growing tomatoes in florida

8/2/2019 Growing Tomatoes in Florida

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wing Tomatoes in Florida

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RickHarrison.com presents...

A Gu ide t o Grow ing Tom a toes in Flo r ida

why gardeners love tomatoes

Tomatoes are the most popular crop among

American vegetable gardeners. Flavor is probablythe main reason. A vine-ripened tomato freshfrom the garden tastes about a hundred timesbetter than the typical supermarket tomato. I'lladmit that produce markets sometimes carry vine-ripened tomatoes that taste okay, but they don'tcompare to a tomato just plucked off the vine,with the heat of the sun still in it, practicallyvibrating with aromatic fragrance and juicy flavor.

Nutrition and safety are additional reasons to

grow your own tomatoes (and your ownvegetables in general). Fresher vegetables grownin enriched soils are more nutritious thanvegetables grown in depleted soils and shipped agreat distance. Other countries still use pesticidesthat have been banned in the US, and importedproduce is sometimes contaminated with bacteriafrom human colons. Even in the US, crops areexposed to more chemicals than many people arecomfortable with.

Another reason to grow your own is that you haveaccess to greater variety. There are orangetomatoes, purple tomatoes, nearly white tomatoes,sausage-shaped tomatoes, hollow tomatoes shapedlike bell peppers, strangely wrinkled and pleatedtomatoes, and fruit sizes ranging from smallerthan grapes to bigger than softballs. There arevery tart and tangy tomatoes, very sweet andsugary tomatoes, well-balanced tomatoes, andtomatoes that taste a little bit like wine or citrus.To experience this vast spectrum of tomatovarieties, you have to grow your own.

seeds or seedlings?

You can buy tomato seedlings at plant nurseries

and in the garden departments of stores likeTarget, WalMart, K-Mart, etc. Look for dark green, stocky plants. If you see any signs of blotchy leaves or insect infestation, don't buy theplants; go home, take a shower, change yourclothes and then go shop somewhere else.

how to plant tomato seeds

Tomatoes don't always have to be pampered.

You can take a cherry tomato from your nextsalad and throw it on the ground in a sunny spot;if conditions are good, a few plants will spring upand produce some tomatoes. However, takinggood care of your plants usually produces betterresults.

Start with some good fluffy potting soil orsoilless mix. Avoid cheap brands (such asHyponex) which take on a rock-like texture afterthey get wet and dry out a few times. I like to

make a 50/50 mix of sandy soil from my owngarden and commercial potting soil. Put yourmix, slightly moist, into an oven-proof bowl.Sterilize it by baking in a microwave oven atmedium power for 12 minutes.

Sterilize some planting trays or cell-packs in hottap water with a splash of chlorine bleach added.As soon as you're sure the planting mix hascooled down to room temperature, spoon it intothe trays or cell-packs. Make sure the mix is

slightly moist but not soggy! Plant one seed ineach "compartment," about 1/4 inch deep. Labelthe containers with the names of the varieties youhave planted.

It's a good idea to buy a fancy blank book at abookstore or art supply shop and keep notes onthe varieties you plant and how well theyperform. (Don't use a cheap notebook. Writing ina nice hardbound journal with a good pen feelsmuch better, and makes a better gift to futuregenerations. Naturally one wouldn't try to keep

such important data in an unreliable storagemedium such as a computer hard drive.)

Tomato seeds sprout quickly and grow vigorouslywhen the soil temperature is in the 80° to 86°Frange. Put your seed trays in a warmish spot sothey'll stay near this temperature. Some peopleuse a heating pad on its lowest setting, sometimeswith a layer of newspaper between seed trays andheating pad to prevent over-heating. (You canturn it off when you're away from home if leaving





I prefer to grow my tomatoes from mail-orderseeds. That way I get to choose from hundreds of varieties, and I get to control the timing. Here's alink to my list of seed sources.

it on worries you.) Either cover the seed trayswith Saran Wrap or something similar to keepthem from drying out, or spritz them with anatomizer daily. Check twice a day to see if thereare any sprouts; I usually see sprouts after 4 to 5days. As soon as sprouting occurs rush the traysoutdoors into full sunlight. Bring them back inside only if the outdoor temperature goes below45°F.

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©2005 Richard K. Harr

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when to plant

Growing tomatoes in Florida is easiest during the

Spring, after the danger of frost has passed andbefore the Summer's rains, heat and humiditycreate optimum conditions for the bacterial andfungal diseases. If you want to grow during theSpring, plant your seeds in mid-January.

The second easiest season is Autumn. You canalso grow tomatoes during the Winter if you arewilling to cover them when frost threatens anduncover them after the coast is clear. Growingtomatoes in Summer is a challenge for

experienced tomatophiles.

taking care of seedlings

You'll need to keep your seedlings someplace

where you will see them twice a day, preferablyin full sun. Let them get fairly dry, almost or justbarely to the point of wilting, and then waterthoroughly. Twice a week I give the seedlings avery dilute solution of fish emulsion and/orMiracle Gro for Tomatoes. When I say "verydilute" I mean just a small pinch of fertilizer pergallon of water -- considerably less intense butmore frequent than the directions on the packagesuggest. Water gently with a watering can; do notsplash soil onto the leaves, and keep wetting of the leaves to a minimum.

Since you'll be inspecting your seedlings twice aday, you'll see any insect problems developingbefore they become critical. Apart from anoccasional aphid or leaf-miner, I seldom have any

pest troubles at this stage.

dealing with adolescent plants

When the seedlings are 3 to 4 inches tall and

have 2 or 3 sets of true leaves, it's time totransplant them into larger pots. Most people putplants in the ground at this stage, but it is wiser tokeep the plant in a small pot for a few weeksbefore setting it out. Another gardener's web pageabout this technique says "the bigger andhealthier the tomato plant at transplant time, thebetter it did in the long run."

I transplant the seedlings into square 3.5" by 3.5"plastic pots that I've saved from previous

purchases of annuals and other nursery plants.You can use slightly bigger pots if you havesome. Don't hold the seedlings by the stems; anybruising of the stem tissue will slow down theplant's growth. Hold the seedling by its leaves or,better yet, handle the soilclump / rootball. Plantthe seedlings about 1 inch deeper than they werebefore; the buried stem will develop roots andstrengthen the plant. At this stage I use the same50/50 mix of potting soil and garden sand, but Idon't sterilize it. I do add to the mix whatever

nutritional supplements are handy at the time:perhaps just a pinch of powdered phosphate rock,bone meal, and/or Osmocote.

Continue inspecting the plants twice a day andwatering as before. If you are "in tune" with thetomato plants, you will sometimes be able to tellwhen they get hungry or thirsty even before yousee them -- as if you can feel them crying out toyou telepathically. When the plants are about 7inches tall, they will tell you that they are ready tobe transplanted into the ground.





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site selection

Generally you should build your tomato garden in

an area that gets full sun all day long. Tomatoesgrown in partial shade often do not developnormal flavor. (However, if you're going to try togrow tomatoes in mid-summer, consider a sitethat gets full sun until noon and then brokenshade from trees in the afternoon.) Don't put yourtomato patch in a low soggy area. Good drainageis important.

It is a good idea to "rotate your crops" -- thismeans if you have tomatoes in garden beds #1 and

#3 this year, you should grow tomatoes in beds #2and #4 next year. When tomatoes are grown in thesame spot year after year, bacteria and viruses canaccumulate and multiply in the soil.

soil preparation

In most of our home gardens, the Florida soil is

very sandy. It does not contain much organicmaterial and does not hold moisture very well.Preparing the soil for a tomato patch involvesremoving the grass and/or weeds, digging out anytree roots that may be in the area, and stirring insome soil amendments.

Every tomatophile has his/her own recipe. Someof the things you can add to the soil include:homemade compost · Black Kow brandcomposted cow manure · peat moss · bonemeal ·crushed eggshells · powdered phosphate rock andmuriate of potash.

If you like, you can contact your agriculturalextension service and have your soil tested to seeif the pH (acidity / alkalinity) needs to beadjusted.

transplanting

Dig a hole for each seedling that is a few inches

deeper than needed for the rootball. The idea is tobury a couple inches of the lower stem along with

You know how you build a basin around a newlyplanted tree, with a little dirt dam around it? Youcan do the same thing on a smaller scale with

each tomato plant. This is a good idea if theweather is droughty and you will be doing a lot of watering by hand. Florida sand can get so dry thatwater just beads up on the surface and tricklesaway to the lowest point; this is less troublesomeif each plant is sitting in a slight basin-shapedarea large enough to hold a cup or two of water.

mulch and supports

Mulch helps to prevent sudden large changes in

soil temperature and moisture levels. It also keepsdirt from getting splashed onto the leaves, andthis helps to reduce disease problems. Last butnot least, mulch slows down weeds. Plastic"weed-block" fabric, cypress mulch, and grassclippings from the lawnmower all seem to work okay. (When I am going to use grass clippings, Ilet them dry out in the sun for a couple of weeksbefore applying.) To read about black plasticmulch, click here.

Mulch does have one draw-back. If you only geta brief, light rain shower, the soil won't get wet.The benefits of mulch far outweigh this oneproblem, in my opinion.

The idea of an edible "living mulch" is also wortha try. Closely-spaced lettuce, carrots or radishescan cover the ground around the tomato plants,helping to shade the soil (thus slowing weedgermination) while they themselves enjoy thecooling shade cast by the larger tomatoes. Youmight have to use a bit more fertilizer if you trythis scheme.

I almost always put wire cages around my tomatoplants as soon as they go in the ground. Thisdiscourages birds, cats and other visitors fromstepping on the small plants. As the plants growlarger, the cages also prevent the leaves and fruitsfrom coming into contact with soil, which isimportant for disease prevention.

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the rootball. Remove any leaves from the part thatwill get buried. The buried stem will develop rootsand this is believed to increase the plant's abilityto gather nutrients from the soil. Put the seedlingin its hole and fill the hole with soil loosely --don't pack the soil down tightly.

The plants should be installed about two feet apartfrom each other. Very large, multi-branched

varieties should be even farther apart. More spacebetween plants gives them more light, betterventilation (which means drier leaves, whichmeans fewer disease problems), and lesscompetition for nutrients. More space also makesit easier to see and deal with pest infestations.

a Debarao seedling poses for a portrait

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pruning and garden hygiene

Ask a dozen tomatophiles how they prune their

plants and you may get a dozen differentresponses. Some of us never prune; othersmaintain a strict regimen of removing side-shootsthat emerge near the base of the plant (the so-called "suckers"). Major pruning is hardly ever agood idea. Removing a lot of foliage willtraumatize the plant and expose the fruit to sun-scald.

Don't just drop the pruned-off leaves and stemson the ground. Instead, carry them to a garbage

can. Any leaves and fruits that fall off the plantsshould also be removed from the garden. If youuse clippers or a knife to do your pruning,sterilize the blade(s) before you move from oneplant to the next.

If you have to handle the plants, try to do it duringa time of day when their leaves are dry -- not inthe morning when they are wet with dew.

feeding and watering

Over-watering will cause most varieties to

produce bland-tasting fruit. On the other hand,allowing the plants to get very dry and thensuddenly giving them a lot of water will make thefruit crack. Moderation is the key word. Bendover and stick your finger in the ground once in awhile. When the top few inches of soil are gettingdry, it's time to water. If you accidentally let theplants get so dry that they wilt, don't give them awhole lot of water all at once! Just give them a

brief sprinkle to cool the soil, then come back after the heat of the afternoon has passed andwater more thoroughly.

If possible, water the plants in a way that does notget the leaves wet. Soaker hoses or drip irrigationsystems under plastic mulch are good. PersonallyI water by hand with a watering can.

If you prepared the soil properly beforetransplanting seedlings into it (by adding plenty of

I sometimes water my plants with a very dilutesolution of fish emulsion and Miracle Gro forTomatoes. Other tomatophiles advocate manure

tea and a few are fond of seaweed solution.Unless you are trying to grow the world's largesttomato, over-fertilizing is a big mistake; resist thetemptation.

pests and diseases

Hopefully you won't have any major problems

with insects, bacteria, fungi, viruses, andnutritional disorders. One of the advantages of watering the plants by hand, one by one, is that it

virtually forces you to take a close look at eachplant every couple of days. This is how you catchproblems before they get out of control.

Caterpillars (called "worms" by some folks) canbe controlled by B.t. (Bacillus thuringiensis)which is sometimes sold under the nameThuricide. Aphids, mites and other small insectscan be fought with Safer's Insecticidal Soap.

Slugs and birds sometimes attack ripening fruit;

bird netting or vinyl screen material will keep thebirds away, while special traps or a barrier of diatomaceous earth will slow down the slugs. Themore odiferous varieties of marigolds are said torepel nematodes, but you may have to grow themfor several years and compost them into the soilto have any effect.

Fungal diseases can be slowed down by sprayingthe plants with fungicide every 14 days.Alternating between daconil and copper fungicideis a good idea. Follow the label directions exactly

with regard to diluting the fungicide in waterbefore spraying. Over-concentrated fungicide willhurt the plants, and over-diluted fungicide willgive the fungi a chance to build up a resistance.Spray in the morning before the searing heat of day kicks in. Be sure to spray the undersides of the leaves as thoroughly as the tops.

Keep smokers out of the garden. Tobaccoproducts can carry a virus (tobacco mosaic virus)that can infect tomatoes and related crops.





composted manure, a pinch of powderedphosphate rock, a trace of muriate of potash, anda calcium source such as bonemeal or crushedeggshells), then you will not need to do muchfertilizing afterwards.

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harvest

Most tomato varieties change from green to red

(or some other color) when they are ripe. Not alltomatoes ripen uniformly, though; some will haveripe bottoms and unripe tops. Pick any that havevery ripe spots.

If you are having problems with birds, slugs orstinkbugs attacking your ripening fruit, you canpick some when they first begin to change colorand bring them inside to finish ripening indoors.Don't pile them up; spread them out so they arenot touching each other, and keep them in a well-

ventilated area with a temperature of 70 to 75degrees. There is no benefit to putting thetomatoes in a sunny windowsill, and doing somay cause them to be heat-damaged.

saving seed

If you come across an open pollinated (non-

hybrid) tomato variety that you are especiallyfond of, you may want to save some seed for nextyear's planting. If it's a hard-to-find variety, suchas a family heirloom given to you by a friend orneighbor, saving seed is the only way to guaranteethat you'll have access to the variety in the future.

Tomato seed needs to go through a brief fermentation process. During this process,beneficial bacteria remove the germination-inhibiting gel from the seeds and also destroymany of the seed-borne diseases that can affectthe next generation.

Start by selecting ripe (not over-ripe) fruits fromthe most vigorous plants. Scoop out the seeds andgel into a big jar and stir in a little water. Coverthe jar's top with some screen or cheesecloth. If you're doing more than one variety, label the jar.Let the mixture ferment at room temperature for 3to 4 days, stirring once a day, until a white orgrey mold forms on top. Immature seed will floatto the top; viable seed sink to the bottom. Removethe cover, pour off the scum, add fresh water, andswirl the contents around a bit; repeat until only

After the seed is thoroughly dry, label the dateand variety name on a plastic zip-loc bag or otherairtight container, insert the seed, seal the

container. Several small containers can be placedin one large airtight container with some oven-dried silica gel. Seed should be stored in a cool,dry place. Depending on conditions, tomato seedcan remain viable for 3 to 5 years.

varieties

Tomatoes come in a wide spectrum of colors,

shapes, sizes, flavors, and ability to withstandvarious climates. Selecting the right varieties for

your needs is an important step on the path totomato nirvana. Here are my suggestions forFlorida gardeners.

for beginners:

CelebrityBetter Boyany cherry tomato

medium-to-large red tomatoes:

Gulf State MarketWalter VillemaireFlora Dade

paste tomatoes:

Martino's Roma

for growing during Summer:

Porter's Pride

HeatwaveSolar Set

unusual colors:

TangerineGreen GrapeCherokee Purple

Most of these varities can be obtained fromTomato Growers Supply Company.

http://www.tomatogrowers.com/





clean water and clean seed remain at the bottomof the container.

Drain off the water and lay the clean seed out todry in a thin layer on a plate or screen. Dry in anarea where the humidity is low and thetemperature is in the 80 to 85 degree range; use afan to keep the air circulating. Seed will mold orgerminate if dried too slowly, and will be

damaged by shrinkage if dried too quickly.

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