TOMATOES |
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Nothing beats the taste of a tomato picked fresh from your own garden and they give a higher yield for space occupied than any other vegetable. In a popularity poll for home-grown vegetables tomatoes would top the list, and deservedly so. Even those of us who seldom bother to grow edible crops will usually try a tomato or two - they are easy to grow if you pay a little attention to their needs. FEEDING : Tomatoes respond well to additional feeding with All purpose Plant Food plus added nitrogen with liquid food during the plant growth stage, before flowering. At flowering, while the fruit is being set, All purpose Plant Food plus a high potash fertilizer such as Phostrogen should be used. Apply food every two weeks in the garden and every week if growing in a container. WATERING: Tomatoes need special attention when it comes to watering in warm weather. Do not let them dry out (which may mean daily watering in hot conditions). It is vital to provide even, regular watering, both in a container and garden to encourage well rounded, full flavored fruit. MULCHING: A layer of mulch should be spread over the soil in Spring as an aid in conserving moisture and keeping the roots cool during the hot weather. Keep this a few centimetres from the trunk to prevent any problems with collar rot.
Grafted Tomatoes Grafted tomato rootstock is more vigorous than the normal tomato. Therefore it is essential to remove any coarse leaved shoots or suckers (shoots that appear through the soil from the rootstock) from below the graft. Any shoots left to grow will be the tomato rootstock overtaking the intended variety, robbing it of nutrients and water. Both roots from the rootstock and desired variety are kept intact to increase the water and nutrient uptake. PESTS: Caterpillars and White Fly would be the most prevalent for the home gardener, although they should not be a problem with a healthy, vigorous, well cared for Tomato. Should you need to use a spray, Carbaryl is for caterpillars and Mavrik for White Fly. Ask for advice from your GREENGOLD garden centre.. In New South Wales the fruit fly is the bane of tomato growers. If fruit fly is a known problem in your area, it is advisable to start a spraying regime when the fruit are half sized - certainly before they start to color. Spray at 10 - 14 day intervals with a systemic spray such as ROGOR or LEBAYCID. There is a 7 day witholding period before you should pick the fruit with these systemic sprays. DAK POTS also attract and kill the male fruit fly, which lessens the chance of the eggs laid by the female in the tomato hatching. DISEASES: Tomatoes can be affected by certain viruses such as mosaic virus (green mottling of leaves, sunken brown patches under the skin of fruit). Spread during operations such as pruning and also on smokers' fingers because most tobacco contains this virus. Smokers should wash thoroughly before touching the plants. Problems will increase year by year if tomatoes or related crops are planted continuously in the same place. A four year interval is a good idea. Control can be assisted by Zineb or Mancozeb. VARIETIES A popular mid season staking variety is the well known Grosse Lisse, bearing medium to large globe shaped fruits. Moonshot yields delicious round fruit for months. Beefsteak is an early fruiting variety, producing big, plump fleshy fruit of excellent flavour. Rouge de Marmande is a very early variety which sets fruits at lower temperatures than other varieties. A good early grafted tomato is Mighty Red which produces an abundance of large, globe shaped fruit of good colour and flavour. Sweet Bite is a dwarf plant which produces flavoursome cherry size tomatoes that are terrific for salads and lunch boxes. Naturally there are many more varieties, so do ask your GREENGOLD NURSERY staff member for advice on which ones to choose.
Tomatoes are great companion plants, they grow well near asparagus, celery, parsley, basil, carrots and chives. For gardeners with little space hydroponics has a special appeal, and tomatoes do well, as long as they are fed sufficiently. The tomato plant itself is not a showy plant although the sun ripened fruit provides excellent colour. They are valued more for their preserving qualities in relishes, chutneys, sauces and pickles and of course their nutritious value in a fresh salad. |
PRUNING:
Break off laterals (shown by arrows) which grow from the leaf axils. If laterals are well
developed cut them off with a sharp knife or pair of scissors. Tie the leader(s) to the
stake with garden twine at about 30cm intervals just above a leaf. Make a figure-eight tie
which allows the leader(s) to increase in size. Take care that flower trusses are not
squeezed between the leader and the stake. Regularly inspect to ensure they are not
cutting the plants. 
Some varieties are
suitable for pots or even baskets. When selecting a variety choose a compact small to
medium type bush, staking it as you would a garden grown plant. For baskets the cherry
tomato is ideal to form a colourful display. 