Growing Tomatoes in the Home Garden

Peter Nitzsche County Agricultural Agent

Cooperative Extension of Morris County

Tomato Planting Location

• 8 hours of direct sun • well drained • no tree or shrub roots • and/or plant in container

Soil Preparation

• soil test • pH 6.0-6.5 • 3-4 lbs/100 ft2 • 5-10-5 (N-P-K) • liquid fertilizer • well rotted manure or compost

Choosing Varieties

• ‘Celebrity’ - VFFNT, 70 days, • All American Winner, mid-

season, medium red fruit, semi-determinate

• V - Verticillium wilt • F, FF - Fusarium wilt race 1, 2 • N - Nematodes • T - Tobbaco mosaic virus

Tomato Wilt Diseases

• most heirlooms not resistant • be sure to rotate

Tomato Plant Types

• Determinate • short • brief harvest • no pruning

• Semi-determinate • mid-size • mid harvest • min. pruning, support

• Indeterminate • tall • long harvest • pruning, support

Tomato Plant Types

Buying Transplants

• look for dark green, short, sturdy seedlings

• avoid tall, leggy, yellowish plants, with immature fruit

Starting Tomato Transplants

• 5-7 weeks before frost • Clean potting mix • 70 F day 65 F night • Lots of sunlight or artificial light

Mulches

• help control weeds • help manage soil moisture • influence soil temperature

Transplanting

• Plant deep • Transplant solution • or liquid fertilizer

Tomato Training

• Ground Culture • Inexpensive • low work • takes a lot of space • fruit pest damage

Tomato Training

• Cage culture • cost of cage • some work • less pests • high yield

Tomato Training

• Stake Culture • cost of stakes • work of tying & pruning • early fruit • less pests • medium yields

To Prune or Not to Prune

• Advantages • earlier, larger fruit

• Disadvantages • decreased total yield • more blossom end rot,

sunscald

Season Extension

Tomato Leaf Blights

Tomato Leaf Blight Control

• Cultural • crop rotation • good air circulation • sanitation • Pesticides

– Copper – chlorothalonil – Mancozeb?

Blossom End Rot

Blossom End Rot

• Caused by a lack of calcium • Common in first fruit & in

plants in containers • Rest of fruit safe to eat (if spot

is small)

Blossom End Rot Control

• Add calcitic lime • Keep soil evenly moist, use

mulches

Catfacing

Catfacing

• caused by temperature extremes leading to improper flower pollination

• do not plant too early • harden by limiting water not

with cold temperatures

Fruit Cracking

Fruit Cracking

• caused by high moisture • do not over water • maintain even • moisture

Tomato Storage

• not below 55 F (do not refrigerate)

• not in direct sun • apples speed ripening

Heirloom Tomato Varieties

• Definition varies • Old, antique • Passed down from generation

to generation • Open pollinated - not hybrids • Come true from saved seed

Tomato Leaf Types

Coeur De Pigeon Jaune

• color: yellow • Shape: plum • Avg. fruit size: 1 oz • Season: mid • Origin: France • Flavor: Strange aftertaste • Story: In English means

‘yellow pigeon’s heart’

Brandywine – Suddath strain

• color: pink • Shape: beefsteak • Avg. fruit size: 18 oz • Season: late • Origin: USA • Flavor: Rich & balanced • Story: Saved by the Suddath

family

Brandywine – Landis Valley strain

• color: red • Shape: beefsteak • Avg. fruit size: 8 oz • Season: late • Origin: USA • Flavor: Rich & balanced • Story: Originated Chester, PA

1885

Hawaiian Pineapple

• color: yellow • Shape: beefsteak • Avg. fruit size: 20 oz • Season: late • Origin: ? • Flavor: mild, bland? • Story: ?

Julia Child

• color: pink • Shape: beefsteak • Avg. fruit size: 10 oz • Season: mid-late • Origin: USA • Flavor: balanced • Story: Named after chef.

identified at CA tomato festival

Mortgage Lifter- Bicolor

• color: bicolor • Shape: beefsteak • Avg. fruit size: 16 oz • Season: late • Origin: USA • Flavor: mild • Story: Original Mortgage Lifter

sold to pay off home

Copia

• color: bicolor • Shape: beefsteak • Avg. fruit size: 16 oz • Season: mid • Origin: USA • Flavor: good tomato • Story: Named after food and

art center in CA. Cross between ‘Green Zebra’ & ‘Marvel Stripe’

Great White

• color: white • Shape: beefsteak • Avg. fruit size: 18 oz • Season: mid • Origin: ? • Flavor:mild, bland? • Story: ?

Dorothy’ Green

• color: green • Shape: flat globe • Avg. fruit size: 12 oz • Season: mid • Origin: ? • Flavor: Unique, acid • Story: ?

Japanese Ox Heart

• color: pink • Shape: ox heart • Avg. fruit size: 18 oz • Season: late • Origin: Japan? • Flavor: meaty mild • Story: ?

Cherokee Purple

• color: purple • Shape: flat globe • Avg. fruit size: 10 oz • Season: very early • Origin: USA • Flavor: rich tomato • Story: From Tennessee native

American gardens?

Moskovich

• color: red • Shape: flat globe • Avg. fruit size: 6 oz • Season: very early • Origin: USSR • Flavor: on sweet side • Story: Brought from Siberia in

1990’s

Juane Flamme

• color: orange/ red flesh • Shape: round • Avg. fruit size: 6 oz • Season: early • Origin: France • Flavor: on sweet side • Story: ?

Costoluto Genovese

• color: red • Shape: flat globe • Avg. fruit size: 6 oz • Season: early • Origin: Italy • Flavor: good tomato • Story: ?

Japanese Trifle Black

• color: mahogany • Shape: pear • Avg. fruit size: 10 oz • Season: mid-late • Origin: Japan? • Flavor: ? • Story: ?

Courson Roy’s Stuffer

• color: red • Shape: stuffer • Avg. fruit size: 6 oz • Season: very late • Origin: USA • Flavor: mild, bland? • Story: Saved by same family

as Luther Hill corn

Jersey Devil

• color: red • Shape: flat globe • Avg. fruit size: 9 oz • Season: late • Origin: USA • Flavor: mild, bland? • Story: ?

Garden Peach

• color: yellow - peach • Shape: globe • Avg. fruit size: 6 oz • Season: very early • Origin: USSR • Flavor: mild on sweet side • Story: ?

Isis Candy

• color: bicolor • Shape: cherry • Avg. fruit size: 0.7 oz • Season: late • Origin: ? • Flavor: very sweet • Story: ?

Speckled Roman

• color: bicolor • Shape: long plum • Avg. fruit size: 7 oz • Season: early • Origin: USA • Flavor: meaty acidic • Story: Developed by John

Swenson. A cross of Antique Roman and Banana Legs

Mr. Stripey (Tigerella)

• color: bi-color • Shape: round • Avg. fruit size: 6 oz • Season: mid • Origin: ? • Flavor: good tomato • Story: ?

Ramapo (Hybrid)

• color: red • Shape: flattened globe • Avg. fruit size: 6 oz • Season: mid-late • Origin: NJ, USA • Flavor: great “Jersey tomato”

flavor • Story: Developed at NJAES in

1968. has been off the market for many years

Saving Heirloom Tomato Seeds

• Ferment in water to remove jelly • Dry seed and label

Storing tomato seeds

• Dry, cool place • Ex. a jar with desiccants in

basement

Hybrid Tomatoes

• Two genetically different parents that are crossed each year to produce the hybrid tomato seed

• Hybrids are usually more vigorous or have some superior traits compared to either parent = hybrid vigor

• Saved hybrid seed will not be come true

Ramapo (Hybrid)

• color: red • Shape: flattened globe • Avg. fruit size: 6 oz • Season: mid-late • Origin: NJ, USA • Flavor: great “Jersey tomato”

flavor • Story: Developed at NJAES in

1968. has been off the market for many years

Moreton (Hybrid)

• color: red • Shape: flattened globe • Avg. fruit size: 6 oz • Season: early • Origin: USA • Flavor: great “Jersey tomato”

flavor • Story: Developed by Harris

Seeds in 1953. Has been off the market for many years

Tomato Tasting Events August 26, 2009 - Snyder Research & Extension

Farm, Pittstown, NJ September 13, 2009 - Frelinghuysen Arboretum,

Morristown, NJ

Romanenko

Sources of More Tomato Information

• www.njaes.rutgers.edu • http://njfarmfresh.rutgers.edu/J

erseyTomato.html • FS 678 Growing Tomatoes in

the Home Garden • FS 787 Starting Vegetable

Seeds Indoors • FS 547 Diagnosing and

Controlling Fungal Diseases of Tomato in the Home Garden

Questions?