Feeding the tomato obsession

THE GARDEN FANATIC

What’s the biggest plant rave every year, from April until the fall?

If you’re Barbara Diamond, it’s the ubiquitous tomato. With names

like Early Girl, Super 100 and La Roma, tomatoes give amateur growers

an opportunity to outdo the farmers. And we do!

A culinary delight for centuries in the Americas, 2003 is only the

168th anniversary of the tomato being recognized an useful vegetable.

The botanical name for the tomato is Lycopersicum, Greek for Wolf

peach, perhaps an allusion to it once being considered poisonous. The

first tomatoes cultivated in the old world were golden, and these

tomatoes became the apples of god from Italy.

Most gardeners start tomatoes with transplants, which are

available at your local nursery. Best Laguna varieties include Early

Girl and Celebrity. If you are growing in containers, select one

named Patio. If you want large tomatoes, Super Steak and Better Boy

are good choices, and Super 100 is a fine cherry tomato. Lemon Boy

produces yellow fruit and La Roma is planted for tomato paste.

Purchase plants that are bushy, not leggy. Resist the temptation

to bring home plants already in bloom or bearing fruit, as they may

not transplant well. Set tomatoes deep, as roots will develop where

the soil touches the stem -- this makes for a bushier, stronger

plant. Finally, choose a location that receives at least six hours of

sunlight, and pinch off extra leaves, reserving a minimum of three

pair at the top.

To prepare the soil, begin by using plenty of composted material

to ensure good drainage and add 15 to 20 pounds of 5-2-1 Gro-power

and 10 pounds of Gypsite per 100 square feet. This initial fertilizer

application will be sufficient for the plant until it sets fruit, and

then it is time to fertilizer again. Feed once a month while the

fruit develops and then discontinue once they near maturity.

Tomatoes require regular watering after the fruit has set, about

two inches a week. One can stimulate earlier fruit production by

placing the plant under a little water stress early, however, be

careful not to over do it. As harvest time approaches, cut back on

watering, to get less watery fruit and increase flavor.

Left to it’s own design, a tomato would prefer to sprawl, and

there is no doubt the yield is heavier when so grown. If you decide

to adopt this method, the indeterminate plants (vine type) must be

set at least 4 feet apart. Determinate (bush type) plants should be

spaced 2 feet apart. Most home growers prefer to save space by

staking their tomatoes, indeterminate plants spaced 2.5 feet apart

and determinate plants 1.5 feet apart. Another option is to plant

tomatoes in cages, allowing them to sprawl upright over the

structure. Count on a yield of 20-40 tomatoes per plant, depending on

conditions and care.

Most of the diseases and problems with tomatoes are in the past,

thanks to the introduction of disease resistant tomatoes. Hornworms

may be removed by hand picking, and eliminated by Bacillus

thuringiensis. Aphids are easily controlled using an insecticidal

soap.

Not maintaining uniform soil moisture after fruit has set, and/or

a deficiency in phosphorous can bring on sunken black areas at the

flower end of the fruit. This problem is called blossom-end rot and

cannot be controlled with a pesticide. Similarly, a white scald on

the cheek of the fruit indicates sunburn and is prevented through

good cultural practices.

Although I hold a true affection for the tomato, I must admit that

the gardeners’ romance with this herb has created some inconvenience.

My hair remains uncut, as Jim is away from his salon, legend says,

preparing tomato paste. Even my colleagues have caught the rage,

missing hearings to cultivate their plants. Fortunately, I count my

blessings that Catharine prefers to write (quite well, I might say).

See you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is the owner of Landscapes by Laguna Nursery,

1540 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach.