Welcome back to our final installment of the tomato chronicles. Today we’re going to get started with how to plant and maintain tomatoes in your garden for the very best results.
When we ended last week’s discussion we had moved our tender young tomato plants outdoors in order to harden them off and get them ready for the stresses of garden life. When looking for a spot to plant tomatoes in the garden there are a few key things to consider. First, tomatoes need full sun. They can exist on a half day’s sun but they will never thrive. In their native South America, wild tomato plants sprawl on the sides of mountains where there is no escape from the sun. One thing these wild tomatoes do escape from is the wind. They do this by growing flat to the ground like giant vines. In most home gardens, tomatoes are not left to their natural sprawling inclination. This would just take up way too much space. Instead we stake or cage them in an effort to get them to grow vertically. This puts them right in the path of any wind which can be quite destructive for a number of reasons. First, strong enough winds are liable to simply snap your tomato plants off at the stem unless they are on a very strong stake. Second, the large delicate leaves of tomatoes shred easily in the wind leaving open wounds for various disease vectors to enter the plant. Next, wind blowing across the large leaf surface of tomato plants can be quite desiccating. Finally, as the fruits become larger they are more likely to catch the wind and since ripening tomatoes are slowly releasing their hold on their “mother,” they are highly prone to being blown right off before they’ve fully ripened. The point here is that tomatoes really must be sheltered from the wind where at all possible. Either that or take a chance and let them revert to their prostrate growth habit. A good thick layer of straw mulch to keep ripening fruit off the ground actually allows this to be a highly viable choice where space permits.
The last consideration when determining tomato placement is the soil. Tomatoes love rich loamy soil. While good moisture retention is critical for tomatoes, wet feet can be their undoing. Once you have a location, be sure to till or dig in large amounts of well rotted manure or compost. Tomatoes love to eat.
The only other super critical consideration when working out your planting scheme is to rotate crops. This means that you never plant the same crop in the same location in back to back years. Many diseases and pests that are specific to tomato plants can easily overwinter in the soil where tomatoes were grown the previous summer. While they may not have been an issue the first time around, in year two they will already be well established in the soil. This can lead to calamity. It is advisable to have at least two to four years between planting the same crop in any area of the garden. Also, avoid planting tomatoes where their relatives grew the previous year. These relatives include eggplants, potatoes and peppers. Closely related plants such as these often share common pests and diseases.
And now it’s time to plant. Be sure that all danger of frost has passed and that the soil is warm to the hand. While this next step is not critical, it can be quite helpful. Make a dilute tea of kelp or compost and after removing your tomato seedlings from their pots, soak the root balls in the tea for an hour or so. This action can greatly reduce transplant shock. Next, dig a hole for the seedling. There are two trains of thought here. One is to dig the hole deep enough that the seedling’s stem will be buried all the way to the first true leaves. The premise is that roots will form along the entire buried stem and make for a much stronger plant. The only problem is that such a deep hole can often place your rootball down where the soil is still cool. A better idea is to dig a shallow trench and lay the seedling in it. Again, bury the roots and stem up to the first set of true leaves. The entire root zone will now be in very warm soil and will grow much more quickly and don’t worry, your tomatoes will quickly grow straight up. Using the trench method does require more vigilance with watering as your tender new roots must not be allowed to dry out. Another tip that can be quite helpful is to mix a small handful of plain Epsom salts in the planting hole and mix it thoroughly into the soil where the roots will be. The magnesium and sulfur in Epsom salts are crucial components of early plant growth and can be instrumental in helping your new tomato plants get off to a great start. Water your tomato seedlings deeply when initially planting them and water daily and deeply for at least a week to ten days. At this point good roots should be well established and a weekly thorough soaking will be all they need from this point on.
That’s the basics on tomatoes. We may revisit this topic later in the season but for now, start dreaming.
