Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Farm and Home

The tomato is one of the most popular vegetables grown in the home garden in Arkansas, according to Dr. Paul Cooper, area horticultural specialist with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

Cooper says that most gardens in Arkansas are already yielding ripe fruits.

A few plants can produce a large quantity of fruit, as much as 10 to 20 pounds per plant. For that reason, as well as others, tomatoes are usually grown to some extent in most gardens.

Tomatoes require a lot of care and attention. They are attacked by a number of insects and diseases, and may also have several physiological problems. However, the taste of a fresh, home-grown tomato is usually worth all of the problems that a gardener might encounter.

The most common disease attacking tomatoes in Arkansas is early blight. It is caused by a fungal organism in the soil, and if left unchecked, early blight may defoliate a tomato plant. Warm, moist conditions favor the development of this disease. Early blight was much less of a problem in 1998, because it was extremely dry during most of the growing season, according to Cooper.

The most effective control method of early blight is fungicidal spraying. A number of fungicides are registered for early blight control on tomatoes. Contact our office for specific recommendations.

Other control methods include crop rotation, sanitation, pathogen-free seed and transplants, proper fertilization and resistant-tolerant varieties.

Cooper points out that many home gardeners are having problems with tomato spotted wilt virus this year. This is a disease that is transmitted by an insect known as thrips. Presently, there are no satisfactory control measures. Infected plants are stunted and usually die.

Brown to bronze lesions usually appear first in the top of the plant. If fruit is produced, it usually shows characteristic green, yellow and red, slightly raised bullseye rings. Some foliage symptoms may be purplish leaves in the top of the plant that tend to curl upward. Infestation of this disease is usually in a random pattern in the field or garden.

Another problem encountered by home gardeners is blossom-end rot of tomatoes. This is caused by a calcium deficiency in the fruit, and is most often associated with an inadequate supply of moisture.

Symptoms of blossom-end rot are light tan lesions turning to dark brown sunken areas, usually at the blossom end of the fruit.

Several steps can be taken to prevent or control blossom-end rot. Soils should be limed to a pH of 6 or 7 before transplanting. Timely irrigation to provide a constant moisture supply goes hand-in-hand with the lime, which provides calcium to the plants.

Call me at the Extension office if you have questions dealing with tomato production in your home garden.