Part 2: Growing tomatoes at home
I would like to continue our topic on home garden tomatoes from last week. I would think if you did a survey of the majority of people with a home garden, you would be hard pressed to find a person that did not have at least a few tomato plants.
My guess is having the first vine ripen tomato in the neighborhood is the goal of many gardeners. Last year, with all of the spring and early summer rainfall along with our heat, humidity and disease pathogens, it was tough for many to get a good tomato crop.
Maybe this growing season will be awesome for tomatoes. I will throw in a plug for the annual Northwest Georgia Regional Fair. The kickoff
Friday of the fair will also be the judging of the fresh farm vegetables along with other exhibit building divisions. You can win bragging rights along with ribbons and money by entering items such as your tomatoes. Keep that in mind when we get closer to fair season in September.
Today, I will be sharing more information from a UGA publication on tomatoes by my friend Bob Westerfield, a UGA Extension horticulturist.
As a quick review, last week we covered many topics. We talked about soil requirements for growing tomatoes and also discussed starting your plants from seed or purchasing healthy transplants. We also talked about the actual planting site for tomatoes along with irrigation tips. Brief information was also given on the difference between determinate and indeterminate varieties.
You do need to give some thought to your goals with the tomatoes that are produced. The determinate varieties will normally produce an early crop with most of the crop harvested in two to five pickings. Determine varieties are usually used by folks that do a lot of canning. The indeterminate varieties will set fruit on a vine stem that will produce tomatoes up to frost if harvested routinely. There are lots of tomato varieties on the market.
As our information states, tomatoes can come in a large assortment of shapes, sizes and colors. We suggest that it is OK to try some of the new varieties on the market, but do not forget the varieties that for sure will work in our area.
When you plant tomatoes, please try to start with a healthy transplant in the beginning. I will again strongly suggest to wait till after the danger of frost has passed to plant your tomatoes. That is normally the middle part of April here. Keep in mind that tomatoes will grow best at temperatures in the 70-80 degrees range. Don’t forget, they need a sunny spot that will get at least eight hours of sunlight daily.
Also, keep in mind that tomatoes can develop roots all along their stem so planting them deep will help strong root system development. You need to set the transplants down to the first set of true leaves near the soil surface.
I will add that our information states that if the transplants are in peat pots, it is not necessary to remove the container. You do though need to plant them deep enough so the pot is not exposed to the soil surface. An exposed peat pot can cause the root ball to dry out.
After planting, you will need to firm the soil around the plants to get rid of air pockets. At this time, the tomatoes can use a light fertilization with a starter solution. Each plant will need approximately 1 pint of starter solution. We suggest the starter solution of 2 tablespoons of 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 fertilizer dissolved in one gallon of water.
Give thought into staking or a trellis system for your tomato plants. If you are going to do this, try to space your tomatoes 24 inches apart in rows are 4 to 6 feet apart. Staking can benefit by keeping plant leaves from touching the ground which can reduce disease issues. Do your homework in this area.
Also, do not underestimate the benefits of mulching. You need to mulch soon after planting. Mulching can help conserve soil moisture and reduce weeds. Weed free straw, chopped leaves or compost can be good mulch options. Mulch should be at a 2 to 3 inch depth.
Newspaper can also be used to help as a weed barrier and conserve moisture. You would lay the newspaper about three sheets thick around each plant then you place the organic mulch on top of the paper.
Finally, I will suggest again to do a soil test now to help give you accurate fertilizing recommendations. If you do not do a soil test, you can incorporate 1.5 pounds of 10-10-10 for 100 square feet of bed before you plant. Also, after the first tomatoes form on the vine and are about the size of a quarter, you side dress the plants with 10-10-10 at the rate of 1 pound per 100 square feet of bed. Repeat this fertilization every three to four weeks until harvest is over.