Growing tomatoes

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Contents 1 TOMATO Culture 2 A Quick Summary for Growing Tomatoes 3 Detailed Tomatoe Growing Instruction Guide 4 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ about Growing Tomatoes 4.1 Tomato Fruits not Setting 4.2 Tomato Disease

TOMATO Culture

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A Quick Summary for Growing Tomatoes

For early plants, sow in hotbed early in March, in drills five inches apart and one inch deep. When plants are about two inches high, transplant into another hotbed, four inches apart each way. Plant out in the open ground early in May, as soon as danger from frost if over, four feet apart each way in hills. Water freely at time of transplanting.

Detailed Tomatoe Growing Instruction Guide

TOMATOES

Start tomatoes by sowing seed in a hotbed in spring, or start them in flats in the house and plant them in the open ground when all danger of frost is passed. They require well-manured soil, and when there is a limited supply of fertiliser, it will be well to put two or three spadefuls in each hill, spreading it over a couple of square feet of surface, as the tomato makes considerable root growth. Plant in rows, four feet apart each way if no support is to be given, three feet if the plants are to be grown on racks or trellises. There is a wire-tomato support on the market that is admirable and quite within the reach of the small private garden. I am of the opinion, however, that tomatoes grown on the ground produce more fruit than when grown on racks, for this reason: as soon as the plants have attained much size, they become recumbent, lying on the ground, and wherever a joint of a branch touches the ground, it immediately makes roots and so begins to draw nourishment from the soil, and is for this reason better able to produce an abundant crop than the plant grown upright on a frame with but one supporting root.

Keep the plants well cultivated and free from weeds. As soon as the plant begins to blossom pinch off the ends of the shoots beyond the flowers that fruit may set early. This will materially hasten the ripening of the first fruit set.

In the fall, at the approach of hard frost, the green tomatoes may be gathered and placed on racks in a warm, sunny position, where they will continue to ripen for some time, or the plants may be dug up, the roots wrapped in burlap, and hung in a warm, sunny place, where the fruit will ripen very well; I have kept them in the barn until November in this way. Or use may be made of an empty hotbed, in which the green tomatoes are placed on racks or on a bed of straw, and so continue to enjoy them far beyond their usual season.

For the private garden the Stone tomato is one of the very best, being smooth, round, large, and prolific, and exceptionally free from spot and with very little seed ; it is not as early a ripener, however, as some of the varieties favoured by market gardeners. Sparks Earliana is an extra-early sort, and is more hardy in plant than the Stone, and a few plants of this variety may be set out to advance the season, using the Stone or other variety for the main crop. Dwarf varieties, like Dwarf Champion and Dwarf Stone are very desirable in gardens of limited space, as they may be planted in close rows or can be supported to a single small stake.

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ about Growing Tomatoes

Tomato Fruits not Setting

Q. Can you tell me why the fruits fail to form on my Tomato plants in the greenhouse 1 They bloom well, but instead of setting the flowers fall off.

A. The soil most probably needs a liberal dressing of lime. Do not plant Tomatoes in it again at least for a year. Instead of plant- ing them in the border, plant them in boxes, tubs, or pots, using new soil, of course, and place them on the border. You will get quite as heavy crops ; at least, you will not be troubled with flowers falling. To prevent the further falling of your flowers we strongly advise you to give more air on warm days, leaving a little on also at night, and if possible have a little warmth in the hot water pipes at night.

Tomato Disease

Q. Please enlighten me as to the cause of these large black patches on my Tomatoes, which are greatly disfigured?

A. Your Tomatoes have got the Tomato disease. It is the same thing as the Potato disease (Peronospora infestans). Pluck off and burn all the infested fruit ; they are not fit for consumption. How the disease has come to attack your plants is difficult to tell, but we think the plants are too close together, or they have been allowed to become overcrowded with leafage, making it impossible for much air and light to permeate amongst the plants. Keeping the plants too wet at the root, and the atmosphere too damp, tends to bring on the disease. You should thin out the laterals and also some of the leaves to let in more light and air amongst the plants. Ventilate freely in warm weather, and on cold, wet days and nights you had better have a little heat in the hot water pipes, always with a little air on. If the disease has attacked the stems or leaves have the diseased parts dressed with flowers of sulphur.