- Author: Julie Silva
Tomatoes come in many different sizes–from pea-size to almost 3 pounds and as large as a grapefruit! Different sizes fulfill different needs; cherry tomatoes are perfect for salads, omelets, kebobs, and snacking. Medium size round tomatoes are easier to use for canning. Oblong, meaty tomatoes with less moisture are perfect for sauces, paste, or salsa. Large tomatoes, referred to as slicing tomatoes, are your hamburger's best friend.
You can find many different colors of tomatoes, including red, pink, black, purple, orange, yellow, green, yellow-white, swirls, and striped. Sometimes when sliced, the tomato could take on another color completely!
When deciding which tomato to grow it helps to decipher the tag. Tomatoes are either determinate or indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes grow to a particular height, then stop and put on a majority of fruit all at once. Indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow and will produce tomatoes along the branches throughout the growing season. It's usually best to grow both types.
You'll notice on plant tags some capital letters after the tomato variety name. Those letters indicate the tomato's resistance to a particular disease. You can read about these diseases as well as disorders and pests of tomatoes on the UC IPM Tomatoes page. 
- V Verticillium Wilt
- F Fusarium Wilt
- N Nematodes
- ASC Alternaria Stem Canker
- TMV Tobacco Mosaic Virus
- ST Stemphylium (Grey leaf spot)
- SWV Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
- LB Late Blight
Many hybrid tomatoes carry the VFN designation, unless they are heirlooms. Hybrid tomatoes are grown by crossing varieties to improve traits, making them stronger, more disease resistant and better producers. However, if you plant the seeds from a hybrid tomato, they won't produce the same tomato. This is why many people like to grow heirloom tomatoes and save the seeds for the following year.
To find the top ten tomatoes, be prepared to discover many lists. Opinions are like tomatoes: everyone has a favorite of their own! One of the most popular cherry tomatoes is ‘Sun Gold'; it's considered the sweetest tomato. The favorite early-season tomato is ‘Early Girl,' which is a determinate that produces within 54 days from seed. For main season tomatoes, ‘Celebrity,' ‘Fantastic,' ‘Better Boy,' and ‘Ace' (70-80 days) are popular.
Summer for many people just does not start until that first hamburger with a slab of tomato right out of the garden. Here at the UCCE Stanislaus Master Gardener's Office we are curious: have you planted your tomato plants yet? What's your favorite tomato variety? Please sign in and post your comments below, or on our Facebook page.
Special thanks to Julie Silva for this guest post. She is a UCCE Master Gardener in Tuolumne County.
- Author: Anne E Schellman
Pests need food, water, and shelter to live. Unfortunately, some of us unknowingly attract and even invite pests to live in and around our homes!
Insect and animal pests can pass through small spaces. For example, mice can get through a hole the width of a pencil, and cockroaches can flatten themselves and squeeze through cracks. Here are some circumstances that attract pests, allow them access, and provide them with food, water, and shelter:
Pest Attractors and Supporters
- Pet food and water bowls (indoors and outside)
- Bird feeders
- Leaking water spigots
- Open food packages in your kitchen
- Hedges and shrubs near doors or windows
Entry Points
- Holes in windows and screen doors
- Cracks in the foundation of your house
- Holes in the roof or attic
- Crevices around pipes indoors (bathrooms, laundry area, kitchens) and outside
Use IPM to Manage Pests
Use integrated pest management or IPM to help you pest proof your home. First, walk in and around your home to inspect for the above pest attractors, supporters, and entry points. Once you find a pest, for help with identification contact the UCCE Master Gardeners of Stanislaus County at (209) 525-6800.
If you can't personally inspect your home or don't have time, you can call a pest control company and ask them to do it for you. This is helpful for hard to access places like basements and attics.
For Quick Tips on common pests and their management and prevention from the UC IPM website, click below.
Other Helpful Links
What is IPM?
UC IPM Website
Pest Notes Library
Stay in touch! Follow us on Facebook or Twitter @UCMGStanislaus
The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Master Gardeners of Stanislaus County are holding a free Spring Gardening Class on Thursday, February 7, 2019 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Agriculture Center on 3800 Cornucopia Way in Modesto at Harvest Hall, Rooms D&E.
Come learn which vegetables to plant and when to start seeds indoors for spring planting. Examples of vegetables we will talk about include:
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Peppers
- Tomatoes
And many more! This class is free, but please visit http://ucanr.edu/spring2019 or call Anne Schellman at (209) 525-6862 to sign up. Space is limited, so please reserve your seat today.
This family-friendly class is open to everyone. Participants will receive free seeds (while supplies last). There is plenty of parking around Harvest Hall, but please come early if you've never been to our site. There will be signs to direct you to the classroom.
If you aren't already, please follow us on Facebook or Twitter @UCCEMGStanislaus.
- Author: Anne Schellman
You may have heard about the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), a tiny insect that spreads a disease called Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening. Infected citrus tree fruits remain green and do not ripen, and the fruit tastes bitter. Diseased trees decline and eventually die. There is no cure.
HLB is fatal to all citrus trees, including lemon, lime, orange, mandarin, grapefruit, pomelo, and relatives like kumquat. Host plants that can harbor the pest include orange jessamine and curry leaf.
![The Asian citrus psyllid is small, about the size of a gnat. [Credit: M.E. Rogers, University of Florida]](http://ucanr.edu/blogs/StanislausSprout//blogfiles/57019_original.jpg "The Asian citrus psyllid is small, about the size of a gnat. [Credit: M.E. Rogers, University of Florida]")
In Florida, the insect was found in 1998, and the disease was later detected in 2005. Due to HLB and other factors, Florida's citrus industry has been reduced in half over the past decade.
In 2008, the psyllid was found in Los Angeles, and several years later, it made its way to Stanislaus County where it was found on four different residential properties. One finding was in Modesto, another in Oakdale, and two were in Turlock. So far, the disease has only been found in Southern California. To see where ACP and HLB have been found to date, visit this map https://ucanr.edu/sites/ACP/Distribution_of_ACP_in_California/.
So far, trees in Stanislaus County are safe. Unfortunately, the psyllid and disease may advance north. But there are things you can do to help stop this disease.
How You Can Help
Watch this video to learn more about Asian citrus psyllid and Huanglongbing to learn more. You can also visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/ACP/Homeowner_Options/
How UCCE Master Gardeners Will Help
The UCCE Master Gardeners will educate the public about ways to stop the spread of the psyllid through the following messages:
- Purchase citrus from reputable nurseries. Don't accept tree cuttings or budwood from friends or relatives.
- Do not move plants out of quarantined areas.
- If you prune or cut down a citrus tree, dry out the green waste or double bag it to ensure live psyllids can't be moved to another region.
- Control ants in and near citrus trees using bait stations. Ants protect ACP from natural predators.
- Look for ACP on the soft, new succulent leaves of citrus trees and host plants.
- If you believe you have found the psyllid on your plant, call the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Hotline immediately at 1-800-491-1899.
For resources in Spanish, visit Noticias en espanol.
Want to become a UCCE Master Gardener or learn more about the program? Visit our website at https://ucanr.edu/sites/stancountymg/
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Who are the UCCE Master Gardeners?
UCCE Master Gardeners are residents in the community trained by University advisors and experts using science-based information. They take a weekly class for 6 months and learn about a variety of topics, including soils, horticulture, vegetable gardening, composting, fruit trees, and many more! After passing an exam, the trainees become certified UC Master Gardeners, ready to answer your questions about home gardening.
You may see the UCCE Master Gardeners at events such as farmer's markets, the library, the fair, or a school garden. They will also be at the UCCE office each week, available to answer your questions.
UCCE Master Gardener Focus
The UCCE Master Gardener Program plans to address local issues related to reducing green waste, conserving water, integrated pest management (IPM), and sustainable landscaping.
The first group of trainees will start their classes in January and finish in June, ready to volunteer. In the meantime, you can still bring your pest or gardening questions to the UCCE office at the Agricultural Center at 3800 Cornucopia Way, Suite A in Modesto. Or call (209) 525-6800. The office is open M-F 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Blog Focus
Posts for this blog will include seasonal gardening tips, posts on how to solve pest problems, and notices for events featuring the UCCE Master Gardeners.
Interested in Becoming a UCCE Master Gardener?
Visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/stancountymg/ to read about the program in detail. Our next class will start in January of 2020. Click on the big yellow button to fill out a survey to be contacted when sign ups for the class are available.
