7 steps to a bumper crop
Decide what you want to plant
More than 200 tomato varieties are available in South Africa, and the range of eggplant choices is as exciting as it is overwhelming. Ask yourself the following questions before deciding which varieties to plant:
• How much space do I have?
Shrub tomatoes are mostly compact plants that require no pruning and minimal support. They bear flowers on the tips of the vines and produce fruit all at once, after which they rapidly deteriorate. Vine tomatoes have an unrestricted growth habit and produce fruit throughout summer because the flowers develop along the vine and not only at the growth point. The vine will therefore continue to grow until it is pruned. Vine tomatoes should be pruned regularly and have to be well supported.
Eggplant is a compact plant that grows upright and will therefore do well in any garden, although the types that produce small fruit are better suited to matchbox-sized gardens. Varieties that bear large fruit require adequate support.
• Delicious fruit or pest-resistance?
Fruit from hybrid seeds have been bred over many years to be resistant to disease, or for an even colour and just the “right” size. These are generally the seeds and seedlings you’d come across at a supermarket or nursery.
Fruit from heirloom seeds are less resistant to disease and generally have a thinner skin, which makes them more vulnerable. However, they taste just like those you used to pick in your gran’s garden – and are available in a wealth of interesting colours and shapes.
• What works in my environment?
Talk to a neighbour with green fingers or enquire at your nearest nursery to get an idea of which varieties would work best in your area.
• What do I plan to use it for?
This is the most important question, because you’re already halfway there if you choose the right fruit for the right purpose. >
The right place and soil for planting
Tomatoes and eggplant are sun worshippers but they don’t like the wind, so plant them in the warmest, most sheltered part of your garden. If you can plant them near a sunny wall that emits heat at night, even better, because tomatoes flourish where there is as little variation as possible between day and night temperatures.
Both are hungry plants: work in plenty of compost, preferably in winter already so there’s plenty of time for it to break down before planting season. However, if the soil is too rich in nitrogen, your plants will produce beautiful leaves but few flowers and fruit. Vanessa Jacobs of Sow Delicious chooses a slow-release organic fertiliser such as Vita Fruit & Flower.
The soil should drain well and retain enough water. A decent layer of mulch will minimise evaporation and feed the soil as it decomposes. For an eggplant that bears heavy fruit and a vine tomato, reduce root damage by positioning the supports at the same time when you plant the seedling.
Sowing time
Tomatoes “In most parts of South Africa, the best time to sow is between August and November, but in the Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal you could also sow from January to July,” says Vanessa. You could sow directly into the vegetable bed, but in areas that experience spring frost it’s preferable to keep tomatoes in a sunny spot indoors until the weather is warmer.
It’s easy enough to make planters yourself using newspaper (find the steps in Platteland #4), which could be planted directly into the bed when the time is right with no risk of transplant shock. The seeds germinate within six to fourteen days and can generally be transplanted six to eight weeks after sowing day when there is a second set of leaves – plant the seedlings deep enough so that the bottom-most set of leaves just protrudes. Eggplant Sow approximately six weeks before the last spring frost – roughly two weeks after tomatoes. “First wait until the ground temperature has increased before sowing eggplant,” says Shannon, “because the seeds won’t >
germinate in cold soil.” She sows hers in old yoghurt containers filled with good potting soil. “I wet the soil thoroughly, cover the container with clingfilm and only open it up to add water when the first seedling sticks its head out ten to fourteen days later,” says Shannon.
Four weeks after you’ve sown the seeds, the seedlings should be 10cm-12cm in height. They’re ready to be transplanted when they have two sets of leaves.
Food and water
• Water Instead of spraying tomatoes overhead, says Jane, water the plants at their roots. “However, dry hot weather hinders the development of flowers, so this is when you can position a sprinkler among the tomato plants to increase humidity.”
The best way to ensure flavourful fruit is to give tomatoes a decent watering every three to four days and, once fruit begin to form, simply keep the soil moist. Eggplant doesn’t like having wet feet, but shouldn’t go thirsty either.
• Food It isn’t necessary to feed eggplant or tomatoes until the first flowers begin to form, which is when you can give them an extra boost every two weeks. Vanessa prefers BioTrissol, an organic foliar fertiliser that stimulates flower growth, thus ensuring more fruit. It also strengthens the leaves and stems, making them less vulnerable to disease.
Emilia waters her plants thoroughly once a week with comfrey tea (see our instructions in Platteland #4) or seaweed water. “I make the latter by chopping seaweed* finely, placing it in a bucket containing water and leaving it to steep for a week. Remember to dilute it until it looks
like weak tea, otherwise you’ll burn your plants. Apply it in the morning or late afternoon when the plants are in the shade. * Only pick up dry seaweed, as moist seaweed could be home to beach wildlife. You need a permit to collect seaweed. Permits are cheap; you can buy a day permit or an annual one at any Post Office. (We’re glad to hear the South African Post Office provides some service.– Eds.)
Pruning
Vine tomatoes will bear more fruit if you cut them back occasionally and train them. Plants that grow wild are more susceptible to diseases.
“Once shrub tomatoes have a fifth and sixth branch, you can cut off any branches below this point,” says Vanessa. “This helps the plant focus its energy on the fruit.” Also regularly pinch off the shoots that grow between the stem and main leaves of shrub tomatoes.
Eggplant doesn’t have to be pruned, but do remove old leaves. If you live in an area with a long growing season, cut back the plant by half in the middle of the season to stimulate new growth and fruit.
Control pests
Everything that lives and breathes in a garden loves eggplant and tomatoes, but most diseases can be prevented by creating a healthy growing environment. • Breathe Plant each eggplant 45cm apart and tomato plants 50-60cm apart to ensure good air circulation. Watch out for too much nitrogen in the soil, as this could lead to dismal and extremely vulnerable growth. • Take good care A plant that receives enough water at the right time is better equipped to handle stress. It’s best to water plants in the morning so they don’t spend the night with wet leaves, which may lead to white rust, among other things. • Mulch A good mulch, particularly of comfrey leaves, not only feeds the soil and helps to keep it moist for longer but also robs weed seeds of access to light and air. • Merry-go-round Rotate the crops in your garden annually to ensure that the soil doesn’t become exhausted or builds up diseases. “Tomatoes and eggplant can be substituted with
beetroot, carrots and radishes, but not with chillies or potatoes,” says Jane. • Good companions “Companion plants are the best way to grow tasty vegetables,” says Emilia. “Plants that are grouped together correctly will, for example, benefit each other by keeping away insects, helping each other to grow better or to bear fruit earlier, keeping weeds in check or providing fertiliser.”
Tomatoes and eggplant are good neighbours but they also enjoy the company of a number of other plants. In her book Companion Planting, Margaret Roberts writes that tomatoes are particularly fond of onions, chives, parsley, basil and sage, as well as African marigolds, celery and carrots. These plants ensure tastier fruit and deter pests. Stinging nettles, on the other hand, stimulate vine tomatoes to bear more fruit. But forget about fennel and kohlrabi, both of which will hinder the growth of eggplant and tomato plants.
Harvest time
Tomatoes The fruit should be ripe nine to twelve months after planting. “The colour of a ripe tomato ranges from bright yellow and green to deep purple, almost black,” says Jane. “You can pick them as soon as they start to soften.”
Try to use the fruit you pick as quickly as possible, because this is when they’re at their best. Never store tomatoes in the fridge. “The cold breaks down the cell walls and results in watery flavour and a floury texture,” says Jane, who stores her harvest in a vegetable rack with good circulation. Eggplant You should be able to harvest your first eggplant three months after planting. The fruit is ripe when the skin is shiny and bounces back when you press it with your thumb. Use pruning shears to harvest the fruit so you don’t damage the plant.