Growing up in the Midwest, one of the mainstays of all gardens in my neighborhood was the tomato. Every gardener I knew was growing at least a few of these plants. And every spring, when I am planning my small urban plots, the humble tomato is always included. Here are a few tips I thought I’d pass on.
I start with small plants that I usually purchase from a local greenhouse. Because the growing season in Sioux Falls, SD, can be relatively short, I’ve found that it’s best to buy a type that produces fruit within a shorter time, like “Early Girl.” Since I like to use the tomatoes to make salsa, chili, and pasta sauce, I’ve found that most commercially grown plants have an excellent tomato taste. The one unique thing I do is use a used landscaper pot to plant the tomato plant in. Since I cut out the bottom of the pot so that the roots can expand into the soil, the pot’s sides protect the small plants from wind and later are useful as a measurable water reservoir.
Throughout the growing season, consistent watering is key to growing tomatoes that do not split or have dry rot. I fill the bottomless pots with water up to their tops with a garden hose every morning (and at night during drier days.)
Tomato blight is another situation I attempt to overcome every year. Since I have a limited amount of space available for growing vegetables, I grow tomatoes in the only raised beds which receive full sunlight. Not being able to rotate plants from contaminated soil continues the blight problem from year to year.
Since contaminated soil is usually the catalyst of the blight problem, a few things can be done to lessen the disease.
- Water always from the bottom. Water droplets will cause the soil to come in contact with the leaves.
- Use mulch or grass clippings to provide a barrier from the topsoil. This method is especially useful when it rains since drops will cause the soil to splash upon leaves.
- As the fruit ripens from the bottom, remove as many leaves from the base of the plant. See the above photo.
Another unique maintenance chore with tomatoes is removing sucker branches that form in between a leaf and from the main vine of the plant. From the following photo, you can see one of these branches. Snap off sucker branches as soon as they form since they produce small berry-sized fruit but take much energy from the plant. If they are larger (like the one in the photo), use a garden clipper to remove it.
And last but not least, I wanted to discuss the necessity of providing supports for the plants. I’ve found that the standard tomato cages are acceptable when the plants are about 24 inches tall. However, once they start producing fruit on the lower branches, the main vine will grow taller.
To build support that would accommodate the taller plants, I attached two ready-made trellises (5’x3′) to the raised bed bottom boards. I used pipe holders to secure the trellises.
Using three 8’x1″x2″ pine slats, I created crossbeams by spanning them across the two trellises.
As the plants grew taller, I secured the branches to the crossbeams with twine.
So after a few months, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of all your TLC with buckets of tomatoes. Follow along with my blog for upcoming salsa recipes and other uses for tomatoes.
