Archive for December, 2009

Tomato Gardening Secrets

December 6th, 2009

Here are some easy guidelines you should follow when buying your tomato plants. Step one, be sure the starter plants you buy have no yellow leaves on them as this is a sign that you could be buying trouble right from the start. Inspect the container. An indication the plant has been in the container too long is if the roots are growing out of the slits. Do not buy any starter plants that bear fruit already, as these plants will most likely produce very few tomatoes in the long run.

Step two is to prepare the soil. Tomato gardening is best in a soft soil. Mixing in some sand and compost will give them a healthy start. We have that colloidal humus is the best product to use as a compost. Preheating the soil in your tomato garden will give your tomatoes a boost that they will love. Just place plastic bags (black is best) over the dirt for a couple of weeks before planting. This will raise the temperature of the ground. This will help you obtain early tomatoes.

Step three is getting them in the ground. Tomatoes should be planted deeper than they come in the pot. You can plant them all the way up to a few top leaves. You can dig a deep hole or a long shallow hole and lay the plant sideways. It will find the sun and grow straight up through the soil. Tomatoes are capable of rooting all along their stems.

Step four is optional but recommended. Mulching is always a good idea for tomato gardens for moisture retention; however give the ground a chance to warm up some more after the planting before you put down your mulch. Mulch will also keep the soil born diseases from splashing onto the plants. Plastic mulch is best for heat lovers like tomatoes and peppers. Step five is not widely known but critical to a tasty and bountiful harvest. When the tomato plants are about 3ft. tall, removing the leaves from the bottom of the plant about 1ft. of the way up will help prevent fungus problems since these are the leaves most likely to be effected. Spraying once a week with an organic compost tea can also be effective at warding off fungus in your tomato garden. One little secret is the tomato needs lots of air flow. A mature plant should have VERY FEW LEAVES left on them!

Step six would be to remove suckers from your tomato plants at the cross joint of two branches will add more energy to the plant as these suckers will not bear fruit anyway. Thinning the leaves will allow the tomato garden to receive more sunlight. A tomato plant requires as much air movement as water. Indeterminate type tomatoes can be coaxed into early growth by just pinching off the tips of the main stems in early summer. Determinate tomatoes usually set and ripen their fruit at the same time.

The final step is to make sure to water generously while the plants are developing. Once the tomatoes start to ripen lessen the water so the plants will sweeten up a bit more. Be sure not to let the plants wilt or the tomato plants may drop their blossoms or even sometimes it’s fruit. Planting in containers will make them portable. Follow these steps to insure a healthy and fruitful tomato garden.

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Tags: Compost Container Garden Humus Organic Plant Preheating SAND Soil Tomato

Disease Resistant Tomatoes – How to Identify Them

December 6th, 2009

Growing tomatoes isn’t too difficult but they can be prone to disease. Don’t despair though, as there are plenty of disease resistant varieties available but that in itself leads to another problem which is how to identify them.
Each variety is coded; e.g. “VF”, “VFFA”, “VFNT” but how on earth are we supposed to know what these acronyms mean? How do we tell which variety is resistant to which disease? That is where the coding comes in, which is fine if you know what each code means.
Below are the common designations, which should help you choose which variety of tomato plant is the one for you.
“A” means that the plant has resistance to the Alternaria alternata fungus which is a cause of Alternaria stem canker. The stems, leaves and fruit of the tomato are badly affected by cankers that vary in colour from dark brown to black. If the cankers are on the stem, there are often brownish streaks as well. Stem cankers can cause the death of a tomato plant before you can harvest the fruit.
“F” or “FF” indicates that the plants are resistant to the Fusarium oxysporum fungi which induce Fusarium wilt. This is a critical disease which causes the drooping and yellowing of the leaves beginning at the bottom of the tomato plant. Without treatment, Fusarium wilt can kill tomato plants well before the fruit can be picked. Some Fusarium fungi have become resistant themselves to the “F” resistance tomatoes, in which case, you need to choose plants with the “FF” coding.
“N” signifies that the plants are resistant to parasitic round worms, which often lie inactive in the earth. Effects of round worm infestation are root galls that are up to an inch in diameter. Afflicted plants are weak, do not react to fertilizer, and are inclined to droop when the weather is hot.
“St” specified tomatoes are not susceptible to grey leaf spot (Stemphylium). Affected tomatoes build up brown to black spots on older leaves. As the disease goes on, the spots become larger and the centres turn grey. The grey middles ultimately fall out, leaving behind small holes.
“T” indicates that the plants are resistant to the Tobacco Mosaic Virus. This results in a blotchy look to the leaves and smaller fruit and crop. Occasionally immature tomatoes will go brown.
“TSWV” points to resistance to the Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. Signs of infection differ considerably dependent upon the variety of tomato, but consist of yellow and brown rings and brown streaks on tomato stems, leaves which have dead spots and tips, and seriously inferior growth. The tomatoes themselves may have red and orange discolorations when they are fully grown.
“V” means the tomato is not susceptible to the fungi which cause Verticillium wilt, Verticillium dahliae and V. albo-atrum. Signs of Verticillium wilt disease do not ordinarily become apparent until the plant is fruiting or it is not watered sufficiently. Signs include V-shaped gashes on the leaves.
Don’t forget that disease resistant tomatoes are not necessarily immune to disease but if they do become infected, they are less likely to sustain as much damage as those varieties which are not disease resistant.
As well as choosing the right variety of disease resistant tomatoes, remember that changing where you plant your tomatoes can help prevent disease but be sure to rotate them with other plants which are not susceptible to the disease you are trying to eradicate.
Make sure that your tomato plants are well watered, are in well drained soil and are mulched to retain moisture. Spray with systemic insecticide or fungicide if you detect symptoms of disease (as long as you’re not growing organic crops) and generally keep your tomato plants in as good a condition as possible.
Before planting your tomatoes, try to identify whether your garden already is home to any pests or diseases. Check the foliage and/or fruit of other plants in your garden and if you detect disease, take a sample to an expert to identify the cause. You will then be in a position to choose the right disease resistant tomatoes to plant.
By following sensible gardening practices, you will soon be able to eradicate the pests and diseases and end up with a bumper crop of tomatoes.

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Tags: Disease Resistant Tomatoes Gardening Growing Tomatoes

Tomato Growing Tips – 4 Basic Tips for your Tomato Growing Garden

December 6th, 2009

Even people who don’t claim to have green thumbs can usually grow tomatoes. They may not be edible, but they can still grow them. All kidding aside, tomato growing is not all that hard and with a little TLC, you too can grow your own tomatoes. If you’re thinking about growing your own tomatoes, you should and with some of the following tips, you’ll be picking your own tomatoes very soon and you will tell the difference between store bought and home grown. Once you start tomato growing, you will never buy another tomato from the grocery store ever again.

1. To find good tomato plants, your closest garden center is as far as you need to go to find healthy tomato plants. Ask the gardener working there to help you if you need it, but common sense can be used when choosing healthy plants for tomato growing. Most people can tell the difference between a healthy plant and a limp and wilted plant. Make sure its green with no yellowing or spotted leaves. No matter where you’re going to plant your tomatoes, either outside or in a big pot, bury your plant up to the bottom stems. This will allow the plant to sprout new roots and strengthen the tomato growing process. You can completely bury the bottom stems and then just cut them at dirt level.

2. Don’t over-feed your tomato plant. Too much nitrogen will give you a beautiful bushy plant, but not a lot of fruit. It’s a good idea to prepare the soil before you plant your tomato plant. These plants love rich humus or loamy soil and it’s a good idea to add a little potassium for strong stems and just a touch of nitrogen.

3. Water your plants thoroughly and make sure you have good drainage where ever your plants may be. If you live in hot climates and your plants are outside, make sure they will get at least a half of day of shade. Too much heat and the flowers will fall off, falling flowers means no tomatoes and this defeats the tomato growing process entirely. Cover outdoor tomato plants with some kind of mulch, either bark, pine needles or hay. Studies have proven that plants covered in black plastic mulch in early spring produces lots of tomatoes all spring and summer long, especially in cool or cold climates. Infra-red plastic mulch is even better. The person at your garden center should be able to tell you what is best for where you live.

4. Picking off the first batch of flowers will also ensure a healthier plant. Doing this will strengthen the root system and give your plants the chance to mature and fill out before bearing fruit. Stake or cadge your tomato plants so they have support and strength they need to grow big ripe tomatoes. With a little care and a little attention, you will be growing beautiful tomatoes in no time. Cherry or grape tomatoes are great for first time tomato growers. They grow great on a patio or porch and they grow by the bunch. Growing your own tomatoes will save you money and bragging rights about your successful tomato garden.

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Tags: Growing Tomatoes Tomato Garden tomato growing tips

Higher Yields from Your Tomato Garden

December 5th, 2009

The tomato garden is often a source of great pride for home gardeners. There is generally a friendly competition among the neighborhood gardeners to see who can produce the first ripe tomato, or the biggest or the most flavorful. In fact, the number one home garden project in our country is invariably growing a tomato garden. Tomatoe gardeners are constantly on the lookout for new ways to improve their production in their quest for neighborhood bragging rights. Growing the best tomato garden isn’t always a matter of using the latest and greatest magic potions from the local garden center. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of common sense and good gardening practices to produce the best possible tomato garden.

Here are a few simple tips to help you increase your tomato garden’s productivity.

Keep the fruit and foliage up off the ground:

Tomato plants can contract a number of fungal infections and diseases from contact with soil. This can happen when the tomato plant is allowed to sprawl on the ground or even when the infected soil is splashed up on the foliage during a heavy rain. Plants allowed to make contact with the ground are also prime targets for slugs and other insects as well as just plain rot. We can prevent these problems easily by trellising or tying up our tomato garden.

The trellis can be something as simple as a stake driven into the ground to which the plants are tied as they grow. Or, a cage may be used to confine the plant and hold it in an upright position. Cages can be made at home or purchased ready-made, in a variety of styles and shapes. Personally, I like the square style cages because they can be folded flat for storage in the winter and thus take up very little space. These are generally made from 4 panels of woven or welded wire with spacing between the wires large enough for your hand to fit through to pick your tomatoes.

To avoid damage to your tomato garden, it’s best to place your stakes, cages or other trellis around the plants while they are still quite small. As the plants grow, you may have to help them by arranging their branches in the right position for your trellising sytem and possibly, even tying them in place. If you tie the plants, be sure to use a soft material and don’t tie too tightly. Use a soft, bulky twine, or if you have access to them, old nylon hosiery or pantyhose make excellent tomato ties.

Give your plants plenty of room in the tomato garden. Remember that crowding reduces the flow of air through the plants and holds in humidity, both of which lead to a number of diseases which will reduce your harvest.

Remove the early suckers from the plants:

If you’ve ever looked closely at a tomato plant, you’ve probably noticed that there is a new shoot or branch coming out of every leaf node. The leaf node is the point where the tomato leaf stem comes out of the main stalk. These new shoots or branches are called suckers and they make your little tomato plant into a very full, dense bush. Each of these suckers is capable of growing, blooming and producing more tomatoes… which sounds like a very good thing when you want a nice productive tomato garden. However, remember what we said earlier about giving your plants plenty of room to make sure there is good air flow. If the suckers are allowed to grow at will, you will soon have a lovely, bushy plant…. until the high humidity days of summer. At that point, problems will begin to develop because of the lack of air flow. We want the extra production of those new branches but we don’t want to make our plant susceptible to disease. Let’s consider pruning the particularly troublesome shoots.

Start at the bottom of the plant, near the ground. The first suckers to appear will be very low and practically impossible to keep olff the ground. That means any fruit produced on those branches is going to be more likely to suffer slug damage or rot from contact with the ground. The best procedure is to pinch these off with your fingers before they get more than an inch or so long. If they’ve grown longer before you get to them, you can still remove them either by snapping them off by hand or by using your garden shears. Be sure to disinfect your shears before moving on to the next plant, though. You don’t want to risk spreading problems from one plant to another by using infected shears.

Removing these first suckers from the plant will encourage it to put out even more suckers or branches. This is good… up to a point. You will want to keep most of them because of the tomatoes they will produce but you don’t want your plant to become so full that you can no longer see through it. If it begins to reach that point, clip out a few of the suckers so that air is once again able to circulate freely. Remember that lots of branches will produce lots of smaller tomatoes. If you want BIG tomatoes, remove some of the branches. That way, the tomato plant puts all its energy into developing fewer fruits, thereby making them larger.

Toward the end of your growing season, if all has gone well, your plants will still be blooming and setting new fruit. However, late in the season we have to worry about frost killing the plants. If the fruit doesn’t have time to mature and ripen before that first frost, you will lose it. Or, if you’re so inclined, you’ll be eating lots of fried green tomatoes! A better option is to remove all the suckers that form late in the season. This will let the plant expend its energy in developing and ripening the remaining fruits, rather than in producing more foliage and blossoms that don’t stand a chance of maturing.

Mulch your tomato garden:

Always apply a layer of mulch to your tomato garden in early summer, after the soil has warmed up. This will accomplish several things. Mulch will help control weeds and will conserve moisture. It will also discourage slugs and will prevent soil from splashing up on your plants when it rains. And when you till your garden next spring, the mulch will add organic matter to your soil.

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Tags: Garden Gardener Gardening Tomato Tomato Garden

Protect Your Plants!

December 5th, 2009

The devices and implements used for fighting plant enemies are of two sorts:
(1) those used to afford mechanical protection to the plants;
(2) those used to apply insecticides and fungicides.
Of the first the most useful is the covered frame. It consists usually of a wooden box, some eighteen inches to two feet square and about eight high, covered with glass, protecting cloth, mosquito netting or mosquito wire. The first two coverings have, of course, the additional advantage of retaining heat and protecting from cold, making it possible by their use to plant earlier than is otherwise safe. They are used extensively in getting an extra early and safe start with cucumbers, melons and the other vine vegetables.
Simpler devices for protecting newly-set plants, such as tomatoes or cabbage, from the cut-worm, are stiff, tin, cardboard or tar paper collars, which are made several inches high and large enough to be put around the stem and penetrate an inch or so into the soil.
For applying poison powders, the home gardener should supply himself with a powder gun. If one must be restricted to a single implement, however, it will be best to get one of the hand-power, compressed-air sprayers. These are used for applying wet sprays, and should be supplied with one of the several forms of mist-making nozzles, the non-cloggable automatic type being the best. For more extensive work a barrel pump, mounted on wheels, will be desirable, but one of the above will do a great deal of work in little time. Extension rods for use in spraying trees and vines may be obtained for either. For operations on a very small scale a good hand-syringe may be used, but as a general thing it will be best to invest a few dollars more and get a small tank sprayer, as this throws a continuous stream or spray and holds a much larger amount of the spraying solution. Whatever type is procured, get a brass machine it will out-wear three or four of those made of cheaper metal, which succumbs very quickly to the, corroding action of the strong poisons and chemicals used in them.
Of implements for harvesting, beside the spade, prong-hoe and spading- fork, very few are used in the small garden, as most of them need not only long rows to be economically used, but horse- power also. The onion harvester attachment for the double wheel hoe, may be used with advantage in loosening onions, beets, turnips, etc., from the soil or for cutting spinach. Running the hand- plow close on either side of carrots, parsnips and other deep-growing vegetables will aid materially in getting them out. For fruit picking, with tall trees, the wire-fingered fruit-picker, secured to the end of a long handle, will be of great assistance, but with the modern method of using low-headed trees it will not be needed.
Another class of garden implements are those used in pruning but where this is attended to properly from the start, a good sharp jack-knife and a pair of pruning shears will easily handle all the work of the kind necessary.
Still another sort of garden device is that used for supporting the plants; such as stakes, trellises, wires, etc. Altogether too little attention usually is given these, as with proper care in storing over winter they will not only last for years, but add greatly to the convenience of cultivation and to the neat appearance of the garden.
As a final word to the intending purchaser of garden tools, I would say: first thoroughly investigate the different sorts available, and when buying, do not forget that a good tool or a well-made machine will be giving you satisfactory use long, long after the price is forgotten, while a poor one is a constant source of discomfort. Get good tools, and take good care of them. And let me repeat that a few dollars a year, judiciously spent, for tools afterward well cared for, will soon give you a very complete set, and add to your garden profit and pleasure.