were able to pull out of it and did very well
once the water receded. I think the best
is still going to be with deeply rooted plants in well drained, fertile soil.
If your plant has at least three sets of
leaves when you are ready to set outside, you can put it all the way up to the
top set of leaves in the ground and it will root from everything that is under
ground. This will help it to uptake more
moisture from the extended rooting structure underground and assist the plant
in maintaining a better moisture content during the hottest weather.
I’ve tried using soaker hoses, drip
systems from jugs, drip hoses … I keep going back to watering by hand with a
shower head because of how hot and dry it gets here in the summer. We get many days of temperatures exceeding
100 degrees and go for several months without any measurable rain. Where I live, in the hottest part of the
summer, the ground water drops to about 50 feet down so I don’t have to worry
about over-watering … ever! In many
places around here, the ground water is much closer to the surface and
gardeners very rarely have to water at all.
I’m afraid that I didn’t get that lucky in the draw. I water daily here … unless it’s raining
already … but just a threat of rain is not good enough.
Another thing that needs to be taken into
consideration is airflow around the base of the plant. In mass plantings … moisture can be trapped
in the lower leaves and could lead to fungal growth, especially if your ground
has a tendency to hold moisture. Mine
doesn’t so I water in the mornings and sometimes in the evenings too in the
hottest part of the season. If you live
in a place where you get more rain or your soil holds more moisture, then avoid
watering the plant itself and water at the ground level to keep moisture from
staying on the lower leaves.
Tomatoes like a very rich soil. If you have access to manure compost, then
you can probably never get too much organic material for a tomato plant (or for
any plant for that matter). In beds, you
should be trying to develop a fertile, active, well-drained soil where you
build up the soil mix and content over a longer period of time for
sustainability. You can get a good mix
(sometimes) of nutrients using some potting soils, and chemical-mix-with-water
solutions, but I will always go for the compost and the organic material. Many of the chemical fertilizers will work
for a single season and actually make your soil worse for the next season. Thinking in terms of “over time” as opposed
to “right now” will always be your best bet in the long run.
One thing I’ve discovered, is in the
hottest weather, the plants that have a longer time in the sun during the later
parts of the day will do much more poorly than those that get more shade in the
afternoon. It seems that they do most of
their growing in the morning because once it gets really hot out … they are so
busy trying to survive, that moisture uptake from the soil is going to the
leaves instead of fruit and new growth. A
little shade in the afternoon will give the plant a longer growing and
producing cycle during each day.
There are two pests that seem to do the
most damage for us here in Arkansas. The
“Green-horned Tomato worm” and the “Stink bug”.
I’ve heard lots of different ways to get
rid of the Horned Tomato worm, some use a pesticide called “BT” (Bacillus
Thuringiensis), but I’ve always been one of those old hold outs that don’t use
any kind of sprays or chemical fertilizers.
For me, hand pickin’ the worms is the way to go. The horn worm will usually let you know it’s
there pretty quickly. The evidence of
its’ presence is leaves gone, little dark poop balls on the leaves, and (of
course) a giant green worm munchin’ on your plant. It may look pretty intimidating, but you can
just reach out and grab it and pull it off.
I usually just drop it and pop it with my shoe.
These guys can be pretty tricky to find
sometimes because their natural camouflage is like stealth tech … couldn’t be
much more perfect. They hide on the
bottom of stems or leaves close to where they have been chowing down and if you
find their poop balls they will also be somewhere close by.
Here’s
a link to pics on the net of the Horned Tomato worm: https://www.google.com/search?q=stink+bug&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=wxbOT8zhGc6-2AWt_Km8DA&ved=0CIIBELAE&biw=1017&bih=484#hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=horned+tomato+worm&oq=horned+tomato+worm&aq=1&aqi=g2g-m1g-mS1&aql=&gs_l=img.1.1.0l2j0i5j0i5i24.156677.162251.0.165706.26.23.0.0.0.1.292.2692.5j16j2.23.0...0.0.RbnxKJwvTNs&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=fa956e7b5382943d&biw=1017&bih=484
The
other trouble maker is the “Stink Bug”.
Here’s
the wiki link to a good description of this little stinky pest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentatomidae
And
here’s a link to the pics on the net already of the “Stink Bug”: https://www.google.com/search?q=stink+bug&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=wxbOT8zhGc6-2AWt_Km8DA&ved=0CIIBELAE&biw=1017&bih=484
When you water your plants, this bug
really shies away from the moisture. So
it will usually try to run and will expose itself on the top of the leaves of
your plant. You can reach out and grab
it, but it does have the capability to bite.
If you have a small can nearby you can put some water in it and just
drop the bug into the water (this will save you from the stinky defense
mechanism that it uses). Having a drop
or two of dishwashing liquid in the water will keep it from being able to get
out of the water. If you look at your
plants regularly, the eggs will be in flat clusters on the bottom of the leaves
and will be a pale white in color (squash bug eggs look very similar but are
gold in color).
All right … lets get some “maters” goin’ …
…
Duane
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