– Growing tomatoes: Part 3 – Better oestrus detection

Homegrown tomatoes are vulnerable to a number of natural threats. Bill Kerr provides some practical, easy-to-apply methods to reduce these hazards in your vegetable garden.

The three main hazards to homegrown tomatoes are birds, eelworms and diseases. Previously, I described how pulling a section of stocking up over the truss can protect the crop from birds. In this article, I’ll look at ways to deal with eelworm and disease.

eelworm

To keep eelworms at bay, select a resistant tomato variety such as Hotstuff (from Mayford), a tall-growing, indeterminate cultivar. As mentioned last time, indeterminate types are generally better for the home garden as they allow tomatoes to be harvested over an extended period.

If you prefer a short grower (the determinate type) for a more concentrated yield, select from varieties resistant to eelworm and other pests. These include Zeal (Mayford), a round-fruited cultivar, and Legato (Mayford), Star 9069 (Starke Ayres) or

Star 9099 (Starke Ayres), all three of which are saladette types.

Heirloom varieties are heavily promoted, but the chance of success with these is limited; they lack eelworm resistance, are susceptible to disease, and produce lower yield. The varieties mentioned above in any case taste better than those usually found on supermarket shelves. Indeterminate types are pruned to a single stem, while determinate types are not pruned at all. Instead, you can support their growth by planting stakes a few metres apart. As the plants grow, wrap twine or wire around the stakes at 30cm intervals to accommodate the new growth. This makes the plants more manageable and easier to spray. If they are not staked properly, their leaves will lie on the soil and pick up fungal diseases.

You could possibly avoid staking if you live in a dry climate in a warm area and are growing the crop in winter. Drip irrigation is more suitable in such cases as well. For the best results, however, I recommend staking, especially as it is relatively easy to do.

diseases

Viruses are not usually a major threat in the home garden, but fungal diseases are a constant problem in humid and rainy conditions. However, as younger plants are more resistant to them, hold off spraying until later. When the time comes, spray weekly, using a copper spray one week and alternate with Mycoguard, covering both leaf surfaces. Also spray after a heavy rain.

avoid heirloom varieties; they lack eelworm resistance

Insects

To treat for pests, wait for them to appear, identify the species, and use the safest product available. Bollworm is likely to attack at some stage; rather remove these by hand.

Harvesting your own tomatoes can give you great pleasure and satisfaction, and save you money.

BILL KERR ABOVE: The odd bollworm is likely to appear on your tomatoes. Watch out for this pest and remove it by hand, preferably before it reaches this size.