About Growing Tomatoes

Tomatoes can be one of the easiest vegetables to grow. Tomatoes like rich well drained soil that is mulched. Mulching your tomatoes will help keep the moisture in the soil. This prevents the soil from drying out too much between watering.

Here is a guide to growing healthy, juicy tomatoes and trouble-shooting some common problems encountered when growing tomatoes.

Click here to learn about Heirloom Tomatoes

Common Tomato Problems

Tomatoes not ripening.
Probable Causes:

1. Too much fertilizer
2. Too much watering

Tomatoes are cracking and splitting open.

• Radial cracks are cracks from the stem end towards the blossom end.
• Concentric cracks are circular patterns around the stem.

Probable Causes:

1. Too much water to quickly
2. Changes in growth rate of the fruit
3. Fluctuations in temperature and rain
4. Too much nitrogen in the soil
5. Cool nights combined with uneven moisture

Tomatoes often split when watered heavily after a prolonged dry spell.

The most susceptible are the smallest tomatoes (cherry tomatoes) and the largest tomatoes (over 3 inches in diameter). Choose crack resistant varieties: Ruby Pearl, Celebrity, Mountain Delight, Mountain Fresh, Mountain Gold.

Tomato plants growing well but won’t flower
Probable Causes:

1. Too much nitrogen: Try using fertilizer with less nitrogen or wait until the rain washes fertilizer away, then use a 5-10-10 fertilizer
   click here to learn more about fertilizer
2. Not enough sunlight: Remember, tomatoes need at least 8 hours of sunlight each day

Blossom End Rot

• Tomato turns black or brown on the bottom
• Blossom End Rot is sunken black areas on bottom of tomato

Probable Causes:

1. Keep plant watered consistently. Prevent plants from going from very wet to very dry
2. Mulch to maintain consistent moisture

Keep in mind that you may not be able to prevent Blossom End Rot in very hot conditions

Blossom Drop

• Tomatoes look healthy but many flowers dropping off, few tomatoes

Probable Causes:

1. Very hot conditions, 95 degrees or more can be the cause. Pollen is very sensitive to heat and changes
2. Nitrogen too much or too little
3. Plants not getting enough water
4. Stress from insect damage or foliar disease
5. High humidity

Sunscald

• White or yellow patches on side of tomato exposed to the sun.

Probable Causes:

1. This is caused by exposure of the tomato to direct sunlight in hot and dry weather

What to do:

1. Limit pruning
2. Keep foliage healthy to provide shade to protect the ripening fruit

Catfacing

• Tomatoes are misshaped. Fruit puckers and has deep crevices

Probable Causes:

1. This is caused by cool weather occurring at blossom time

Leaf Roll

• The lower leaves roll upward and become thick and leathery

Probable Causes:

1. This occurs during periods of cool and rainy weather. This will not affect the plant growth or fruit production

Back To Top

Deterring Insects and Diseases:

In general, healthy plants have a better chance defending themselves against disease and insect attacks. So keeping your tomato plants as healthy as possible is key. Here are some things you can do to maintain plant health and help keep bugs and diseases at bay:

1. Visit garden often: Inspect plants for signs of trouble and to catch problems early
2. Choose disease resistant plants
3. Remove diseased and infested plants from garden
4. Rotating crops prevents the spread of diseases that live in and on the soil
5. Keep tomato leaves dry late in the day. Use a soaker hose to water soil instead of leaves
6. Plant flowering plants close to the garden to attract beneficial insects
7. Don’t smoke near plants, promotes mosaic virus
8. Fertilize and water consistently. Avoid over head watering
9. Grow plants adapted to your climate and soil
10. Mulch: mulching will prevent the spread of disease spores that live in the soil
11. Provide good air flow, this will help prevent foliar diseases which occurs when plant remains wet for long periods
12. Stake plants to keep plant foliage off the ground

Common Insects that Love Tomato Plants:

Hornworms:

Tomato Hornworms are large green caterpillars with white stripes. These caterpillars will eat the foliage near the top of the plant. Although they are difficult to see, you will be able to spot the damaged leaves first. Hornworms will feed on the interior of the plant during the day and then will move to the outside of the plant at dusk and dawn.

Solution: Pick the caterpillars off your plants and dispose of them.

Aphids:

Are small, soft bodied pear shaped insects. These insects damage the plants by sucking the sap and juices from the new growths. Aphids will cause the plant to wilt and show spots.

Solution: Lady Bugs (Beetles) prey on aphids.

Back To Top

Common Tomato Diseases:

Early Blight and Septoria(blight)leaf spots:

Early Blight and Septorialeaf spots are numerous small water soaked spots. Spots have dark brown borders with tan or light colored centers. Yellow haloes often surround the spots. Severely infected leaves die and drop off. Occurs when soil is splashed up on leaves by rain or sprinklers.

Solution: Mulch and avoid over-head watering.

Fursarium Wilt and Verticillium Wilt:

Characterized by wilting and yellowing of the leaves, and brown discoloration of the tomato stem. Diseased plants are stunted and any fruit that is produced is usually small.

Solution: Remove all diseased plants. Avoid planting tomatoes, potatoes and peppers in the same location for 3 to 4 years. Choose resistant varieties. Look for a “V” followed by the name of the tomato plant for resistance to Verticillium Wilt and “F” for Fursarium Wilt.

Mosaic virus:

Characterized by light and dark mottling of the leaves with alternating yellowish and dark green areas. The dark green areas often appear thicker and elevated giving a blister like appearance. This is easily spread by direct contact with tobacco products, on the hands, clothing and tools of those who have handled tobacco products.

Solution: Do not smoke while handling or transplanting plants. Wash hands carefully before working in the garden if you are a smoker. Remove infected plants to prevent spread of disease to healthy plants.

Click here to learn about Heirloom Tomatoes
Back To Top

---

	Turbo-Tomato!T Mulch Imagine a 12-20% increase in your tomato crop!
	Tomatoes Alive!r Plus 100% All-Natural Fertilizer Only from Gardens Alive! 100% All-Natural Fertilizer for natural plant care.
	Tomato, Celebrity Hybrid Great organic choice! Consistently strong yields of deep red 8 oz. fruits
	Garden Solutionsr Tomato Food Blend of fast- and slow-release nutrients, all from natural sources.
	Tomato Fertilizer Spikes Boost your yields the easy way! Insert 2 spikes in the soil near each plant--works up to 8 weeks.
	Tomato Spiral - 6' A Little Support Goes a Long Way One of the most popular of all home garden vegetables is the tomato. When grown as staked plants, tomatoes require a relatively small amount of space, yet are capable of producing 8 to 10 pounds or more of fruit per plant. Tomato Spirals are for tomatoes and all climbing plants. Sturdy, rustproof, no fastenings The plant is supported by growing through the spiral.
	Organic Vegetable Insecticide Made Organically from ChrysanthemumsTomato & Vegetable Insect Killer is a botanical, pyrethrin-based insect killer for use on tomatoes and vegetables. It works quickly to kill bean-leaf beetles, cabbage loopers, Colorado potato beetles, cutworms, flea beetles and other garden pests. Safe to use right up to the day of harvest.