OTHER IMPORTANT FACTORS IN SUCCESSFUL GROWING TOMATOES

There are companion plantings which will assist in warding off evil enemies of the tomato. Borage as depicted above is a wonderful blue flowered herb plant. The flower is edible and often used as garnish for anything from salad to cake. This plant along with dill are said to have deterred hornworms and has been known to lure black cutworms away from tomatoes. The only thing worthy of note here is once you have borage you more or less have a disease of a different type. It is known as one of the most persistent self-sowers in gardening. So if you are not into a lot of garnishing of salads,and such,a little weeding and ripping may be in your future but remember you are protecting those growing tomatoes you worked so hard to get to the garden.

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MARIGOLDS BOTH BEAUTY AND PROTECTION

Here we can have a flowering plant spread along the perimeter of your tomato garden protecting your tomatoes from flying insects as well as harmful nematodes;if you have those in your garden. It has been found that if a real infection of nematodes exist,it is best to plant a garden of marigolds and then turn the whole thing under and follow with tomatoes. I have never done this but I do feel marigolds are a protective measure in your tomato garden and they do bloom all summer.

In another interesting finding,planting growing tomatoes with plants of the cabbage family resulted in a reduction of diamond back moths and flea beetles in the cabbage family crops. You could also surround tomatoes with aromatic herbs like basil or plant them into already established beds of spinach,lettuce,or any other fast growing crops.

IT IS TIME TO TALK ABOUT STAKING,CAGING AND TRELLISING THE GROWING TOMATOES

Staking your growing tomatoes has it pros as well as its cons. It takes up a lot less space allowing you to grow more plants in the designated planting area. It helps to keep both the vines and the tomatoes off the ground leading to less rotting fruit. You will have an earlier fruit production because of the pruning required which allows the tomato to put more energy into fruit then bush. The tomato can be somewhat larger than non-staked with less tomatoes. The working around and among the plants is made easier.

The otherside of the coin however includes the time and effort to stake,train and prune the growing tomatoes. It is also true that staked tomatoes are less resistant to cracking, blossom end rot,and sunburnt conditions. The yield of a staked tomato plant is many times less than its counter part which is not staked. This is the result of the pruning required of side shoots and branches to support the tomato on a stake. They also require more mulch because staked plants need more water retention as a result of more sun and wind exposure. A determinate plant(definition on web page The tomato plant) stops growing at a certain height because the main fruit stem forms a flower bud at the top and produces fruit. This type does not require staking.

Stakes six to eight foot are good for most growing tomatoes. The stakes must be positioned at the time the plants are set out. The stakes should be driven a foot into the surface(good luck in my garden)and keep them three to five inches away from the plant. Ties should be added as the plant grows leaving an inch or two of slack. You must train the plant as it grows pruning side shoots and branches. I will discuss pruning in a little more detail later.

GROWING TOMATOES WITH CAGES

There are many advantages to cages,I personally use this as my favorite method of support,because you spend less time removing suckers,pruning branches,or training the plants up the cage. Actually except for removing suckers,watering,and checking for diseases,my plants are left alone. Caged growing tomatoes support themselves naturally and they develop enough leafy foliage to shade the growing fruit from the sun. It also works to your advantage at the soil level in keeping the soil more evenly moist assisting in the reduction of blossom rot and cracking problems.

As in everything there are some disadvantages but in this method I think the advantages far out weigh what I consider as minor disadvantages. The cages cost money but if you are careful with the cages,that is storing them properly after each season,they will have a long life. I am on my 6th season with these cages and look forward to many more years of use. They do require more space then their counter parts the stakes. A minor aggravation in my book,unless you are selling your crop commerically,how many tomatoes can you eat! There is a claim that indeterminate tomatoes in small cages will fall over from the weight of the fruit.This is easy to avoid.

Go to your garden center and buy STRONG cages that are at least five foot high with holes sufficient enough in size to retrieve your fat ripe growing tomatoes. The hole also aids in picking those suckers off from the "V" of the branch. As in the staking just as soon as the tomato is set in the garden immediately secure the cages with small stakes or push them firmly into the ground. You can find at most garden centers a "U" shaped stake that will slide down both the inside and the outside of the cage.

GROWING TOMATOES WITH A TRELLIS

This method has some of the same disadvantages as the staking method.In addition you have to build a support system using slats,wire mesh fencing,pipes,poles or wires. This is really a labor intensive method with lots of pruning and training of plants. A word of caution here,if you decide to attempt this method,you must cut the tallest growing tomatoes branches so they do not go beyond the top. If it grows too far it will fall over and break off leaving you with a less than neat cut and may rip back the stem increasing the plants susceptibility to diseases. The only advantages I see here is that less space is required and the fruit ripens earlier. In my book,it is not worth all the work. If space is really your limitation.I would take the staking any day over this method.

PRUNING THE GROWING TOMATOES

A word of caution is advised here in working with determinate tomatoes GO EASY ON THE PRUNING because these plants are smaller and don't continue to produce fruits through the entire season. It would be wise to avoid heavy pruning on your staked or trellised plants especially where it is extremely hot because the growing tomatoes do need protection from the bright sun. A part of pruning as shown in the illustration above involves pruning those starting stems in the "V" of the branch called suckers. If you let the sucker grow it just becomes another big stem with its own blossom fruit and guess what its own suckers!Let the plant develop its energy toward the existing main stems sometimes up to three stems. You can leave the suckers on the very bottom of the plant if you want more stems to grow. The flower production will be greatest here and the stem will be easier to train to the outside of the plant then a sucker placed higher up in the plant.

THe top of the main stem on your growing tomatoes,if they are indeterminate plants,can be cut above the top blossom so the plants will not grow higher. This can be tremendously helpful when the plants are out growing their supports. This is a good approach to use near the end of the growing season there by increasing the energy to your remaining fruit already on the vine.

THE MULCHING OF THE GROWING TOMATOES

There is a big mistake to be made here when using organic mulches by applying a heavy coat around the growing tomatoes too early. It would be wise to wait four or five weeks before using hay or grass clippings or any other heavy mulch around your growing tomatoes and this applies especially in the North. It is providing too much insulation of the soil and maintaining the soil at a cooler than necessary temperature. It is possible to delay your crop for the picking by several weeks using this practice.

Now if your going to use either red or black plastic put it down at planting time when the soil is moist. It should be tight and firm around all the edges. This can be accomplished by burying the ends in the soil or use of heavy boards or stone. The better the plastic contacts your soil surface the better moisture and heat retention will be in your garden soil. A transplant is easily put in the soil by a simple punch or cut in the plastic. You might want to provide some additional small holes to allow rain to soak through the plastic at random spots in the garden. It is especially important to use mulch around your staked or trellised plants because of the additional exposure to the sun.

The other item that should be mentioned here,concerning mulching of your growing tomatoes, is black or red plastic mulch should only be used in the early spring in the south to provide a little extra heat. The use of this mulching method in the hot summer months could result in the cooking of the roots.

I won't spend a lot of time on the weed subject because they are usually not a problem if we are talking about the home garden. The plants are far enough apart to allow you the room to get at any weed accumulation. The plants themselves as they grow provide thick dense foliage and tend to shade out any weed growth. If you keep a good mulch around those staked or trellised plants the weeds will be kept in tow.

THE WATERING OF YOUR GROWING TOMATOES

If the above method is not used,make sure you water early in the day using a water wand. This way it will keep the water off the leaves by pointing the wand at the underneath side of the plants near the roots. The watering early in the day cuts down on the evaporation losses and gives your plants time to dry out from any moisture that might accidently accumulate on the upper leaves of the tomato plants. An alternative idea for your growing tomatoes is the use of a soaker hose which can deliver water at the soil surface anytime without hitting the leaves. A general guide for watering would be a good soaking every four to five days with sandy soil and every seven to ten days with a heavy clay soil if not enough rain is present. Your tomatoes deserve the very best care go to Gardens Alive for all the lastest products to make your tomatoes grow and grow. Just click here.

GROWING TOMATOES IN CONTAINERS

The tomato is a versatile vegetable it can stand to be in close quarters and still produce the fruits you want. A hanging planter,a bushel basket,a large container pot,or even an upside down hanging pot will work in a sunny spot.The container method is no different then a garden variety of tomato it needs at least six to eight hours of sunshine. It is more diffcult on the inside of your home. There may not be just one window with this much maximum sunshine. It may require you to move the tomato from window to window. This is the major disadvantage to indoor container growing. If you have grow lights,and you can position them,to assist in the indoor container growing by all means use it.

The container for the growing tomatoes should be filled with regular potting soil. The use of garden soil entails the mixing of peat moss,vermiculite,or perlite for improved drainage. These products are available at your local garden center. The container that becomes the home to your tomato plants can be a five-gallon bucket,a pot,a bushel basket or even an old washer tub from the days of ringer washers,make sure it has a drainage hole. If you can find a rinse tub from those ringer washer days,it already has a hose drainage system installed. We have one of these from my wife's mother and have planted dahlia bulbs but there is no reason it could not be used for tomato plants.

The use of a bushel basket requires a liner to be used to retain moisture and dirt. It can be plastic bags as long as a few drainage holes are poked in the plastic. The ideal situation in a bushel basket or even a 24 inch pot would be three growing tomatoes supported by small stakes. I do believe in a wash tub size container you can plant as many as four plants. The picture below is the one of our wash tub and,even though dahlia plants grace its interior,you get the feeling of size and type. It is time to visit a garage sale! I think the most interesting plantings I have ever witnessed was tomato plants in a bale of hay. This could be done with either digging out the spot in the hay and putting in some potting soil or burying 6-12 inch pots in the hay and putting the tomato in the pots. The soil in the hay I think would be best and imagine the nourishment they would get from the hay. It was definitely a show stopper.

I feel the dwarf variety would be best for this type of growing tomatoes. These go by various names in both catalogs and garden centers such as patio------tomatoes,a cherry tomato with various names,or any of the determinate variety with minor bush growth after the initial fruit set. I might mention an additional type here for small pots a 18" tall plant called Tiny Tim. However you decide to plant and grow your tomatoes,a little attention to detail,care and watering of your plants,check for diseases, and by all means enjoy the "FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR". There was no pun intended.

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Growing tomatoes part 2 will take you home