Ten Tips for Terrific Tomatoes Growing Great Tomatoes Mary Roberts Windcrest Farm Monroe, NC www.windcrestorganics.com All photos taken at Windcrest Farm unless otherwise noted Tomatoes and parsley in a high tunnel at Windcrest Farm 1
Tomatoes are the most widely grown fruit in home gardens Originated in the high coastal mountain regions of Chile and Peru The Spanish conquistadores were the first to write about tomatoes in Mexico during the sixteenth century William Salmon, a visiting Englishman was the first to write about tomatoes in the US after seeing them growing in Carolina in the late 1680 s. Seeds for tomatoes were imported from France by Thomas Jefferson in the early 1780 s 7500 Tomato Varieties Available! Slicing Beefsteak Oxheart Plum or Paste Pear Cherry Grape Campari 2
Red & Pink Colors, Stripes & Tastes bl balance of acidity and sugars Black & Purple high sugar Yellow & Orange low acid Heirloom or Hybrid Determinate or Indeterminate Heirloom open-pollinated pollinated for seed saving Hybrids disease resistance Determinate one harvest bush varieties Indeterminate long harvest season 3
Seeds more varieties available Transplants Seeds or Transplants jump start on the season Container Culture Yes, you can grow tomatoes in a pot! Container Size Soil Water Fertilizer 4
Minerals Soil Texture Air Water Micro organisms Tip #1 soil, Soil, SOIL! Tip #2 Select the right variety Taste Use Growth habit Resistance to systemic diseases V Verticillium wilt F Fusarium wilt N Root knot nematode T Tobacco mosaic virus Harvest date Mixed cherry tomatoes from Windcrest Farm 5
Tip #3 Wait until it s warm Nights cooler than 50 degrees F slow tomatoes growth Tip #4 Location, location, location Minimum 6 to 8 hours of sunlight to produce fruit Full sun best Access to water source 6
Tip #5 Crop Rotation To break disease and pest pressures, do not plant tomato in the same place each year or after peppers and potatoes. Plant overwintering cover crops to build the soil Tip #6 Bury em deep Remove lower leaves and bury the tomato stem for a strong root foundation 7
Tip #7 Water em deep Encourage deep rooting Discourage weeds Be consistent Decrease watering as fruit forms to concentrate flavors Water the roots, not the leaves Morning is best Tip #8 Hang em high Stakes Cages String with tomato clips 8
Tip #9 Easy on the fertilizer An overdose of fertilizer causes rapid plant growth and encourages growth and encourages: Disease Delayed blossom formation and fruit set May damage new roots Pests such as aphids NPK (nitrogen/phosphorous/potassium) of 5/10/10 Fertilization schedule enrich soil before planting, two weeks after planting, when fruit is setting Tip #10 Prune those suckers Remove the suckers new growth between stem and leaf 9
Tip #10 Prune those suckers Two head tomato plant Companion Planting Tomatoes are helped by: Basil, oregano, parsley, carrots, marigold, celery, geraniums, petunias, nasturtium, borage, any type of onion or chives Growing tomatoes with basil does not appear to enhance tomato flavor but studies have shown that growing them around 10 inches apart can increase the yield of tomatoes by about 20%. Bomford, Michael K. (2004) 10
Tomato Pests On leaves & stems Symptoms Chewed stem Defoliation Holes in leaves Yellowing, curled leaves Tunnels or zigzag in leaves White, sticky residue (honeydew) Web on underside of leaf Tomato cutworm Tomato hornworm Flea beetles Aphids Leaf miners Aphids, white flies Spider mites Pest Tomato Pests On leaves & stems Cutworm Photo by W.M. Hantsbarger Tomato Hornworm Photo by Sturgis McKeever Aphids Photo by Brian Kunkel Flea Beetle Photo by University of Georgia 11
Tomato Pests On leaves & stems Leaf miner damage Spider mite webbing Tomato Pests On Fruit Symptom Holes in fruit Light or discolored patches on fruit Pest Tomato fruit worm, stink bugs, slugs Stink bugs Tomato Fruitworm Photo by University of California Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Photo by Steven Jacobs Slugs Photo by R. A. Casagrande 12
Tomato Pest Control 1. Observation 2. Companion planting 3. Trap crops 4. Traps sticky traps, liquid traps 5. Barriers row covers, plant collars 6. Handpicking 7. Repellant sprays garlic, hot pepper 8. Insecticidal idal soap, Neem oil 9. Bacterial controls BT, Spinosad 10. Pyrethin spray - Pyganic Tomato Diseases Bacterial Fungal Viruses Nematodes Nutritional Deficiencies Photo by NC State t University it Cornell University http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/dia gnostickeys/tomwlt/tomwiltkey.html 13
Tomato Disease Control Observation Good soil nutrition i Crop rotation Weed control Good air circulation Clear garden debris in the fall Planting disease resistant varieties Common Questions About Tomatoes The bottom of my tomatoes turned black and mushy! What happened? mushy! What happened? This is a condition called blossom end rot. Early season stresses that cause this non-infectious condition are: Too much fertilizer Uneven watering These conditions cause calcium to leave the fruit and go into the main part of the plant, causing blossom end rot 14
Common Questions About Tomatoes The leaves on my tomato plants are curled even though the plant is well watered though the plant is well watered. Curling is a common growth habit for many tomato varieties and should not be a concern if you are adequately watering. Other reasons why leaves curl include weather extremes - Too cool Too hot Too wet Too dry If the leaves are curled into a tube, check for aphids. Common Questions About Tomatoes My tomato plants had lots of blooms, but no fruit. Temperature too high or too low Daytime temperatures above 85 F Nighttime temperatures above 70 F Low nighttime temperatures below 55 F Lack of pollination Nitrogen - too much or too little Humidity too high or low Lack of water Stress from insect damage or disease Too heavy fruit set 15
Common Questions About Tomatoes How do I keep birds from pecking my tomatoes? Hang red Christmas ornaments on the tomato t plant! 10 Tips for Terrific Tomatoes 1. soil, Soil, SOIL 2. Select the right variety 3. Wait until it s warm 4. Location, location, location 5. Crop rotation 6. Bury em deep 7. Water em deep 8. Hang em high 9. Easy on the fertilizer 10. Prune those suckers 16
Happy Tomato Growing! 17