Three Types of Tomatoes
Determinate
Determinate or "bush" tomato means that the tomato plants have a limited height that they will grow. They will typically grow about 4' heigh and are great for growing indoors. You will need to check the back of the seed packet to see what type of plant your tomato is.
Determinate tomatoes will not need any pruning, and they will not need to have their suckers removed because this limits their fruit production. It is not necessary to have any trellising or support for determinate varieties since they grow into a small "bush" form. To identify a determinate tomato check to see where the flowers are growing. If the flowers are growing from the center or main stem, then the plant is a determinate variety. |
Semi-DeterminateSemi-Determinate tomatoes also have a limited height; however, unlike the determinate varieties they will need support. For support, use either cages shorter than 5', stakes or trellising.
If you use stakes or trellises, you can grow your tomato plants within 1 square foot if you prune them frequently. |
Indeterminate
Indeterminate or "vining" tomatoes do not have a specific length that they grow. They will grow throughout the season until the weather turns too cold for them to continue bearing fruit.
Indeterminate tomatoes will need at least 9' of space between plants; however, if you prune and place vertical stakes next to them, you can grow your plants within one square foot of space. You will need to prune your plants daily to stimulate growth and keep them within the space you have allotted for their use. To encourage strong stem growth, prune your tomatoes down to one main stem. Prune any suckers and do not tie the main step to a stake until the first flowers appear. |
Determinate Varieties
Better Bush
Celebrity Early Wonder Marglobe Red Robin (cherry) Roma Rutgers Tiny Tim (cherry) |
Semi-DeterminateCelebrity
Mountain Pride Peacevine Roma VF |
IndeterminateBeefmaster
Better Boy Brandywine Champion Big Girl Early Girl Jet Star Juliet (grape) Lemon Boy Sweet 100 (cherry) |
Plant Identification: Determinate vs. Indeterminate Tomatoes
Germination
Since tomatoes take a while to grow from a seed to the fruit bearing stage, start germinating the seeds a minimum of six to eight weeks prior to the last frost date, or purchase transplants from your local nursery.
Prep the soil tilling 1' deep and by adding compost, aged manure, or fertilizer.
Once the plants have 5-7 leaves and have hardened, wait two weeks after the last frost date to transplant outdoors.
Prep the soil tilling 1' deep and by adding compost, aged manure, or fertilizer.
Once the plants have 5-7 leaves and have hardened, wait two weeks after the last frost date to transplant outdoors.
Seed Spacing and Transplant Spacing
To help plants survive any periods of drought, train them to seek water deeper into the ground by deep watering them at least once a week. If the water is not evenly saturated, the roots will grow too close to the surface and the plant will become more vulnerable to drought.
One way to deep water your plants is to use sunken pots with holes at the bottom to help water directly to the roots. Start by placing sunken pots near where you want your tomatoes to grow. Next, transplant your tomatoes next to the sunken pots and water directly into the pots. But do not allow standing water in your pots as this can attract mosquitoes. Allow the water to sink into the ground prior to adding more water. |
When planting determinate or semi-determinate tomatoes, plant one tomato seed per every four square feet. If you plant indeterminate tomatoes and plan to prune regularly, you can keep your tomatoes to a span of 1 square foot. However, if indeterminate tomatoes typically need at least 9 square feet of space to grow if there is little pruning.
For semi-determinate and indeterminate tomatoes, establish stakes or cages when planting. This helps to minimize damaging the roots later once they have grown out. Pinch off a few of the lower branches on transplants, and "plant the root ball deep into the ground so only a few of the remaining leaves are just above the surface of the soil." (almanac) Be sure to water deeply to reduce shock to the rots. |
Types Of Support For Tomato Plants
Stake
When using stakes, chose stakes that are a minimum of 6' tall and no thinner than 1" x 2" for support. Wait until your plant has its first flowers to tie gently to the stake using ties or twine, and be sure to tie them loosely to allow for plant stem growth.
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Cages
For semi-determinate varieties, cages ensure that the tomatoes are off the ground and do not attract pests or disease. By not allow them to sprawl on the ground, and choosing a cage 3-5', your fruits become much easier to pick.
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Twine
In the following website, Lopez Island Kitchen Gardens, Lopez uses two lead branches per plant and carefully wraps the stems around the twine as they grow.
He does this by stretching twine seven feet from the ground to a wooden cross piece. Once a week he wraps the twine around the new growth at the top of each leader. When the plants grow above the seven feet, he extends the twine to the top of the ten foot greenhouse. |
Plant Care
Preventing Plant Diseases
Listed below are ways you can help minimize diseases in your vegetable garden:
• Give your plants good soil & fertilizer and regular deep watering once a week; healthy plants are much more likely to resist diseases and other problems.
• Keep gardening plots free of weeds and debris where insects can breed and diseases can incubate.
• Rotate crops so that soil-borne pathogens never have more than a season to get established.
• Clean your gardening tools and equipment, especially at the end of the season, to ensure that they don’t carry over or spread a disease.
• Remove unhealthy foliage; pull unhealthy plants to cut down on the spread of problems.
• Don’t compost diseased foliage or plants unless you know it is safe to do so.
• Avoid watering the foliage of your plants, especially in humid climates, as many diseases are encouraged by damp conditions.
source: http://www.planetnatural.com/tomato-gardening-guru/pests-disease/
To learn more about diseases check out the following website: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/selectnewpest.tomatoes.html
• Give your plants good soil & fertilizer and regular deep watering once a week; healthy plants are much more likely to resist diseases and other problems.
• Keep gardening plots free of weeds and debris where insects can breed and diseases can incubate.
• Rotate crops so that soil-borne pathogens never have more than a season to get established.
• Clean your gardening tools and equipment, especially at the end of the season, to ensure that they don’t carry over or spread a disease.
• Remove unhealthy foliage; pull unhealthy plants to cut down on the spread of problems.
• Don’t compost diseased foliage or plants unless you know it is safe to do so.
• Avoid watering the foliage of your plants, especially in humid climates, as many diseases are encouraged by damp conditions.
source: http://www.planetnatural.com/tomato-gardening-guru/pests-disease/
To learn more about diseases check out the following website: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/selectnewpest.tomatoes.html
Tomato Plant Lesson Plans
Before learning how to prune a tomato plant, it is important to learn about the basic anatomy of each plant. This will help you later identify what needs to be removed and what should be allowed to continue growing throughout the season.
This lesson is broken down into two main sections: plant anatomy, pruning and pollination.
This lesson is broken down into two main sections: plant anatomy, pruning and pollination.
Companion Plants
Companion plants are plants that help your tomatoes grow. Be sure to plant them next to their friends, and do not plant them close to any plants that are listed as foes.
Friends
Asparagus
Basil Beans Borage Carrots Celery Dill Lettuce Melons Onions Parsley Peppers Radishes Spinach Thyme |
Foe
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Corn Kale Potatoes |
Harvesting Tomatoes
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Pests
Aphids
Aphids: These are those dense clusters of tiny insects you may see on the stems or new growth of your tomato plants. While small numbers are not a problem, large infestations can gradually injure or even kill plants. Pinch off foliage where aphids are densely concentrated, and throw these discarded bits into the garbage, not on the ground. If the problem then seems manageable, release beneficial insects such as ladybugs or lacewings; if it doesn’t, go for the insecticidal soap or organic sprays.
Be sure to check underneath the leaves to check for aphids or any other pests. source: http://www.planetnatural.com/tomato-gardening-guru/pests-disease/ |
Cutworms
Cutworms: These are the tiny caterpillars that feed on young plant stems at night, frequently felling seedlings by eating right through them at ground level. Prevent damage by placing collars around seedlings. You can make these of paper, cardboard, aluminum foil, or an aluminum pie plate about ten inches long and four high, bent to form a circle or cylinder and stapled. Sink the collars about an inch into soil around individual seedlings, letting three inches show above the ground to deter high-climbers.
source: http://www.planetnatural.com/tomato-gardening-guru/pests-disease/ |
Flea Beetles
Flea Beetles: A potentially devastating visitor, the flea beetle (so-named because it resembles and jumps like a flea) attacks from both sides: adults eat foliage, leaving numerous small holes, while larvae feed on roots. They’re not picky, these beetles; they’ll go for corn, cabbage, lettuce, and all members of the Solanaceae family: peppers, eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes. Unless levels are very high, damage can be minimized and controlled by using preventative measures. Clear away or plow under weeds and debris, in which adults over-winter, and place yellow sticky-traps to monitor levels and capture adults. Young plants are more vulnerable to damage, so cover them with row covers.
To attack the insect more directly, introduce beneficial nematodes into your soil to feed on the larvae and pupae. source: http://www.planetnatural.com/tomato-gardening-guru/pests-disease/ |
HornwormsHornworms: These caterpillars are so big (three inches long or more) that it would seem to be easy to control them just by picking them off. And so it is, sometimes. The problem is that their pale green color provides excellent camouflage, and the nymph and larval stages are far smaller and less obvious. If there are only a few, picking them off works well. (One site suggests spraying the plant with water, causing the caterpillars to, and I quote, “thrash around,” giving themselves away.) If there are more than a few, other measures may be called for. One of these is Bt, or Bacillus thuringiensis, an organic treatment that can control numerous other problems as well.
source: http://www.planetnatural.com/tomato-gardening-guru/pests-disease/ |
Naughty Nemotodes
Nematodes: This is one of the most dreaded tomato problems. Actually, almost 20,000 different species of nematode have been identified, and billions of these usually microscopic worms occupy each acre of fertile earth, so it is fortunate that only a few cause gardening problems. Some, insect pathogenic nematodes, can actually help control other gardening pests such as fungus gnats or flea beetles. But when a gardening friend says in a voice of doom, “I’ve got nematodes,” he generally means one thing: root-knot nematodes. This particular species invades various crops, causing bumps or galls that interfere with the plant’s ability to take up nutrients and to perform photosynthesis. They’re most common in warmer areas with short winters.
source: http://www.planetnatural.com/tomato-gardening-guru/pests-disease/ |
Whiteflies
Whiteflies: These tiny insects feed on plant juices, leaving behind a sticky residue or ‘honeydew,’ which can become a host for sooty mold. Rustle the leaves of infested plants, and clouds of these insects will rise. If you have a serious problem, you may be tempted to reach for a conventional insecticide, but don’t bother, as whiteflies have developed resistance to many. The best bet is a horticultural oil, which effectively smothers all stages of this insect. To deal with lower levels, place yellow sticky traps to monitor and suppress infestations. Hosing down plants can be surprisingly effective, especially if you use a bug-blaster, a hose attachment designed to produce an intense multi-directional spray that easily reaches the undersides of leaves. Another tactic is to release natural predators such as ladybugs, lacewings, or whitefly parasites. If the situation is out of control, insecticidal soaps and botanical insecticides and oils can bring populations down to manageable levels, at which point natural predators can maintain them.
source: http://www.planetnatural.com/tomato-gardening-guru/pests-disease/ |