Planting Tomatoes

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Planting Tomatoes

The Tomato is one of the most popularvegetables grown in the United States. It rankssecond only to potatoes in economic value. Its fruit is high in food value, vitamins andminerals and is served raw in salads, baked,stewed, fried and made into soup, conserves,pickles, catsup and a variety of sauces.

The Tomato is native to Central and SouthAmerica. While its culture is ancient it has onlyreached its present prominence since the mid-19th century.

Types and Varieties

Most authorities recognize 2 distinct species,L. esculentum which includes the common,potato-leaved, cherry and pear types and L.pimpinellifolium or the Currant Tomato.

Seed companies list a large number of so-called varieties which may vary in days tomaturity, habit of growth, shape and color offruit and disease resistance. Hybrid sorts arebecoming most important. Suggested varietiesare 'Early Hybrid', 'Valiant', 'Morton Hybrid',`Supersonic Marglobe', 'Big Boy', plus 'Jubilee'(orange-yellow fruit) and 'San Margand' as oneof the best small fruit sorts used for paste.Check seed catalogues for other sorts of excel-lent quality. Many other varieties are availablethat are good to use in various parts of thecountry.

Climatic Requirements

The Tomato is a warm-season plant, frosttender, and most varieties require at least 34months to produce a full crop. A number offactors may affect fruit set such as faultynutrition, injury from disease or insects andweather conditions. Temperature is veryimportant in that temperatures below 55° F.and above 95° F. reduce fertilization of theflower. A period of rainy or cloudy weatherwill have a similar effect. Fruit set of the firstand second clusters of plants set out fairly earlyin the spring can be materially increased by theuse of chemicals sprayed onto the flowers.These come under a number of trade namessuch as "Sureset" and are available at mosttrade outlets, seed houses or garden centers.

Soils and Fertilizers

The Tomato will grow in a variety of soilsprovided such soils are warm, have a highwater-holding capacity, contain a readilyavailable supply of plant food and test a pHof 5.5 to 6.5. In general, the loam soils arepreferred. Soil preparation resulting in a deepfriable condition is important for the develop-ment of a strong root system.

Tomatoes will respond to an application ofwell-rotted manure if it is available. In mostcases, it is advisable to apply 30-40 lbs. of a5- io- to fertilizer broadcast per woo sq. ft. justprior to planting. This is then supplemented byside dressings of nitrate of soda, 2-3 oz. perplant, at 2-3-week intervals if the plant growthis weak and lacks vigor. Side dressing is appliedin fairly wide bands around the plant and thencultivated into the top 2 in. of soil. In many casesan application of cupful of a starter solution applied at the time theplants are set out in the garden is beneficial.

Plant Growing

Under most conditions tomato plants arestarted in greenhouses or hotbeds some 6-8weeks prior to planting out-of-doors. Plantseeds in flats or boxes where the temperature isapproximately 70° F. Use fine, medium-richsoil, sowing seed indrills in. deep and 2 in. apart. When theseedlings are 2-2+ in. high, replant at 2 in. x 2in. intervals and allow to grow until 4-5 in.tall. At this stage the plants should again bereplanted to a spacing of 4 in. x 4 in. Plantbands, clay or plastic pots, berry baskets or tincans can be used for this last transplanting. Aday temperature of 700-750 F. and a nighttemperature of 600-65° F. is ideal. Applyenough water to maintain a moist soil.

Outdoor Planting

Tomato plants should not be planted out-doors until all danger of frost is past and thesoil has become reasonably warm. The spacingwill vary because of variety and method ofculture. Plants that are not trained or prunedare planted 3 ft. x 3 ft. or 3 ft. x 4 ft. for suchvarieties as Fireball or Victor and 4 ft. x 4 ft.for the larger plants of the main crop varieties.Where space is a limiting factor it may beadvisable to stake or trellis the plants. In eachcase, all lateral or side shoots are pinched out asthey develop so as to restrict the plant to 1 mainstem. In staking, a 5-6-ft. stake is driven into thesoil 11-2 ft. next to each plant. As the plantdevelops the stem is loosely tied to the stakewith jute twine, twistems or ordinary strips ofcloth. In trellis culture a post is placed at eachend of the row. A heavy wire is then stretchedfrom the top and bottom of these posts. Jutetwine is tied to the bottom and top wires at eachplant and the plant is twirled around the stringas it develops. Planting distances for staked andtrellised plants are 15-18 in. in the row androws spaced at 3-4 ft. Self-topping or deter-minate varieties should not be staked.

Cultivation

Normal shallow cultivation is necessary tocontrol weeds. Mulches of various types are alsorecommended to control weeds and to conservemoisture. Strawy manure free from weed seedsor marsh hay or black plastic are excellentmaterials.

Harvesting

Top quality is only obtained if the fruits areleft on the vine until they are red-ripe but stillfirm. In the fall if green tomatoes still remain onthe plant at frost time, if they are from tofully matured in size they can be picked andstored for up to 3-4 weeks at a temperature of50° F., a fairly high humidity and preferably inthe dark. To ripen stored fruit place on thekitchen window sill at a temperature of 70° F.or higher for from 3-5 days.

Insect Pests

Cutworms cut stems of transplants. SeeCUTWORMS. Flea beetles which eat holes inleaves which permit entrance of disease arecontrolled by sprays or dusts of insecticide # 37,# t I or # 9 usually combined with fungicide# E. An application just before transplants areset and 2 or 3 times at weekly intervals isusually necessary. Aphids deform new growthand spread disease. Use insecticide # 15 or # t 1.Larger voracious horn worms can be hand-picked or sprayed with insecticide #37 or #4.Tomato fruit worm, which is also the corn ear-worm, eats holes in the fruit. Sprays of in-secticide # 9, # 4 or # II are suggested.European corn borer, stalk borer and Coloradopotato beetle are occasional pests. Red spider mite is controlled with insecticide# 34 or # 36.

Diseases

Early blight and late blight are most des-tructive. Early blight starts about the time thefirst fruits begin to ripen and may cause de-foliation. Late blight starts in late summer andinfects both fruit and foliage. Sprays or dusts offungicide # E or # G at weekly intervals arerecommended. Shiny dark spots on both greenand ripe fruit indicate anthracnose which ischecked by the above fungicides. Fusarium wiltcauses yellow and dead leaves on the lower partof the plant and decreases the size and quality ofthe fruit. No fungicides are effective. Growresistant varieties where fusarium has occurred.Mosaic-infected plants are weak and un-productive. Destroy infected plants as soon asthey are observed and control aphids. Blossom-end rot is not caused by disease. It is producedby uneven water supply and acid soil. See ACIDsou.. Apply ground limestone to give pH 6.o-6.5 acidity and mulch to help maintain adequatemoisture. Rolling of older leaves especially onstaked tomatoes is due to hot sun and excesstranspiration. It is not controllable except bytemporary shading.

Usually they are considered annuals requiring a long, warm, growing seasonwith plenty of moisture to mature properly. Themost important species in the U.S. are G.barbadense, the Sea Island Cotton, native totropical America and growing 8 ft. tall withyellow flowers tinged with purple; G. hirsutum,the Upland Cotton also a native of tropicalAmerica, 5 ft. tall with white or yellowishflowers tinged pink at maturity, and severalvarieties and hybrids. Not grown as a gardenornamental.

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