In the Garden with Pat Rubin

Bee garden writer Pat Rubin writes about everything that grows, from flowers and trees to vegetables and lawns. Pat volunteered for several years as a Placer County Master Gardener and has written about gardening for many national and regional publications. In addition to gardening, she spends time raising and showing miniature horses and miniature donkeys.

In the Garden will include news, events, advice and other gardening tidbits. Pat will also answer reader questions.

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May 21, 2007

Tomato tips

A recent conversation with Scott Meyer, editor of Organic Gardening for the last 18 years, shed some light on tomato culture:

Sunlight: Tomatoes need 10 to 12 hours of sunlight each day for best production.

Pinching side shoots on tomatoes: Organic Gardening studies show no significant difference in production whether side shoots are removed or left alone. Some gardeners prefer to take them off because the plants look neater, Meyer said, while others can’t be bothered.

Relatives: Tomatoes are related to potatoes and eggplant. They share some of the same diseases, so it's not a good idea to plant tomatoes in the same soil potatoes, tomatoes or eggplant grew the year before. That said, not everyone has a garden large enough to be able to avoid planting tomatoes and related plants in the same areas for three years. So, if you must plant tomatoes in the same spot year after year, or where potatoes or eggplant grew, add lots of compost to keep the soil healthy.

Watering: The most common mistake with tomatoes is watering. Too much water, too little water, too much or too little at the wrong time and you’ve got problems like catfacing, blossom end rot or cracking. It’s better to err on the side of too little than too much. How do you know how much is enough? An inch of water a week is plenty, Meyer said. If plants wilt a bit during the heat of the day, but recover easily at night, you’re OK. If they don’t recover, they need more water. Too much water can result in tomatoes that just aren't as tasty as those from plants grown with less water. Sometimes, a bit of stress is good. Water deeply once or twice a week to encourage plants to send their roots deeply into the soil.

Mulching: Keep the soil covered with mulch, like grass clippings, leaves, bark or straw. Meyer puts grass clippings at the top of the list. Just don’t put the mulch smack up against the plant's stems.

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