How to grow Tomatoes

           Abigal Gordon's Home Grown Tomatoes

• Planting Tomatoes

• Spacing Tomato Plants

• Climatic Requirements

• Watering Tomatoes

• Pruning Tomato Plants

• Fertilizing Tomato Plants

• Varieties of Tomatoes

• Crop Rotation

• Tomato Plant Diseases

• Common Garden Pests

• Preserving the Harvest

  Tomatoes are the most poplar garden crop in North America. Hundreds of varieties of tomatoes are available for the home gardener. They range widely in size, shape, color, plant type, disease resistance, and seasons of maturity. And they have a multitude of uses, from Salads to Sauces and even pickles & Jelly.

 

How to Grow World Record Tomatoes: A Guinness Champion Reveals His All-Organic Secrets Growing Tomatoes: A Directory of Varieties and How to Cultivate Them Successfully

Planting Tomatoes You can sow tomato seeds directly in the soil, But it is preferable to start them off early in planters.    If purchasing seedlings for transplant choose those with straight stalks, at least the thickness of a pen, and with 4 to 6 young true leaves [See Figure 1] , but NO blossoms.	Tomato cages, supports and stakes
Plants in individual peat pots or cell packs experience little or no transplant shock and become established quickly. Be sure to use a sterile starting mix , I generally use a half-peat half-vermiculite mix. If you are starting your plants from seeds yourself there are a few tips you may wish to adhere to. Check the dates on the seed package, if more than three years old, don't waste your time. As tomato seeds age, their germination rate decreases.  For the best chances of success, when starting from seed, either indoors or directly in the outdoor soil.  Acquire your  seeds from a reputable commercial source.  For seed conditioning prior to planting , one technique is to soak the seeds in warm water at approximately  50 degrees C, for slightly less than 1/2 hour. Any hotter, or much longer could cook the seed . Be sure to give the seedlings room to expand. Close conditions will inhibit their growth. Transplant them to a larger pot as soon as they get several true leaves  [See Figure 1] , and if need be, move them into larger pots about two weeks after that. Conditioning and Hardening your tomato seedlings before transplanting outdoors is advisable. Tomato plants need to be flexible, they must sway freely in the breeze. Condition your seedlings by providing a breeze by turning a fan on them for 10 - 15 minutes twice daily. Harden your tomato plants for several days before transplanting outside. The first day take the plants outside to a shady, protected spot for a few hours. Gradually increase the time each day and expose the plants to more sun and wind .   When Planting your seedlings outdoors, Wait till the the last spring frost date in your region before planting or transplanting outdoors . See USDA Zone Map to determine when it is suitable for your area. You should plan on at least 2 feet Spacing between Tomato Plants  and another 2 feet  between rows to give you walking room amongst your tomato garden, and to provide each plant with ample sunshine and air circulation.  Plants to be caged are planted 30 to 36 inches apart. Even if you have hardened them,  it is still advisable that you Transplant tomatoes on a cloudy, wind free day or wait until the later in the afternoon. Do not transplant them outdoors in direct summer sunlight. Bury tomato plants deeper than they come in the pot, all the way up to a few top leaves. Pinch off the bottom leaves of your seedling. Tomato plants develop roots along the stem and should be set deeply with the first set of leaves near the soil surface. If in peat pots, remove the top of the pot , so that the soil ball will not dry out. A   modest amount of soluble starter fertilizer, high in phosphorus should be applied at planting time. Crushed eggshells will also help supply needed calcium to your tomato plants add a handful to each hole when planting outdoors. Cover up with pots immediately after planting. Or provide some adequate form of shade for the new seedlings. As the plants grow, shake them mildly from time to time or drag a stick gently across the tops of the plants. The plants will react by producing sturdier stems that are less brittle  The use of Tomato Cages and ladders is also advisable to avoid damage and or loss of your plants & crop due to the overburden of well cared for fruit.

Climate

Optimum temperature for growing tomatoes and for the fruit to set is  range of 70 to 80F (21 to 27C)

Blossom drop can occur in early spring when daytime temperatures are warm, but night temperatures fall below 55 degrees F . Blossom drop can also occur in summer months, when days are above 90 degrees F and night temperatures remain above above 75 degrees F, but is less common in a well maintained and watered garden.

Watering Tomatoes
Example of water stress	Watering is critical to the development of Tomatoes. Water slowly and deeply . Tomatoes require about an inch of water weekly slightly more in sandy soils. Inexpensive Water timer systems are available . Once the fruit begins to ripen, slightly decreasing the water will coax the plant to concentrate its sugars. Don’t decrease the water too much, or that the plants may wilt and become stressed or they could drop their blossoms and possibly their fruit.
Pruning / "Pinching Back"
	Pinch and remove suckers that develop in the crotch joint of two branches. They won’t bear fruit and will take energy away from the rest of the plant. But go easy on pruning the rest of the plant. You can thin leaves to allow the sun to reach the ripening fruit, but it’s the leaves that are photosynthesizing and creating the sugars that give flavor to your tomatoes. As well excessive pruning can lead to sunscald
Once the tomato plants are about 3' tall, remove the leaves from the bottom 1' of stem. These are usually the first leaves to develop fungus problems. They get the least amount of sun and soil born pathogens can be unintentionally splashed up onto them.
Fertilizing Tomatoes
Blossom-end rot, as depicted in the above illustration,  can be caused by a calcium deficiency and occurs frequently on acid soils or during stress periods on soils with seemingly sufficient calcium.	Tomatoes thrive in rich soil, compost, lots of water, lots of sun ..6 or more hours daily, They are acid loving plants and like composted manures . Optimal soil pH for tomato plants is 6.0 to 6.8 see Soil Ph for more extensive data.   Tomatoes respond well to fertilizer , especially phosphorus. Excess nitrogen fertilizer can result in plants with excessive vine growth but little fruit production. Apply 2-1/2 to 3 pounds of a complete fertilizer, such as 5-10-10, 5-20-20, or 8-16-16 per 100 square feet of garden area. Work the fertilizer into the soil about 2 weeks before planting. Another side dressing of a nitrogen fertilizer may be desirable after the first cluster of flowers have set fruit.
Miracle-Gro Tomato Food contains the essential nutrients to produce larger more succulent vegetables. Starts working instantly for quick, beautiful results. feeds plants through the roots and leaves.

Favorite Varieties of Tomatoes

The following are my personal favorites, you of course may prefer to scan any of the many online nurseries and seed catalogs. When selecting from online catalogs you should be familiar with some of the terminology.

"determinates” ripen over 3-4 weeks on bushy vines that usually need no staking.

“Indeterminate” vines continue to grow and produce fruit all season until frost. The large vines need support.
 

Disease resistance codes such as V for Verticillium wilt or T for tobacco mosaic are useful , see Tomato Plant diseases section for a more thorough list of codes

Cherry Varieties

Tomato 'Tamina' . An early ripening 'potato leaved' variety with outstanding taste, particularly when grown outdoors. Produces a huge crop of medium sized 2.5 oz, round, red fruits, ideal for slicing and adding to salads. Can also be grown in the greenhouse.

Sweet Million Hybrid Cherry Tomato Heavy yields of 1" red cherry tomatoes

Bonsai Dwarf Red Cherry Tomato Abundant flavorful fruit

Maskotka Tomato A bushy, dwarf variety, especially bred for growing in baskets and containers, where stems and fruits fall gently over the sides.

Plum/ Pear Varieties

Giant Valentine Tomato   big heart-shaped semi-pear, semi-plum variety simply stops you in your tracks. Giant Valentine tomatoes range from 6 to 10 ounces, depending on whether or not the plants are staked and pruned. Plants are indeterminate, so it is best to tie them up to stakes or grow them in cages. Vines that are pruned produce larger tomatoes, but not as many fruits as unpruned vines. The fruits ripen from uniform green (no green shoulders) to deep red, and they ripen all over at the same time, about 73 days from transplanting.

Falcorosso Hybrid Tomato supermarket quality, larger cherry-sized, plum fruits fruits, with up to 20 produced per truss, with many trusses per plant. The ideal greenhouse tomato, showing great resistance to Fusarium, Verticillium Wilt, Cladosporium and Mosaic Virus. Determinate (bushy) habit, early to ripen.

Beefy Varieties

Beef Maestro Tomato Deep oblate, extremely large red fruit . Fruits average 14 oz

Rutgers Heirloom Tomato Its flavor, both for slicing and cooking, is still unequaled. Red fruits are slightly flattened. Tall vines, fusarium resistant. Indeterminate

Big Beef Tomato heavy yields of 10-12 oz. Fruits. Large plant that should be staked or caged. It is an indeterminate and will produce until frost. Novelty Varieties Lemon Boy Tomato unusually colored, eye catching tomatoes with wonderful flavor. The deep globe fruits average 6.5 ounces, perfect for slicing to reveal the lemon colored flesh. The plant is tolerant to many disease White Oxheart Tomato pale yellow strawberry-shaped fruits with a delicious, very smooth flesh. Very tender. Subtle fruity flavor with a nice tang. Fleshy fruits. Large, 2-m plants with long, drooping leaves. Seed & Nursery Catalogs

Crop Rotation and Companion planting in Tomato Plants

Three - Four-year rotations with non-related crops and using plants grown from disease-free seeds will help control most tomato diseases. Avoid Eggplants, potatoes, peppers, okra, raspberries, or strawberries in rotation with tomatoes

Tomatoes and cabbage or cauliflower (The Brassica Family) go fine together in a salad but are not compatible in a garden setting if you are planting "Brassica" crops, keep them well separated from the tomatoes. Try planting Basil, Chives, Lettuce (Not Brassica family) in between the Tomatoes ...also lots of Marigolds.

Good Companions of Tomato plants are asparagus, basil, bush bean, carrot, celery, chive, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, onion, .  See companion planting for further data

 

Common Tomato Plant Diseases

Preventive Maintenance / Effective methods to avoid and control disease in your Garden

 A Colour Atlas of Tomato Diseases: Observation, Identification and Control   Uses over 300 high quality color photographs, explains how to examine and identify diseases of the foliage, roots, neck, stalk and fruit.

	Fusarium wilt - The first signs are drooping and  yellowing of lower leaves on a single stem. Earliest  symptoms may appear on only one side of the plant. Yellowing and wilting of the leaves occurs, and the plants may die. If the stem is cut , the water conductive plant tissues under the surface are sometimes discolored brown.  Favored by soil temperatures around 80 F, a low soil pH, Fusarium wilt is more common in southern latitudes.
Verticillium wilt -resembles Fusarium wilt, a laboratory diagnosis is usually needed to distinguish between the two. Verticillium wilt starts with a general or blotchy yellowing of the lower leaves and a wilting of youngest shoots in direct sunlight. At first, the wilted shoots may recover over night. The leaf veins turn brown, followed by shoots browning and lower leaf drop. Leaves higher up on the plant turn dull green in color and the edges curl upwards. Plants are stunted and defoliated with only the growing tips remaining green. The fruits are small and may sunscald. The branches tend to be less erect than those of healthy plants, giving Verticillium-infected plants a prostrate appearance. When the stem is cut open, the  the water conductive plant tissues  may be brownish near the soil line.
Tobacco Mosaic- causes leaves to be mottled light and dark green. The plants are generally stunted and the leaves rough. The tomatoes do not always show symptoms but may be reduced in size and ripen unevenly. Cucumber mosaic , Early symptoms are yellow, bushy and stunted plants. Later symptoms are similar to tobacco mosaic except that leaves are frequently elongated, narrow, and distorted to form a "shoestring" effect.
	Spotted Wilt symptoms vary widely, The first symptoms are orange flecks or a bronzed appearance of young leaves. Leaf spots may appear target-like as in early blight. Older leaves may turn brown, droop and die. Young shoots may develop dark streaks, progressing to a top dieback and eventually leading to plant death . Raised yellowish spots develop on green fruits. As the tomatoes ripen, these spots become striking with concentric rings of yellow or brown alternating with green and later pink or red.
Sunscald develops on the side of fruits suddenly exposed to the direct sun, first appearing as a light colored spot on green fruits. This spot develops into a blister, and later becomes sunken and whitish with a paper-like surface.   Leaf roll develops in rainy periods. The lower leaves roll upward until the edges touch and become thick and leathery . Leaf roll is predominant in cool wet weather, excessive fertilizer, and pruning. It has no serious effect on plant growth or yield.   Soil rot, is caused by the a soil-borne fungus and generally occurs during rainy periods. A soft brown rot develops, usually on the sides of fruits touching the ground, or where soil is splashed onto them. The spots are sunken, large, and may have a closely-spaced bulls eye pattern . Sometimes the tomato cracks open. Staking will reduce soil rot by keeping fruit away from the ground.
	Bacterial Speck produces tiny brown circular specks. These specks are slightly raised and may occur on fruit or leaves. Tissues next to the fruit specks are slow to ripen. The bacterium is seed-borne. Infection by bacterial speck is favored by temperatures of 65 to 75 F, dew and high humidity; disease development is favored by temperatures of 55 to 77 F. Bacterial Spot, produces circular scabby spots on immature fruits and on leaves. Tomatoes as well as Sweet peppers are effected. The bacterium is seed-borne and is often carried on diseased transplants. It can also occur in certain weeds . It overwinters in soil and on old tomato vines and pepper plants. Bacterial spot is favored by warm temperatures , high humidity, long dew periods, and driving rain.
Blossom end rot. this disorder occurs as a slight discoloration or a severe dark sunken lesion at the blossom end; it is caused by temporary insufficiencies of water and calcium and may occur under high temperature conditions when the plants are rapidly growing. Recommended treatment Blossom-End Rot Control
Disease problems can be greatly Reduced with a combination of practices that include:   1. ] Purchase vigorous, healthy plants from a reputable supplier. Tomatoes, being susceptible to diseases, viruses and insects, some varieties have been bred or hybridized to be resistant to certain pests. Resistance to these pests is usually listed on the plant label using the following abbreviations: V = Verticillium Wilt F = Fusarium Wilt FF = Fusarium Wilt race 1 and 2 N = Nematode T = Tobacco Mosaic Virus A = Alternaria (Early Blight) TSW = Tomato Spotted Wilt Remember that resistance to these problems does not mean they are 100 % immune, good cultural practices are still important.   2.] Crop Rotation in your garden planting area 3.] Remove and destroy all plant refuse in the fall and use deep cultivation to bury any remaining refuse. 4.] Do not place diseased plants in the compost heap, as this will only serve to carry bacterial or fungal infestation into the next growing season. 5.] Avoid over watering . Use surface watering methods. Do not handle plants when the vines are wet. 6.] Weeds compete with vegetables for soil moisture and nutrients and also serve as hosts for insects and disease carrying bacteria and fungus. Control weeds in and around  the garden . 7.]  Control insect pests such as aphids, which are known to transmit diseases  from plant to plant. 8.]  Use plastic or organic mulches to reduce disease and blossom-end rot problems. 9.]  Choose a sunny location for your tomatoes. Leaf disease problems are much less likely  to occur in a sunny location than in a shady one. 10.] Apply  recommended fungicides according to label directions at the first sign of leaf spot diseases   11.] Remove abnormal or unhealthy appearing plants as soon as they are observed.  To reduce the spread of suspected diseases wash hands and tools with a mild detergent after handling suspect plants.

Common Tomato Plant Pests

Aphids

Worms - Beet armyworm, Cutworms, Corn Earworm, Tomato Hornworms, Cabbage looper

Beetles -Colorado Potato Beetle, Cucumber Beetles, Harlequin Bug

Mites - Tomato Russet Mite

Vegetable leafminer - Colorless to bright yellow maggot, up to 3 mm long, with pointed head; makes serpentine mines in leaves; each mine slightly enlarged at one end

Nematodes - microscopic worms which live in the soil and feed on the host plants roots preventing the the plants from taking up the nutrients they need to grow . Some forms of nematodes are highly beneficial , while others can wreak total destruction . Tomato plant nematodes are prevalent throughout North America, but they are most damaging to tomato plants in the Southern regions of the US.

Sharpshooter Natural Insecticide Citric acid destroys the wax coating of the insect's respiratory system. When applied directly, the insect suffocates. Sharpshooter is biodegradable. Persons with known citrus allergies may be affected. Do not spray on red mature fruits.  Effective on most insects including aphids, beetles, caterpillars, cutworms, earwigs, flies, gnats, lacebugs, leafhoppers, loopers, mites, moths, snails/slugs, mosquitoes, whiteflies

Hot Pepper Wax repels bugs from your plants, fruits and flowers.  100% natural spray uses pepper extract and wax to effectively discourage pests. Helps to reduce stress on cuttings.

See Pest Control  for more extensive data

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