"Tomatoes are my passion," says Kathy Presley. She grows several varieties on her land northeast of Atlanta, Ga. You're not alone, Kathy. One reader told us, "You can't write enough about tomatoes." And you can't grow enough; 35 million gardens will soon be bearing fruit. When we asked for your favorite growing tips, we got all manner of responses, from beginners to folks who have been growing for decades.
Start seed. Start tomato seeds indoors seven to eight weeks before planting time. Standard potting mix is too heavy; use soil mix that has peat moss and vermiculite instead.
Using grow lights directly above seedbeds instead of natural light will help keep stems straight. Harden off seedlings for a week or so before transplanting to the ground for stronger, healthier stems.
"When the days get warm, I put my flats outside from noon to 2 p.m. in a slightly breezy spot," says Mary Miller, who grows German Pink and other varieties in Laclade County, Mo. "I increase time outside and amount of wind until it's time to transplant."
Don't plant too soon. Tomatoes need a consistent soil temperature of 55°F or higher for healthy transplants. If nighttime temperatures fall below 55°F, tomato blooms are likely to fall off and pollen can be killed completely.
You might not see the effects of planting too early until vines start bearing fruit. Catfacingthe streaky, brownish scar tissue often mistaken for diseaseis believed to be caused by cool weather early in the growing season.
Use trench planting. Joe West uses this method in his garden. West and his wife, Joy, who will be profiled in an upcoming issue of Progressive Farmer, have a prizewinning garden on their acreage in Joelton, Tenn.
Transplant when stems are about a foot tall. Pull the leaves off the bottom 8 inches or so of the plant, leaving the top two or three groups of leaves. Lay the plant down horizontally in the row and cover the bottom 8 inches with dirt.
Carefully turn the top of the plant upward until it's pointing straight out of the ground, and mound a little dirt around it. "Leaving that much stem underground develops a strong root system," says West.
[PAGEBREAK] Don't fertilize too much. New determinate varieties need less fertilizer. in fact, they need only about 3/4 as much fertilizer as traditional indeterminate varieties. Too much fertilizer can lead to excessive foliage, which makes the plants more susceptible to leaf blight diseases.
If you use a fertilizer, choose one with a higher phosphorous and potash content than its nitrogen content. "Too much nitrogen will lead to beautiful foliage but not much fruit," says Maureen Allen, who grows many different varieties on her property in upstate New York.
A good guideline is to choose fertilizers with a low first number and higher middle and end numbers, such as 6-12-12.
"I mix a small amount of bonemeal and fertilizer in the planting hole when I set my plants out, then sidedress plants when they begin to fruit and again about a month later," says Allen.
Beat disease. Several seed companies offer varieties that are resistant to disease. But tomato lovers know what they're looking for in taste, and often only their favorite varieties measure up. Still, there are other ways to beat disease.
"Our soil seems to have a lot of fungal diseases in it," says Kathy Presley. "I dig out a hole in the ground about the size of a gallon milk jug. I replace the soil with sterile, high-quality potting soil and plant the seedling."
Tomato spotted wilt virus is a major problem in the South. Lenny Wells, a county agent in Dougherty County, Ga., wanted to help gardeners beat the disease, which is transmitted by thrips. "We caged plants at transplanting using cages made of fence wire rolled into a cylinder, then shrink-wrapped and ventilated on top with a cloth mesh," says Wells. "We left the cages on for six weeks, then removed them. None of the caged plants developed the disease, while half of our control plants were affected."
Watch the water. Tomato experts say watering needs to be consistent above all else. Tomatoes need at least 1 inch of water a week, and it's best to water right at soil level. Wet foliage is more apt to develop disease.
If plants look wilted on a hot summer afternoon, that's normal. But if they're still wilted the next morning, water thoroughly.
Tie them up. The key is to keep the fruit off the ground. For determinate varieties—tomatoes that develop a bushy plant—a secured wire cage is fine.
The indeterminate, viny varieties require more control. Maureen Allen uses the Florida weave. "It's a good system if you grow a large number of plants," she says.
Instead of staking every plant, drive a stake between every two plants, with a large stake at each end of the row. Tie string 10 inches above the ground on the end stake, then loop it around each stake down the row and tie again at the other end.
[PAGEBREAK] Bring the string down the other side of the stakes in the row and tie on the end where you started. Guide plants between the two strings. As plants grow, add rows of string at 10-inch intervals.
Mulch. Kathy Presley mulches with several layers of newspaper to keep soil from splattering onto leaves during a hard rain. "Mulching keeps plants evenly moist and prevents backsplash from the soil, which can encourage foliage disease," says Maureen Allen. "You can use straw, grass clippings, landscape fabric, compost or any combination of these to mulch plants."
Save seeds and cuttings. Saving seeds from traditional and heirloom varieties is easy. Scoop the seeds out of the fruit and dry on a paper towel. Once dry, just roll up the towel and freeze or refrigerate over the winter.
"If I have a hybrid that produces good fruit," says Ruby Sultemeir of Lampasas, Texas, "I cut the new growth (at the end of the growing season) and put them into water until they put out roots. Then I put them into pots with good soil. Of course, you need a hothouse or a good place to keep them."
Don't wait until they're ripe. If you're craving the perfect plate of fried green tomatoes, take some advice from Robert Lorino of The Irondale Cafe in Irondale, Ala. (That's the restaurant on which Fannie Flagg based her award-winning novel "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.") "You want a hard, green tomato that has not yet begun to turn," Lorino says. In other words, you need to use it when it's dark green and hasn't begun to change to a whitish-green color yet. By Kalli Rasbury