Tomatoes-Growing GuideUndoubtedly one of the most popular and easier vegetables (or fruit, as it really is) plants gardeners grow, the tomato is a high-yielding, medium maintenance plant suitable for all gardeners. If tended in the right conditions, it will produce bountiful lush plants, spotted with tons of ripe red tomatoes.
Hardness Zones 5-12 (Hardiness zones 7 and under should start seeds indoors earlier in order to get a larger harvest). Tomatoes like soil that is slightly acidic to neutral, and do best when planted in soil that is rich in compost, well-rotten manure, leaf mold, and other organic nutrients that deliver nutrients over the whole growing cycle. Tomatoes should be staked or caged (unless growing determinate varieties). Full sunlight required (6+ hours of direct sunlight daily). Intensive spacing should be at least one foot between each plant, but if tomato plant disease exist or have existed in the proximity, the ideal spacing would be about 24 inches apart (two feet). To learn more about intensive spacing, read Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening. Choose your seeds.There are several main types of tomatoes:
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abundant amount of bite sized tomatoes. Generally, these fruits are not likely to have blossom end rot (more below), but are prone to cracking. Known as "cherry tomatoes" or "grape tomatoes." I plant cherry tomato varieties the most because they are incredibly prolific, and are perfect for any gardener, beginner to advanced. Varieties I plant are: Sweet Million, and Super Sweet 100 (and I plant a breed between both of those that I bred.)
It is also important to know whether your variety is indeterminate, or determinate
There are many other types and varieties like yellow tomatoes, white tomatoes, purple tomatoes, black tomatoes, green tomatoes, and even rainbow tomatoes (just kidding, but you can buy scams off of Ebay), but for the average gardener who is just trying to save money, red ones offer the best. The varieties listed are just some that are popular and well, but I highly encourage you to order a free seed catalogue from a company like the Tomato Growers Supply Company to find varieties that you would like to plant. (Not sponsored in any way).
- Paste type Romas: Called Roma tomatoes these fruits are medium to small sized tomatoes suitable for making pastes and sauces or cans. Most paste varieties bear fruits that are longer than they are wide. The flesh of these fruits are powdery sweet, and are usually used for making cans and pastes. Some common types include: Roma, San Marazano, Amish Paste, and many others. I plant San Marazanos for most of my paste tomatoes.
It is also important to know whether your variety is indeterminate, or determinate
- Indeterminate tomato plants are the only type I grow because indeterminate tomatoes grow upwards and kindof like a vine. Indeterminate tomatoes will keep growing and producing fruit indefinitely until something kills it (like frost, disease, or human intervention). This means that you will need to support it because once it gets too tall, it will topple over and be extremely susceptible to disease. Pruning is also highly encouraged because this increases airflow and encourages better fruits.
- Determinate tomato plants grow to a set height, produce a bunch of fruit which ripen at the same time, and then die. These varieties do better in pots and indoors because they are bush like, and don't grow that big so they don't require support. I don't like to grow these varieties because my garden has space, and we like tomatoes all season long, not just at one time.
There are many other types and varieties like yellow tomatoes, white tomatoes, purple tomatoes, black tomatoes, green tomatoes, and even rainbow tomatoes (just kidding, but you can buy scams off of Ebay), but for the average gardener who is just trying to save money, red ones offer the best. The varieties listed are just some that are popular and well, but I highly encourage you to order a free seed catalogue from a company like the Tomato Growers Supply Company to find varieties that you would like to plant. (Not sponsored in any way).
Hybrid or Heirloom?
A hybrid is created by intentionally cross pollinating (by human intervention) two different varieties of a plant, to try to get the best traits of each parent, resulting in offspring that has blended traits from both parents. Heirlooms, on the other hand, are handed down generation by generation (seeds) because the original grower (or person who discovered it) of the variety likes the original traits of the original plant, so they don't cross pollinate the plants, so that the original traits stay with the seeds generation by generation (until it is cross pollinated by another plant). Heirlooms are open pollinated, which means that their genetics are stable. Traits of heirloom varieties often stay with the seed, so gardeners can save the seeds knowing that when they plant the new seeds, the same traits from the parent plant will be inherited. Note that all heirlooms are open-pollinated but not all open-pollinated varieties are heirloom. Saving hybrid seeds, however, will not result in seeds that inherit the parent's traits, but rather, random combined traits from the grandparents of that seed. (For example, hybrid plant A's seeds will have random traits in them, not close to plant A's trait).
- As a beginner, choosing a hybrid variety might be a good choice because most hybrid varieties offer certain disease resistance and other positive traits.
- On the other hand, choosing heirloom or open pollinated varieties means that you can save seeds that have similar traits to the parent plant, and most heirloom varieties offer better taste.
Seed Starting
Please refer to my general seed starting method, then come back for the tomato-specific steps below:
Steps from Seed to Transplant:
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8. Keep a steady watering schedule. (When the surface and pot looks and feels dry, water, or when seedlings are wilting).
9. 3 weeks before transplanting, pinch off all leaves on the bottom 1/3 of the plant. (Leave the growing tip on top).
10. *VERY IMPORTANT* When the weather is warm enough for the tomato plants (75 degrees and up), start breaking in the tomato plants to the outside world. First put the young tomato plants outside for 10 minutes in a SHADED AREA. Then gradually increase this time in the shaded area in 2 day increments. (2 days for 10 minutes, 2 days for 30 minutes, 2 days for 1 hour, 2 days for 3 hours, 2 days for 5 hours...) Then after the tomato plants are acclimated to staying in the shade for 10 hours, start the cycle again for sunny spots. Remember to keep using the grow light during this period, but use it for less time, and watering steadily (Preferably with a kelp or seaweed fertilizer help the stressed plants).
11. After breaking in, the tomato plants are ready to transplant into the garden.
12. Dig a hole about twice as deep as the pot (Unless you're planting grafted tomatoes, in which case, dig a hole as deep as the pot and skip steps 13-15)
13. Fill the bottom 1/3 with solid fertilizer, rotted manure, or compost.
14. Place the biodegradable pot with the plant into the hole. (Make sure no part of the pot is sticking out of the soil, this will drain water very quickly).
15. Fill with soil, we want some of the stem to be covered with soil, as the stems will grow roots on the sides of them.
16. Water deeply with a liquid kelp or seaweed fertilizer.
9. 3 weeks before transplanting, pinch off all leaves on the bottom 1/3 of the plant. (Leave the growing tip on top).
10. *VERY IMPORTANT* When the weather is warm enough for the tomato plants (75 degrees and up), start breaking in the tomato plants to the outside world. First put the young tomato plants outside for 10 minutes in a SHADED AREA. Then gradually increase this time in the shaded area in 2 day increments. (2 days for 10 minutes, 2 days for 30 minutes, 2 days for 1 hour, 2 days for 3 hours, 2 days for 5 hours...) Then after the tomato plants are acclimated to staying in the shade for 10 hours, start the cycle again for sunny spots. Remember to keep using the grow light during this period, but use it for less time, and watering steadily (Preferably with a kelp or seaweed fertilizer help the stressed plants).
11. After breaking in, the tomato plants are ready to transplant into the garden.
12. Dig a hole about twice as deep as the pot (Unless you're planting grafted tomatoes, in which case, dig a hole as deep as the pot and skip steps 13-15)
13. Fill the bottom 1/3 with solid fertilizer, rotted manure, or compost.
14. Place the biodegradable pot with the plant into the hole. (Make sure no part of the pot is sticking out of the soil, this will drain water very quickly).
15. Fill with soil, we want some of the stem to be covered with soil, as the stems will grow roots on the sides of them.
16. Water deeply with a liquid kelp or seaweed fertilizer.
General Care
- Develop a steady watering schedule, this will help prevent cracks and blossom end rot.
- Always water under the leaves, directly to the roots. Never water onto the leaves, as this might provoke tomato leaf spot disease.
- After the first 2 weeks after transplanting, fertilize with a high nitrogen fertilizer to boost stem strength, and leaf production.
- After those 2 weeks, fertilize monthly with a fertilizer or amendment rich in phosphorous and potassium. (But don't completely forget nitrogen!)
- Mulch the soil around the plant. (I just use non-glossy newspaper for sheet mulching, which generally prevents infected spores from jumping up from the surface of the soil when raining or watering and completely suppresses weeds).
- Always prepare and use a tall trellis or stake (Unless you are planting determinate tomatoes), because the tomatoes will grow like crazy. Remember to tie the stem to the trellis or stake, not too tightly.
- After tomato plants are 2 feet tall, prune all leaves and "suckers" within a foot of the ground. If you are growing determinate types, do not prune.
- After tomato plants are 3 feet tall, prune all leaves and "suckers" within 2 feet of the ground. This is to prevent tomato leaf spot and other fungal diseases.
- After plants are 4 feet tall, prune all leaves and suckers within 3 feet of the ground.
- Leave all suckers after pruning this 4 feet, prune some leaves if they are getting crowded.
- Make sure plants have a lot of sunlight and space.
- Leave a few suckers to grow in the middle of the plant, so that once your main stem reaches the top of the trellis, you can continue harvesting.
- Reap the harvests!
Diseases and Pests:
Most diseases and pests can be easily controlled by using organic neem oil, or other plant-specific mineral oils. Although, sometimes these strategies don't work. Other common preventative measures include rotating crops, and spraying with an aspirin spray or baking soda spray. Below are some common tomato pests and diseases:
Pests:
Pests:
Aphids are those annoying little pests that like to bunch up on many garden plants
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Aphids: They are those tiny densely colored bugs, that are white, brown, black, grey, yellow, light green, or pink. They can be fury or shiny, but are usually smaller than 1/4 of an inch. Small clusters aren't a problem, but if they get out of control, they can slowly take down your garden. Crush small clusters with your thumb, and pinch off foliage where there seem to be large outbreaks, and either burn them, or throw them into the garbage. Never throw them on the ground. Outbreaks can be treated using neem oil, natural insecticidal soap, or other organic oils. Releasing beneficial insects such as ladybugs can help control the population.
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Cutworms: Commonly mistaken for grubs, cutworms chew through the stems of young seedlings at night, chewing down the stems at ground level. To prevent cutworms from getting to your plants, make a 4 inch tall "collar" around the plant, sinking 1 inch into the soil.
Flea Beetles: Black, shiny beetle with a pair of antennae at their head, the flea beetle will wreck havoc if an outbreak occurs. Adults will feed on leaves, while larvae will eat roots. Flea beetles will eat almost any vegetable plant. Use yellow sticky traps to capture adults, and use row covers to prevent young plants from being targeted. Introducing beneficial nematodes might help control the population, but in case of an outbreak, insecticides might have to be used. -----> |
Root-Knot Nematodes: One of the more than 19,500 types of nematode varieties out there, root-knot nematodes are microscopic parasitic worms that attack and enter many plants' roots, and will inhibit a plants ability to take up water and nutrients, as well as going through photosynthesis. Infected plants will have bumps bulging from the roots, (not to be confused with nitrogen-fixating nodules, which hang on the side of the roots, not part of them).
Preventative and control measures are as follows:
Preventative and control measures are as follows:
- Rotating crops every year, this will also help prevent a lot of other diseases and pests.
- Completely sterilizing the soil, either by chemical agents, solar sterilization, or steaming. Make sure to introduce earthworms right after this happens because all the beneficial organisms in the soil will die too.
- Using nematode resistant varieties marked with "N" (Such as Better Boy VFN hybrid tomatoes).
- Tilling the soil every week or so, so the nematodes will be baked in the sun (Only works in the summer).
Diseases:
Unfortunately, there are many different diseases and viruses a tomato plant can acquire during the full course of its life, and unfortunately, diseases are harder to control or prevent than pests. Nonetheless, most diseases, if properly controlled or prevented, will not kill your plant or affect your tomato yield. In my garden, mostly fungal diseases are the problem, but most fungal diseases won't affect your yield.
Unfortunately, there are many different diseases and viruses a tomato plant can acquire during the full course of its life, and unfortunately, diseases are harder to control or prevent than pests. Nonetheless, most diseases, if properly controlled or prevented, will not kill your plant or affect your tomato yield. In my garden, mostly fungal diseases are the problem, but most fungal diseases won't affect your yield.
Damping Off: When young seedlings suddenly fall over and die, and a dark thin spot is observed around the soil level of the stem, damping off appears without warning, and trampled my ideas to start a lot of seeds indoors. Damping off is a fungal disease caused by overwatering, constant dampness, cool temperatures, little oxygen flow, crowding, or infected soil. Be sure to use sterile potting soil and other tools, place seedlings in a well ventilated and warm area, and make sure the top 1 inch of soil is dry before watering again.
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Fusarium and Verticillium Wilt: Another fungal disease that appears on mature plant leaves, fusarium wilt causes wilting, yellowing leaves, and rings of inner tissue in the stem brown, eventually killing the plant. Verticillium wilt causes the same symptoms, but unlike fusarium wilt, will not kill the plant. Prevent by rotating crops, pruning the bottom two feet of leaves to prevent spores splashing up from the soil, keep plants in warm weather, and mulch the soil beneath the plants. Prune infected leaves to slow the infection, and use disease resistant hybrids marked with an "F" for fusarium resistance, or "V" for verticillium resistance. (Such as Better Boy VFN hybrid tomatoes).
Tobacco Mosaic Virus: Mainly a tobacco disease, the mosaic virus can be spread by contact from infected plants (or infected tobacco products such as cigarettes), and will cause underdeveloped, curly, thin, wilted, and weird color patterns on the leaf. (Thus the name)
Tomato Leaf Spot: Disease appears as brown spots on healthy-looking leaves/stems, and eventually, if not under control, can take over your plant and kill leaves and plants. Spreads through water and infected material, so be sure to clear any infected parts, and ALWAYS water at the bottom, directly to the roots, not through the leaves. Can be controlled just like Fusarium or Verticillium Wilt, by promoting airflow, and preventing soil particles from hitting leaves. Treated by an aspirin spray, neem oil, or other mineral oils. Keep in mind that these treatments don't guarantee eradication off the plant, but only serve to slow down the spread of the disease. Remove infected leaves on sight, and dispose of them, don't compost them. Some people recommend spraying the plant with a baking soda spray to alter the ph of the leaves, I have never tested this, but will be trying it this year, in hopes of preventing leaf spot or other fungal diseases.
Fungal and most pest diseases can be controlled by neem oil.
(Not sponsored in any way.)
Other Issues:
Blossom End Rot: Caused by lack of consistent watering, calcium deficiency, or both, blossom end rot develops a mushy, looks like rot at the blossom end of the tomato (end facing outwards). Nevertheless, fruit effected by blossom end rot is still safe to eat unless infested with pests. To prevent, develop a consistent watering schedule, and supplement the soil by adding cleaned, crushed eggshells to the soil to add calcium. There is no treatment for effected fruit.
Cracking: Cracking occurs for almost the same reasons as blossom end rot, but not the calcium deficiency. Think about cracking like this. If your skin was extremely dry, it would crack. The same goes for tomato fruits. Inconsistent watering and high temperatures cause a tomato (especially cherry or beefsteak types) to crack. (Make sure it is actually not slug damage, as slugs leave behind a gooey liquid on the tomato after). To prevent, use crack resistant varieties, and make sure plants are well shaded, and consistently watered. Cracked fruits are completely edible, and taste the same.
Sunscald: Basically sunburn for tomato fruits, sunscald occurs when the sun or hot weather burns the fruit. Look for leathery or shrunken patches on fruit. Here in zone 6, there rarely exists sunscald, but to prevent this, leave some leaves on when pruning, especially near fruit (unless the fruit are within the 3 feet of the ground), or use a reusable shade cloth on extremely hot days (90 degrees and up).
So there we have it, the complete and ultimate (and my first) guide to growing tomatoes. I hope you guys enjoyed this, and I would really appreciate if you guys would recommend this site to friends so I can get this site going! (please?) Lol. Okay. Comments, questions, and comment down below on which tomato varieties YOU plant and why you like it!
Tobacco Mosaic Virus: Mainly a tobacco disease, the mosaic virus can be spread by contact from infected plants (or infected tobacco products such as cigarettes), and will cause underdeveloped, curly, thin, wilted, and weird color patterns on the leaf. (Thus the name)
Tomato Leaf Spot: Disease appears as brown spots on healthy-looking leaves/stems, and eventually, if not under control, can take over your plant and kill leaves and plants. Spreads through water and infected material, so be sure to clear any infected parts, and ALWAYS water at the bottom, directly to the roots, not through the leaves. Can be controlled just like Fusarium or Verticillium Wilt, by promoting airflow, and preventing soil particles from hitting leaves. Treated by an aspirin spray, neem oil, or other mineral oils. Keep in mind that these treatments don't guarantee eradication off the plant, but only serve to slow down the spread of the disease. Remove infected leaves on sight, and dispose of them, don't compost them. Some people recommend spraying the plant with a baking soda spray to alter the ph of the leaves, I have never tested this, but will be trying it this year, in hopes of preventing leaf spot or other fungal diseases.
Fungal and most pest diseases can be controlled by neem oil.
(Not sponsored in any way.)
Other Issues:
Blossom End Rot: Caused by lack of consistent watering, calcium deficiency, or both, blossom end rot develops a mushy, looks like rot at the blossom end of the tomato (end facing outwards). Nevertheless, fruit effected by blossom end rot is still safe to eat unless infested with pests. To prevent, develop a consistent watering schedule, and supplement the soil by adding cleaned, crushed eggshells to the soil to add calcium. There is no treatment for effected fruit.
Cracking: Cracking occurs for almost the same reasons as blossom end rot, but not the calcium deficiency. Think about cracking like this. If your skin was extremely dry, it would crack. The same goes for tomato fruits. Inconsistent watering and high temperatures cause a tomato (especially cherry or beefsteak types) to crack. (Make sure it is actually not slug damage, as slugs leave behind a gooey liquid on the tomato after). To prevent, use crack resistant varieties, and make sure plants are well shaded, and consistently watered. Cracked fruits are completely edible, and taste the same.
Sunscald: Basically sunburn for tomato fruits, sunscald occurs when the sun or hot weather burns the fruit. Look for leathery or shrunken patches on fruit. Here in zone 6, there rarely exists sunscald, but to prevent this, leave some leaves on when pruning, especially near fruit (unless the fruit are within the 3 feet of the ground), or use a reusable shade cloth on extremely hot days (90 degrees and up).
So there we have it, the complete and ultimate (and my first) guide to growing tomatoes. I hope you guys enjoyed this, and I would really appreciate if you guys would recommend this site to friends so I can get this site going! (please?) Lol. Okay. Comments, questions, and comment down below on which tomato varieties YOU plant and why you like it!