Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Farm And Home with Rex Dollar

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, four out of five people prefer tomatoes to any other homegrown food. Today 95% of all American gardeners grow tomatoes; they are the most popular garden vegetable in Arkansas.

Nevada County is no exception to the rule. However, it is unlikely that the entire growing season will pass by without having to treat the plants for some type of disease or insect problem. Listed below are a few common questions and answers regarding tomatoes.

Q. How often should my tomato plants be fertilized?

A. It is necessary to fertilize the garden before planting tomatoes. Apply fertilizer again when fruit first sets. After the first fruit sets, side dress the plants with additional fertilizer every two weeks. Fertilize plants grown on sandy soils more frequently than those grown on heavy, clay soils. A general side dress fertilizer recommendation is one to two level tablespoons of a complete fertilizer (10-20-10 or 13-13-13) scattered around the plant and worked into the soil. If using a fertilizer high in nitrogen, such as ammonium nitrate (33-0-0), reduce the rate to one level tablespoon per plant.

Q. What causes large black spots on the bottom or blossom end of my tomatoes?

A. Blossom-end rot is caused by improper moisture conditions. This results in a calcium deficiency in the developing fruit. Make sure that the soil pH is above 6.0. Maintain uniform soil moisture as the fruit grows. Remove affected fruit and, when possible, use calcium nitrate to fertilize the plants.

Q. What do the letters VFNT' associated with particular tomato varieties mean?

A. VFNT shows the tomato variety is resistant to four diseases: verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, tobacco mosaic virus and nematodes. Many new hybrid varieties are VFNT types.

Q. My tomato plants look great. They are dark green, vigorous and healthy. However, flowers are not forming any fruit. What is the problem?

A. Several conditions can cause tomatoes to not set fruit. Too much nitrogen fertilizer, nighttime temperatures over 75 degrees F, low temperatures below 50 degrees F, irregular watering, insects such as thrips, or planting the wrong variety may result in poor fruit set.

Q. What causes a tomato fruit to crack? What can I do?

A. Cracking is a physiological disorder caused by soil moisture fluctuations. When the tomato reaches the mature green stage, reduce or cut off the water supply to the plant as the tomato begins to ripen. At this time the skin around the outer surface of the tomato becomes thicker and more rigid to protect the tomato during and after harvest. If the water supply is restored after ripening begins, the plant resumes translocation of nutrients and moisture into the fruit. This causes the fruit to enlarge and the skin splits around the fruit resulting in cracking. The best control for cracking is a constant and regular water supply. Apply a layer of organic mulch to the base of the plant. This serves as a buffer and prevents soil moisture fluctuation. Some varieties are resistant to cracking and we try to recommend these varieties.