THE COASTAL GARDENER:A summer with hundreds of tasty tomatoes

“Only two things that money can’t buy

That’s true love and homegrown tomatoes.”

— from a song by Guy Clark

Aunt Ruby’s German Green, Anana’s Noir, Bloody Butcher, Cherokee Purple, Enchantment, Momotaro, Pineapple and Ugly. These are the names of a few of the tomatoes I am growing this year in my garden. You won’t find these, or hundreds of others, at Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons or even Whole Foods.

The only way to have homegrown tomatoes is to grow them at home.

If you followed my advice earlier this spring, you’ve already planted your tomatoes and have been enjoying them for some time now. If you’re a novice or are growing these love apples for the first time, you may have some questions.

Question: My plants are huge and growing everywhere. What should I do?

Answer: Grab the children and pets and stand back. Tomatoes, at least those grown in home gardens, grow large, and you’re not going to stop them. Beginners are surprised when the little six-inch plant they started with soon rambles through the top of the little $4 cage they put around it, then over the fence, on to the roof and anywhere else it wants to go. Prepare yourself.

Q: I have worms on my plants. How do I control them?

A: Veteran growers simply pick off tomato hornworms, finding them by searching near the chewed leaves or looking in the foliage directly above the black frass (worm poop). Conversely, beginners will search all afternoon and still can hardly find a single caterpillar. When they do find one, they don’t know what to do. Fearing for their lives, they again round up the children and pets, run inside, lock the doors and dial 911.

Q: My plants are pretty ugly, but they are fruiting.

A: Sounds about right. The fruit is beautiful, not the plants. At least not by the time we get to the end of July.

Q: Earlier, I got a lot of fruit, now I’m not. Why?

A: If you are a few miles from the coast or in an especially warm spot, many tomatoes will abort their flowers when the nighttime temperatures get high, usually about 60°F. Varieties vary somewhat in their heat tolerance. If it’s a persistent problem, search for special heat-tolerant varieties.

Q: My plants have a lot of yellow leaves and dry foliage near the base and inside.

A: For most of you, this is the normal and expected appearance by this time of the year. Although soil nematodes, certain viruses, water stress and other factors can contribute to yellowing of the lower and inner leaves, in my experience, it is usually just the normal aging of the plant.

Q: My plants are yellowing irregularly and spreading from branch to branch. They also appear wilted all the time.

A: A rather sudden wilted look, regardless of water, accompanied by yellowing sections of the plant that gradually spread is the symptom of a common ailment called fusarium wilt. It is difficult to diagnose conclusively and there is no control or remedy. Any nearly mature fruit will continue to ripen. Otherwise, pull the plant out, put a pot in its place, fill with good-potting soil and start another late summer-fall variety in its place. Some varieties are more resistant.

Whether you are a serious and experienced grower, or a beginner you may want to visit an organized tomato tasting. Next Saturday, tomato king Steve Goto and I will conduct our sixth annual Homegrown Tomato Tasting at Roger’s Gardens. Beginning at 9 a.m., dozens of varieties will be sliced and diced, labeled and ready for tasting. Score sheets will be provided as well.

Tomato tastings are a great way decide which varieties to grow in your own garden. Steve has grown between 600 and 900 tomato varieties, so there’s no telling which ones he might have on hand for this year’s tasting. Of course, you are all invited to bring your own homegrown tomatoes to the tasting as well. We’ll do the slicing.

ASK RON

Question: My garden was looking great until I started noticing holes in the leaves of my daisies, and my marigolds started to topple. I found bright-green worms, and my local nursery suggested spraying with Sevin concentrate that would also kill the rose slugs found on my roses.

I read your article, “Weed out the harmful chemicals you’re using,” July 14, and would love to know a better, more organic way to rid my garden of these pests. I’m a novice, but my green thumb is trying to develop. What would you suggest?

Jan

Answer: I applaud you for asking for an organic solution to your pests. Although Sevin works, it is a synthetic carbamate pesticide. Sevin is broad spectrum, kills many beneficials and is very toxic to honeybees. For the worms, either Caterpillar Killer (aka Bt) or Spinosad is at least as effective, organic, does not harm most beneficials and does not pollute our watershed. Spinosad also works well for your rose slugs. Thanks for being a “green” gardener.

your toughest gardening questions, and the expert nursery staff at Roger’s Gardens will come up with an answer. Please include your name, phone number and city, and limit queries to 30 words or fewer. E-mail stumpthegardener@ rogersgardens.com, or write to Plant Talk at Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar, CA 92625.