Tomatoes: The First Official Day of Summer
Some say Memorial Day Weekend is the ‘unofficial’ start of summer, the purists wait until the calendar date, coinciding with the Summer Equinox (June 20th), while I have always considered the official start of summer to be when I can pick my first red tomato off the vine. Hopefully, fingers crossed it will be in the next week or two (Early Girl, indeterminate, bush, started inside 2/25, transplanted out 4/13).
With all the varieties that are available, I still cannot fathom how some people say they don’t like them? While hot house tomatoes have their place, (as a last resort, in the dead of winter), there is nothing quite like a field grown, sun-ripened tomato. So, if you like them, and like me have a ‘problem’ picking out what to plant each year, here are some tips on growing tomatoes in the hot, humid weather we get to call summer.
Tomato plants need to have some support, and the way you do that is up to you! Whether it’s a single stake per plant, like a tobacco stick, or a cage, or even the Florida weave if you have a whole row, whatever gets them up will work.
Water is essential, not just because it’s a plant, but because tomatoes take a lot of water, especially when actively growing fruit. Making sure that tomatoes receive 6-8 inches of water every week during the growing season will help retain healthy fruit.
Tomato plants should have a starter fertilizer, but since we are passed that, tomatoes should be side dressed with 2-3 tablespoons of an 8-8-8 fertilizer once the plants have started to set fruit and every 4-6 weeks after.
Heat is a big deal for tomatoes! They will grow and produce best when daytime temperatures range from 70 to 80 degrees F, and night temperatures fall between 60 to 70 degrees. Planting early will help more tomatoes keep blooms and not drop them because of hot weather.
Avoid planting tomatoes in the same spot in the garden year after year (and other nightshades such as peppers, eggplants, and potatoes) because of the cycle of soilborne diseases that affect these plants.
To reduce the chance of diseases, remove the lower leaves that may touch the soil. Avoid watering overhead if possible, watering near the soil level to prevent the leaves from becoming wet and encouraging disease.
The most frequently asked question I get about tomatoes is about a physiological disorder called blossom-end rot. Although this is caused by a lack of calcium, it is usually most severe and most noticeable after extremes in weather (either too dry or too wet). To reduce blossom end rot in tomatoes, be sure to consistently water and fertilize, with mulching to help conserve moisture. Many times, rescue applications of calcium are not needed, and the tomatoes were dry, not taking up any nutrients, not specifically calcium.
Whether it’s a Big Beefsteak, Better Boy, an heirloom Mr. Stripey, the teeny tiny Edox, or a good Amish Paste, I wish you all the happy gardening and bountiful harvests!
Jessica Anderson is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Greene County Center. Contact the office at 747-5831.
