As we discussed last month, San Joaquin and the Central Valley provide an ideal location for growing delicious tomatoes. Due to our long and hot summers, we can have garden fresh tomatoes throughout the summer and fall. We already discussed the best time to plant and spacing needed. We have compiled a few more questions and answers to help you along your tomato growing journey.
How do I fertilize my tomatoes?
There are many philosophies on the best way to fertilizer tomatoes, so you just need to figure out what works for you. Adding beneficial nematodes to the planting hole of the tomatoes such as Fungus Gnat and Root Knot Exterminator, is known to help produce a gorgeous tomato yield. Tomatoes can benefit from compost like any other vegetables and by adding nitrogen fertilizer from the time they fruit about every 4 to 6 weeks. If you prefer a chemical free approach, it can be helpful to use BioFlora which has seaweed, bone meal, and chicken manure after the first flower and then every few weeks after.
I don’t have enough garden space; can I grow in containers?
Container gardening is a great option for people that don’t have enough garden space, or apartment dwellers. In containers, it’s best to use more expensive potting soil and add compost. 15-gallon containers are ideal, but you can use 5 gallons to start out. The larger the container, the less you’ll have to water, which is great for our draught prone area.
How much water do tomatoes need?
Tomatoes can be watered less frequently when you apply more water at one time due to their extensive root system. Like anything else, there are a lot of options with how much and how often you water tomatoes. As long as you’re noticing that the plant is getting the correct amount of water then the frequency isn’t as important. The amount of water will vary based on the size of the plant, location, and how hot it is. Mature, fruiting tomato plants need up to 7 gallons of week during the summer. You can spread that water out throughout a week and find the best system for your crop.
How do I protect my tomatoes from disease, pests, and sunburn?
There are a variety of things that can affect your crop and they change each year to some extent, so it’s a bit of a learning curve. Blossom end rot can potentially be avoided by making sure that you water enough when the fruit is early in development. If you notice the skin cracking, you can try and use a shade cloth when the temperatures are excessively high. If you notice mites, you can start spraying the plants to remove dust. They love dusty leaves.
When do I harvest my tomatoes?
Tomatoes should have some color on their skin when you pick it. For example, if the tomato is going to be red, it should at least be blushing. You can ripen them the rest of the way on your counter. A green tomato on the flipside, won’t turn red. Vine ripened tomatoes are delicious, but if you wait too long critters could get to it first, or it could become cracked and sunburned.
These are just a few tips to help you during your tomato growing journey here in Visalia, California. If you have more questions or would like to know the best variety for your garden stop on by Luis Nursery and we will be happy to help.
