Jun 15, 2015
Fresh Tomatoes
By Andrea Peck
At this time of year everyone is gaga for tomatoes. There are many types and you may not be sure what kind to purchase, so if you're like me, you probably opt for a few different varieties. Your garden is a test grounds. This week, I've decided to increase my knowledge of tomato growing and extend that to you. Here's what I found:
- Tomatoes are heavy feeders. They like a rich compost and manure mix. If we could go back in time to fall, we would have organized our yard to include our future tomato bed and left a whole lot of manure in there to rot. Many of you out there have chickens; their manure if great, as is horse, rabbit and steer manure. If you are planting now and did not prepare a bed last fall (oops!) use compost – manure, particularly in large amounts, needs to have time in the soil to break down. Fertilize with a side dressing of compost once monthly during the growing season.
- Tomatoes require a sunny location. Now, if you grow plants in the hotter inland areas, you may find that you do not need to put your tomato plant in the absolute sunniest part of your yard because it is likely that your garden gets plenty of nice, warm sun on most days. On the coast, the story is different. For example, as I am writing this, it is about 65° and foggy where I live. I'd bet that Paso and Atascadero are sunny and at least 20° warmer at this very moment. For my little microclimate, it's best if I place my tomatoes in direct sun with no shade-producing obstructions. Use your best judgment. To generalize, tomato plants need 6 hours of sunlight per day. The other element to this is the type of tomato. Some varietals of tomato, such as Stupice and Early Girl are better in coastal environments. One tip I gleaned from an article based in Santa Cruz, is that the smaller the tomato (think cherry tomatoes) the better they do in cool, foggy environments. Big Beefsteak tomatoes are best grown in warmer climes.
- When planting, most experts recommend clipping off the bottom stems and planting deeply. Submerging the stem an inch or two when planting will create a more stable plant. Keeping leaves from touching the ground will help prevent fungal diseases. If plants grow too bushy, you may prune the plants for better air circulation.
- I've always thought of tomatoes as needing less water. But, this is not true. Imagine your tomatoes dried up like raisins and you'll understand that they need adequate irrigation to produce plump and juicy offspring. When first planted, your start will need extra water to get established, but after a week or so, a deep watering once weekly should do. Water only at the base of the plant –not only does this save water, but it reduces the chance of fungus. If your soil is rich, it will hold in water and don't forget your best friend “mulch.”
- Trellis, stake or cage your tomatoes. Keeping tomatoes off the ground and up towards your grubby hands is the name of the game. Many tomato plants are “indeterminate” which means that they will grow and grow and grow. Leaving them to their own devices can make for a tangled architecture that invites pests and has you crawling around on your hands and knees looking for those red prizes. I remember my first tomato plant vividly. At that time I had no idea what “determinate” (grows only “so” big) and “indeterminate” (think infinite) meant and I blithely planted that tomato plant only to grow somewhat frustrated with its Jack and the Beanstalk proclivities. It just kept growing. The funny thing was that I ran into an older man who showed me his tomato plant and he was equally disturbed. I look back and think how funny that interaction was.
- Finally, keep an eye out for pests such as the tomato horn worm. This beast is large, spring green and it has a pokey thing on its rump. He's not good for your plants—throw him to the birds.