Our Guide to Growing Tomatoes
Tomatoes are members of the solanaceae, or nightshade, family. They can be difficult to grow due to susceptibility to many pests and diseases. They are also heavy feeders and must be watered appropriately to thrive. But with a few guidelines, you can produce a flavorful, bumper crop.
STARTING SEEDS: Start indoors 6-8 weeks from your last frost date in the spring. Use a light soil mix and give the seedlings plenty of light, usually from an artificial source, unless you have a sunny south-facing window. An empty eggshell makes a good container for the seedling, and it can be placed into the soil when transplanting into a peat pot as the plant grows. Alternatively, you can crush the eggs shells and place them in the bottom of the seed starting cup instead of sowing the seeds inside the intact egg shell. A few weeks before transplanting to the garden, you'll need to harden off indoor-grown plants by exposing them to an increasing number of hours outside each day. Do not leave plants outdoors before hardened if there is danger of frost. When you're ready to put home-grown or nursery purchased plants into the ground, select stocky transplants about 6-10 inches tall for best results. Tear open one side of the peat pot (or other biodegradable pot used) so that roots can establish themselves easier. When digging a hole to transplant, add about a tablespoon of Epsom Salts in the hole before setting the plant; this will give a boost of magnesium to the young tomato. Set tomato transplants covering the stems so that only 2-3 sets of true leaves are exposed. We recommend horizontal planting as opposed to vertical; lay the tomato transplant on its side and cover until only the 2-3 sets of true leaves at the top of the stem are exposed. This practice results in stronger roots that encourages better growth. Press the soil firmly around the base of the transplant so that a slight depression for controlled watering is created. If you're growing indeterminate plants, you'll need to plan for support. Most people drive stakes and tie the plants to them as they grow. If you decide to use stakes, wooden 6 ft. stakes that are about 2 inches wide are the best. Drive them one foot into the ground, being careful not to disturb your new transplant. Attach heavy twine or strips of cloth to the stakes about every 10 inches; as the plant grows, tie the stem loosely to the stake.
SITE: Sunny, well drained.
SPACING/HOW MUCH TO PLANT: 5 plants per person, spaced 3 ft. apart (20-25 lbs. for fresh use, 25-40 for canning). Approximate yields are 15-45 lbs. per 10 feet of row.
SOIL: Tomatoes like rich soil amended with compost, that is also well drained. They prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8 . You can easily adjust soils that are too acidic with lime and those that are alkaline with sulfur products, according to your soil test’s report recommendations. If your soil is low in nutrients, when you transplant 6 week old seedlings to the garden after danger of frost, add a little sprinkle of well-composted chicken manure and a bit of crushed eggshells to the hole before placing the plant. This will boost the phosphorus and calcium levels that tomatoes crave.
NUTRIENTS:
FEEDING TOMATOES: Tomatoes are heavy feeders; the best advice is to make sure you plant them in rich, amended soil. When flowering starts, side dress with a high potassium fertilizer (like comfrey leaf compost tea) and a tablespoon of worm castings, and continue fertilizing every 3-4 weeks until fruits have set. Stop feeding when fruits set to make the plant work a little harder---this little bit of stress as they ripen actually improves fruit flavor.
WATERING TOMATOES: Watering practices are vital to healthy tomato plants.
PRUNING: First, never prune a determinate tomato variety; know what type of tomatoes you plant. Also, never prune while leaves are wet, or you may risk spreading a disease. Initially, prune an indeterminate variety to two main stems. At the junction of each leaf and the first main stem, a new shoot will develop, which will become your second main stem. Remove by pinching with your fingers all other shoots (called suckers) weekly throughout the growing season to keep the plant to the two main stems. Pruning is beneficial in that helps keep good air flow to the plant; good air flows means the plant will dry out quickly after a rain. Pruning also helps you see pests and problems easier. In mid season, remove flowers until plants are 12-18 inches tall, so that energy can be directed towards developing roots. About four weeks before the fall frost is expected, remove the growing tip of each stem. Called "topping", this will stop all flowering and setting new fruit, directing the sugars to the existing fruit to cause them to ripen.
HARVESTING: Pick regularly as soon as fruits ripen to encourage production of more tomatoes. Ripe tomatoes should be kept cool (45-50 degrees F) and moist (90% RH). They should last 4-7 days under these conditions. To preserve the fruits, you may can or freeze (freeze as sauces or in chunks).
CROP ROTATION: You’ll want to refrain from planting in the same spot you had legumes in the previous season. A good plan for crop rotation is the fruit bearing group (in which tomatoes belong), followed next year by the leafy group (spinach, lettuce, etc.), with legumes (corn, beans) next, and finally root crops (such as carrots). The fifth year, the site will be ready for the fruit bearers again. Crop rotation helps replenish certain nutrients depleted by previously grown crops, and also cuts down on disease and pest specific to the plant families.
COMPANION PLANTS:
NONCOMPATIBLE PLANTS:
DISEASES/PESTS and SYMPTOMS:
COMMON PROBLEMS and CAUSES:
DISEASE RESISTANT VARIETIES: Most heirlooms fall short in this category; however, they often make up for it with superior flavor. If you’re growing for market, hybrids are the more economical choice, but including some heirlooms will reward your family's (and perhaps your customer’s) palates. The list below includes some of the most popular varieties. There are, of course, many more to be researched based on your preference. Something else to consider is learning the practice of grafting heirlooms onto hybrid root stock; this allows for the flavor of the heirloom and the disease resistance of the hybrid to complement each other. There are online tutorials to help you learn this skill.
STARTING SEEDS: Start indoors 6-8 weeks from your last frost date in the spring. Use a light soil mix and give the seedlings plenty of light, usually from an artificial source, unless you have a sunny south-facing window. An empty eggshell makes a good container for the seedling, and it can be placed into the soil when transplanting into a peat pot as the plant grows. Alternatively, you can crush the eggs shells and place them in the bottom of the seed starting cup instead of sowing the seeds inside the intact egg shell. A few weeks before transplanting to the garden, you'll need to harden off indoor-grown plants by exposing them to an increasing number of hours outside each day. Do not leave plants outdoors before hardened if there is danger of frost. When you're ready to put home-grown or nursery purchased plants into the ground, select stocky transplants about 6-10 inches tall for best results. Tear open one side of the peat pot (or other biodegradable pot used) so that roots can establish themselves easier. When digging a hole to transplant, add about a tablespoon of Epsom Salts in the hole before setting the plant; this will give a boost of magnesium to the young tomato. Set tomato transplants covering the stems so that only 2-3 sets of true leaves are exposed. We recommend horizontal planting as opposed to vertical; lay the tomato transplant on its side and cover until only the 2-3 sets of true leaves at the top of the stem are exposed. This practice results in stronger roots that encourages better growth. Press the soil firmly around the base of the transplant so that a slight depression for controlled watering is created. If you're growing indeterminate plants, you'll need to plan for support. Most people drive stakes and tie the plants to them as they grow. If you decide to use stakes, wooden 6 ft. stakes that are about 2 inches wide are the best. Drive them one foot into the ground, being careful not to disturb your new transplant. Attach heavy twine or strips of cloth to the stakes about every 10 inches; as the plant grows, tie the stem loosely to the stake.
SITE: Sunny, well drained.
SPACING/HOW MUCH TO PLANT: 5 plants per person, spaced 3 ft. apart (20-25 lbs. for fresh use, 25-40 for canning). Approximate yields are 15-45 lbs. per 10 feet of row.
SOIL: Tomatoes like rich soil amended with compost, that is also well drained. They prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8 . You can easily adjust soils that are too acidic with lime and those that are alkaline with sulfur products, according to your soil test’s report recommendations. If your soil is low in nutrients, when you transplant 6 week old seedlings to the garden after danger of frost, add a little sprinkle of well-composted chicken manure and a bit of crushed eggshells to the hole before placing the plant. This will boost the phosphorus and calcium levels that tomatoes crave.
NUTRIENTS:
- Nitrogen: Essential for cell growth and chlorophyll; lack of results in slow or spindly growth with older leaves yellowing. Found in chicken manure based compost; however, care must be taken to use it sparingly, as too much will result in beautiful leaves but lack of fruit production. Found in home made borage leaf or comfrey leaf compost tea, applied to the leaves of the tomato plant.
- Phosphorus: Essential for healthy roots and for fruit to ripen; lack of results in poor growth, leaves that have a blue/green tint, leaves that fall off, and poor/late production of flowers/fruit. Found in composted chicken manure or comfrey leaf compost tea used as a liquid fertilizer poured onto the ground to "water" the plant.
- Potassium: Essential for flower and fruit growth; lack of results in poor production, older leaves scorch (turn brown, roll inward and downward). Found in seaweed liquid feed or home made comfrey leaf compost tea that can be applied weekly by spraying directly onto leaves of the tomato plant.
- Magnesium: Essential for foliage; lack of results in discoloring of leaves between veins. Found in Epsom Salts when transplanting seedlings (about a tablespoon per plant) and weekly during the growing season when watering the plants.
- Calcium: Essential to prevent blossom end rot. Found in crushed egg shells.
FEEDING TOMATOES: Tomatoes are heavy feeders; the best advice is to make sure you plant them in rich, amended soil. When flowering starts, side dress with a high potassium fertilizer (like comfrey leaf compost tea) and a tablespoon of worm castings, and continue fertilizing every 3-4 weeks until fruits have set. Stop feeding when fruits set to make the plant work a little harder---this little bit of stress as they ripen actually improves fruit flavor.
WATERING TOMATOES: Watering practices are vital to healthy tomato plants.
- Water Regularly: Consistent watering produces stronger plants and larger fruit, and prevents susceptibility to several diseases and problems. In the height of summer, water 2-3 times per week (rainfall counts). When temperatures cool, scale back to once per week. Water in early morning for best results. Avoid watering at dusk because water that contacts leaves will not dissipate during the night and will make the plants more vulnerable to disease and pests such as slugs and snails.
- Water at the Soil Line: Watering at the soil line builds the root system. Overhead watering spreads several diseases; avoid spraying water on the leaves.
- Water Slowly: Let water sink into the ground to help plants develop strong root systems. When the soil surrounding your tomato plant is moistened 6-8” deep, you’ll know you’ve done your job well.
PRUNING: First, never prune a determinate tomato variety; know what type of tomatoes you plant. Also, never prune while leaves are wet, or you may risk spreading a disease. Initially, prune an indeterminate variety to two main stems. At the junction of each leaf and the first main stem, a new shoot will develop, which will become your second main stem. Remove by pinching with your fingers all other shoots (called suckers) weekly throughout the growing season to keep the plant to the two main stems. Pruning is beneficial in that helps keep good air flow to the plant; good air flows means the plant will dry out quickly after a rain. Pruning also helps you see pests and problems easier. In mid season, remove flowers until plants are 12-18 inches tall, so that energy can be directed towards developing roots. About four weeks before the fall frost is expected, remove the growing tip of each stem. Called "topping", this will stop all flowering and setting new fruit, directing the sugars to the existing fruit to cause them to ripen.
HARVESTING: Pick regularly as soon as fruits ripen to encourage production of more tomatoes. Ripe tomatoes should be kept cool (45-50 degrees F) and moist (90% RH). They should last 4-7 days under these conditions. To preserve the fruits, you may can or freeze (freeze as sauces or in chunks).
CROP ROTATION: You’ll want to refrain from planting in the same spot you had legumes in the previous season. A good plan for crop rotation is the fruit bearing group (in which tomatoes belong), followed next year by the leafy group (spinach, lettuce, etc.), with legumes (corn, beans) next, and finally root crops (such as carrots). The fifth year, the site will be ready for the fruit bearers again. Crop rotation helps replenish certain nutrients depleted by previously grown crops, and also cuts down on disease and pest specific to the plant families.
COMPANION PLANTS:
- Asparagus (produces a chemical that kills nematodes) [tomatoes repel the asparagus beetle]
- Basil (repels aphids, hornworms, mites, whiteflies; attracts bees for improved pollination; improves tomato flavor) [3 basil plants per each tomato plant]
- Borage (repels hornworm, cabbage worm) [leaves are good in salads]
- Chives (Repels aphids)
- Garlic (repels mites) [bury cloves 1” in ground around tomato plants]
- Leafy Greens (shades the soil at the base of the tomato plants and acts as a mulch to reduce water and soil splashing onto the tomato leaves)
- Marigold (repels nematodes, hornworm, slugs) [till into soil at end of season for continued nematode protection]
- Mint (deters cabbage moths, ants, rodents, flea beetles, fleas, aphids) [can be invasive so plant in a submerged container to limit the spread]
- Nasturtium (deters aphids, squash bugs, beetles, whiteflies; helps guard against fungal diseases)
- Parsley (attracts hoverflies that prey on tomato pests)
NONCOMPATIBLE PLANTS:
- Brassicas (inhibit tomato growth) [includes cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, burssels sprouts]
- Corn (mutually detrimental: corn attracts tomato worms, and the tomatoes attract corn earworms)
- Fennel (inhibits tomato growth)
- Potato (increases chance of blight in both species)
DISEASES/PESTS and SYMPTOMS:
- Early Blight (ringspots surrounded by yellow areas on lower mature leaves, loss of leaves, progresses from base of plant upward, fruits crack at the stem) [soil borne disease, also spread by flea beetles, wind and rain---which splashes soil onto leaves]
- Late Blight (stem lesions, leaves curling/dying, presence of fuzzy growth of pathogen/spores, green fruit rotting, mature fruit develops bruising and soft spots) [mostly spread by wind]
- Mosaic Virus (light green mottling between veins on leaves on young plants, stunted growth, fruit deformities, reduction in fruit production, leaves may curl and yellow and develop a fernlike appearance, mature fruit may have brown spots inside) [soil borne disease spread by wind and use of contaminated garden tools, also spread by smokers after handling cigarettes containing infected tobacco]
- Fusarium Wilt (yellowing leaves with the yellowing slowly spreading onto and up the vine, vines brown along the veins and eventually wilt permanently) [soil borne]
- Spotted Wilt Virus (ringspots on leaves, stem lesions, leaf bronzing, stunting, wilting, mottling on immature fruit, irregular fruit growth)
- Verticillium Wilt (leaves curl up in heat of day and then unfurl when temperatures cool, yellow patches appear on leaves which then eventually turn brown and die, entire branches may die, growth is stunted, green tomatoes drop off plant) [soil borne]
- Powdery Mildew (white/chalky spots forming over entire plant and fruits, rapid spread of affected areas, leaves turn yellow then die and drop off, reduction in fruit yield, poor flavor in mature fruits) [wind borne fungi that requires cool/moist conditions]
- Root Knot Nematodes (stunted growth, yellowing leaves, thinning plants, damage in patches on the plant, premature wilting, knots on the roots of the plant) [caused by a type of roundworm]
- Septoria Leaf Spot (random wet-looking brown spots on leaves, may have spore producing masses on the brown spots, leaves die and drop off) [soil borne and also spread by wind and rain from spores on weeds in the garden]
- Thrips (insects that spread Spotted Wilt Virus)
- Stink Bugs (chew on plants and fruits)
- Whiteflies (feed on the undersides of leaves)
- Hornworm (rapidly eat the leaves and sometimes the fruits and stems)
- Flea Beetles (usually a problem for young plants, eat holes in leaves and immature fruits, can spread early blight)
- Aphids (suck the sap from the plant leading to stunted growth/curled leaves/scalded fruit, also leaves a trail of honeydew--a sticky substance that can lead to sooty mold on the tomato)
- Slugs and Snails (damage leaves and stems and sometimes fruit, leave behind a slimy trail)
- Tomato Leaf Miner (caterpillar that creates clear winding tunnels on leaves)
COMMON PROBLEMS and CAUSES:
- Blossom-End Rot (sunken decay on blossom end of the fruit) [calcium imbalance due to improper watering, fluctuating temperatures coupled with excessive rainfall, acidic soil, crowding of plants]
- Cracked/Split Fruits (tomato skins expand then contract and split) [irregular watering, overwatering after a drought]
- Small Fruits/Stunted Growth [improper watering, some diseases]
- Susceptible to Fungi [overhead watering or watering at night]
- Root Rot/Loss [improper watering]
- Yellow Leaves (leaves turn yellow but don’t wilt) [lack of magnesium]
DISEASE RESISTANT VARIETIES: Most heirlooms fall short in this category; however, they often make up for it with superior flavor. If you’re growing for market, hybrids are the more economical choice, but including some heirlooms will reward your family's (and perhaps your customer’s) palates. The list below includes some of the most popular varieties. There are, of course, many more to be researched based on your preference. Something else to consider is learning the practice of grafting heirlooms onto hybrid root stock; this allows for the flavor of the heirloom and the disease resistance of the hybrid to complement each other. There are online tutorials to help you learn this skill.
- Atkinson: indeterminate; open pollinated heirloom; large red fruits; fusarium wilt, root knot nematode, and leaf spot resistant
- Defiant: determinate (bush); hybrid; med.-sized fruits; blight resistant (esp. late)
- Druzba: indeterminate; open pollinated heirloom; med.-sized red fruits; early blight, fruit disease, blossom end rot, and crack resistant. Excellent choice for farmer's markets.
- Eva Purple Ball: indeterminate; open pollinated heirloom; med.-sized pink-purple fruits; blight and blossom end rot resistant.
- Iron Lady: determinate (bush); hybrid; med.-sized red fruits; blight resistant
- Jasper: indeterminate; hybrid; red cherry; blight and fusarium resistant
- Lemon Drop: indeterminate; open pollinated heirloom; yellow cherry; blight resistant
- Matt's Wild Cherry: indeterminate; open pollinated Mexican heirloom; ½ in. dark red cherry; resistant to most diseases. Spreads voluntarily and fruit doesn't keep well, but very high sugar content.
- Mountain Magic: indeterminate; hybrid; stores well; large red cherry; blight resistant
- Mountain Merit: determinate; hybrid; red large-sized fruits; blight resistant
- Mr. Stripey: indeterminate; open pollinated heirloom; red & yellow med.-sized fruits; somewhat blight resistant
- Marbonne: indeterminate; hybrid; red med.-sized fruits; fusarium wilt and tomato mosaic virus resistant
- Marglobe VF: determinate; open pollinated heirloom; red striped yellow med.-sized fruits; leaf mold, tomato mosaic virus, verticillium wilt resistant.
- Roma VF, VA Select: semi-determinate; open pollinated heirloom; red paste/plum fruits; septoria leaf spot resistant.
- West Virgina 63: indeterminate; open pollinated heirloom; large red fruits; late blight, fusarium wilt, and verticillium wilt resistant.
Note: Determinate refers to the plant habit of growing to a certain size, setting fruit, and then declining. Most of the early ripening varieties are determinate and typically nonproductive in WV summers. Indeterminate, in contrast, refers to the plant habit of continuous growth throughout the summer until a die off from frost; these varieties need to be staked/supported.
OUR FAVORITE HEIRLOOMS (indeterminate):
1884: 85-90 days
Seed supposedly discovered by Mr. Williamson in Friendly, WV, in a pile of debris after the Great Flood of 1884. It produces huge, superbly flavored fruit; prolific. Dark pink tomatoes are 1-2 pounds, juicy, with delicious, old-fashioned taste.
Seed supposedly discovered by Mr. Williamson in Friendly, WV, in a pile of debris after the Great Flood of 1884. It produces huge, superbly flavored fruit; prolific. Dark pink tomatoes are 1-2 pounds, juicy, with delicious, old-fashioned taste.
Australian Red: 75 days
A wonderful large, late-ripening, beefsteak tomato that has a soft texture and old-fashioned tomato flavor with lots of good acid. A great slicing tomato.
A wonderful large, late-ripening, beefsteak tomato that has a soft texture and old-fashioned tomato flavor with lots of good acid. A great slicing tomato.
Hillbilly: 85 Days
From the hills of West Virginia, grown in the 1800s. Huge, mild-flavored, low-acid beefsteak-type fruits weigh 1 to 2 lbs. apiece, and are colored an orange-yellow, streaked and mottled in attractive shades of red and pink. Beautiful sliced tomato.
From the hills of West Virginia, grown in the 1800s. Huge, mild-flavored, low-acid beefsteak-type fruits weigh 1 to 2 lbs. apiece, and are colored an orange-yellow, streaked and mottled in attractive shades of red and pink. Beautiful sliced tomato.
Mortgage Lifter: 75-85 days
From M. C. Byles of Logan, West Virginia, who according to legend, paid off his mortgage by selling the seedlings. It has huge beefsteak fruits that are sweet, meaty, and delicious.
From M. C. Byles of Logan, West Virginia, who according to legend, paid off his mortgage by selling the seedlings. It has huge beefsteak fruits that are sweet, meaty, and delicious.
West Virginia 63: 80 days; rare seed
It was developed and released from West Virginia University by Dr. Mannon Gallegly over 50 years ago in celebration of the state centennial. It was developed through several generations of breeding, but it is an open-pollinated variety. 6-8 oz red fruits, meaty flesh, small cores, few blemishes. Excellent, mildly sweet flavor. Good disease resistance. Good canning tomato.
It was developed and released from West Virginia University by Dr. Mannon Gallegly over 50 years ago in celebration of the state centennial. It was developed through several generations of breeding, but it is an open-pollinated variety. 6-8 oz red fruits, meaty flesh, small cores, few blemishes. Excellent, mildly sweet flavor. Good disease resistance. Good canning tomato.
To conclude, don't forego the use of a journal to document your experiences, successes and failures with tomatoes; it is an invaluable tool to improve your gardening skills and to help you discover which varieties work best for you.