on May 31st, 2010 by admin
If one is going to plant a home garden, chances are one will plant tomatoes. Among all the vegetables, the tomato is America’s most popular home garden crop.
If one likes tomatoes, there is nothing to equal the taste of a home grown tomato- red, ripe, and juicy. Nothing grown in a hothouse can compare. Tomatoes do not require a large garden space, they adapt to many types of soil and except for blight or end rot and a few insects -which can be controlled, tomatoes are fairly easy to grow and get a crop to harvest.
One can start indoors in the winter with seed or wait until spring and buy plants ready to plant at the local garden store. As soon as frost is over one can plant tomatoes plants. Tomato plants grow well in many types of soil. When the soil is dry plow, shovel, or in some way remove weeds, turn the soil over and loosen the soil. One can improve the soil by adding peat moss, compost or decomposed manure. I am reading that tomatoes grow best in nearly neutral soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Fertilizer can be added at this time. For tomatoes, the literature says to use a fertilizer low in nitrogen (N), high in phosphorous (P) and medium to high in potassium (K). An 8-32-16 or 6-24-24 are advised. Avoid ammonia fertilizers with urea or ammonium nitrate.
Tomatoes like a lot of sunshine, so choose an area that receives 6-8 hours a day of direct sunlight, away from trees and buildings, which may block the sun. Select an area that drains well -not swampy. However tomatoes also need water, so choose an area where you can easily carry water to water the plants or use a hose to water.
There are many varieties of tomatoes to choose. Better Boy, Early Girl, Jet Star are a few of the names you will see. You will choose a variety that will give you the type of tomato you want for slicing, salads, salsa, or home canning or freezing.
Two common problems, fusarium wilt and verticillium wilt, can be avoided by selecting wilt-resistant plants. You will notice (VF), (VFN) or VFNT) on the variety tag.
V – Verticillium wilt resistance
F – Fusarium wilt resistance
N – Nematode resistance (Nematodes are microscopic roundworms feeding on the plant’s root and interfere with the root’s ability to take up water and nutrients and stunt the plant growth. I also read that one may plant marigolds among tomatoes as marigolds will help eliminate nematodes.
T – Tobacco mosaic resistance (This can be a problem if plants are growing near tobacco)
Also to help avoid these problems, do not plant tomatoes in the same location two years in a row thus not allowing these organisms to build up in the soil. In the off years, grow a nitrogen-fixing plant like rye.
One estimate I found for the number of plants needed – is 3-5 plants per persofresh tomatoes in season. If one wants tomatoes for processing, then plant 5-10 plants per person.
Place plants in soil when soil temperature is 60 degrees F or above. Set the plant in the soil a little deeper then they were originally growing in the starter pot. Roots can develop along the buried portion of the stem. Plants should be set 24 – 36 inches apart to allow for plant development and air circulation around the plant and help to prevent disease. Staking (Use stakes 1-2 inches wide and higher than final growth of plant ) or using the cylinder wire cages gets the plant off the ground and helps to prevent disease and eases picking. For staking use a soft cord for tying the plants and allow slack for the plant growth.
Tomato plants need lots of water to grow and it is estimated they need 1-2 inches of water a week. If they do not receive this as rainfall, then sprinkle the vines and soil. Be careful not to knock off blossoms when watering. Mulching with straw, compose, paper or plastic will reduce moisture evaporation from the soil. Plants in small containers like hanging baskets or small pots on the patio may need to be watered daily. The soil should not be constantly soaked but when the soil is dry, add water.
Most plants purchased at a nursery have fertilizer beads in the soil and get the plant started. Some persons say if the soil is good additional fertilizer is not needed and others say to add fertilizer during the growing season. My soil is never that good so I usually get a bag of “tomato” fertilizer and add according to directions. This is usually when the plants are about 1/3 grown and again when the tomatoes are first starting to form and again after the first tomatoes are ready, to help the plant to boost the remaining fruit.
Remove weeds with hoeing, hand weeding or cultivating. Keep weeds out of the tomato garden as weeds steal moisture and nutrients from the tomato plant and also can carry disease or harbor insects.
Insects can be a real problem for tomatoes. Aphids, cutworms, flea beetles, hornworms, leaf miners, spider mites, stalk borer, stink bugs and tomato fruitworms are the villains. They eat off the leaves or the stalk, suck juice from the plant or leave spots or holes in the leaves – all which, if it does not kill the plant, reduces production. Some worms and beetles can be picked off. Insect sprays are usually effective.
Blight is a disease that affects the leaves and the leaves begin to curl up and die and then affects the entire plant and can kill the plant. Blight can show up early or any time during the growing season. Fungicide sprays can help and mulch around the plant also helps.
Blossom-end rot appears as a brownish or dry rot on the blossom end or bottom of the forming tomato. It is usually about the size of a dime or a quarter. It is caused by a calcium deficiency and long dry or wet periods. Remove the tomato with the dry rot and other tomatoes on the plant should mature normally. Using mulch to help maintain a more constant moisture to the plant may help. Spray may be needed if the problem is extensive.
Let tomatoes ripen on the vine. They will be juicy with bright color and optimum flavor.
Not all tomatoes on the vine will ripen at the same time but will ripen over a period of weeks, allowing you to enjoy delicious home grown tomatoes from late summer through fall until frost. You can serve them sliced individually, in salads, in many recipes or you may like to experiment with canning or freezing for home grown tomatoes all winter long. (See Blog post, September 8, 2009 – Tomatoes! Tomatoes! Tomatoes!) As you are preparing and serving your tomatoes, brag about their flavor and appearance and accept all the compliments you will receive. In addition to enjoying the flavor of the tomatoes, this is your reward for a summer of work and attention in the production of food for your table. Be very proud of your accomplishment. It is a work well done. 
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