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There is nothing like the flavor of guaranteed organically grown, vine-ripened tomatoes straight from your
garden. The savory flavor can not be matched and growing tomatoes is so worth the process.
Gardeners raising tomatoes organically may choose to purchase the tomato plants from the nursery and start
the organic procedure from that point. If the gardener is a purist and truly wants to grow tomatoes without
any chemical then the process may have to begin from the seed, because the availability of organically grown
transplants is slim and difficult to find.
Organic seed can be purchased from many nurseries, but a larger variety will be available from catalogs/
websites (See list at end of article for recommendations). Seeds need to be ordered and available for planting
six weeks prior to transplanting outdoors. Outdoor planting time in the Dallas area should be April 1st – May
20th for spring planting and July 1st – August 5th for fall planting.
When selecting seed a little research will be valuable to find the variety that has proven best for the Dallas area.
Research will include the tomatoes’ size such as the tiny cluster of Sweet 100’s to the medium sized Celebrity
(F-2,N, TMV, V) tomato many claim to be the Texas workhorse of the tomatoes.
Flavor is simply exquisite in the heirloom tomatoes, for instance, Brandywine which is a cooler weather tomato
with a pinkish color when ripe and so good to the taste. Paste tomatoes are great for canning and making
salsa, they include Juliet (F1, AB, LB), a sweet cluster of plum-sized tomatoes 2”-21/2” long a delicious rich
tomato, BHN-444 (F2, TMV, TSWV, V) is a red globe-shaped tomato and Roma (VF) is a plum tomato. It is a
meaty, pear-shaped tomato with few seeds. Some other varieties grown in Texas are Carnival, Super-Fantastic,
Better Boy, Porter, Viva Italia, Super Sioux, Early Girl and yummy heirlooms include Cherokee, Black Krim, and
Arkansas Traveler. If your space allows for experimentation try some other varieties. We are trying Sunmaster
this year, it is supposed to set blooms in higher temperatures.
When choosing from the wide variety of tomatoes notice the letters and numbers after the tomato name. Some
varieties will have this code and some will not. These symbols represent resistance to certain diseases.
F1 is resistant to Fusarium Wilt (race 1), N is nemotodes, TMV is Tobacco Mosaic Virus, V is Verticillium Wilt,
AB is Alternaria (Early) Blight, LB is Late Blight, TSWV is Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus.
The next very important step would be choosing the location of your garden. Select an area that has good
drainage and at least 5 hours of sunshine. Though tomatoes can be grown in a flower pot, topsy-turvy hanging
baskets, raised beds, square foot gardens and simply in the flower bed, space for a tomato is an important
consideration. There are bush (determinate) and vining (indeterminate). For each tomato that will be planted
allow 3’ – 4’ per tomato plant.
SOIL PREPARATION IS FIRST AND FOREMOST
Tomatoes are high feeders but there is a balance that must be maintained because too much nitrogen will
result in beautiful tomatoes vines with lots of vigorous foliage and few or no tomatoes.
Soil tests can be sent off and analyzed through our U.S. Soil Conservation Offices. Some nurseries
offer this service. Sending your soil test off is time consuming and probably should be done in an off
season. Over-the-counter test kits are available and simple to use, the results of these test kits will
provide a general knowledge of the nutritional needs of your soil. Using this information will guide you in
determining any amendments necessary for your soil.
Garden soil should be loamy: pick up a handful of your soil, squeeze it in your hand, then open your
hands and slightly open your fingers. The soil should gently fall through your fingers. It should not ball
up and stick together.
Amending the soil is necessary in heavy clay and or caliche which most gardeners in our area have. First
plow or turn the soil with a plow, shovel or rototiller.
Work the following amendments into the soil.
Compost – Many gardeners have compost piles, if not, purchase Mushroom Compost which is a
poultry blend. This compost is usually hot, do not use it straight. It must be mixed into the garden soil
DE – Diatomaceous Earth, a tested product which is believed to have systemic insect control
when mixed into the garden soil. Spread in the garden soil or drop a handful into the planting hole
to discourage insect damage to any vegetable. Be sure to use mask, gloves and goggles when
handling. Editors comment following:
Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. DE
is also used as an insecticide, due to its physico-sorptive properties. The fine powder absorbs
lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate The saltwater
(industrial) form contains a highly crystalline form of silica, resulting in sharp edges. The sharpness
of this version of the material makes it dangerous to breathe and a dust mask is recommended
when working with it.
Back to Earth brand Landscape Mix – This is a soil builder to add to your beds or if you have
heavy caliche and have to build your beds up, this product is a 100% organic composted material
consisting primarily of composted, aged tree trimmings and composted cotton burrs. (Apply 2
Landscape mix to 1 compost.)
Expanded Shale – Expanded shale is a man-made product created to use under our highways
to discourage erosion. Each pebble absorbs 10 times its weight in water and slowly releases this
water. Other products, such as lava sand, absorbs water but eventually goes away (degrades) and
has to be replenished. Expanded shale has been in test gardens for many years and does not
deteriorate. The recommended amount is 2” over the top of your soil then turned into the soil at a
depth of 7”. This product is often referred to as a “Clay Buster”.
Soft Rock Phosphate - Apply 25 – 50 pounds per 1000 square feet, once a year, for a
continuing source of phosphorus and calcium. Put a handful of soft rock phosphate in each
planting hole.
Fresh Compost Tea – Freshly brewed compost tea added to your garden soil will introduce
beneficial microbial life to your garden. The difference between soil--and dirt--is life. Simply
use a watering can and slosh and or sprinkle freshly brewed compost tea over the soil. For the
vegetable garden, liquid molasses can be added to the tea... maybe 1 tablespoon per gallon of
tea. (Too much molasses in tea can burn green plants if used as foliar spray, but is fine to apply
directly on the soil).
Other amendments frequently recommended by organic sources include:
Texas Green Sand, lava sand, garden sulfur, horticultural cornmeal, molasses, Rabbit Hill Tomato/
Pepper food, Epsom salt, Garret Juice, cottonseed meal, and alfalfa meal.
Organic Bloom Set – Add 1 tablespoon liquid kelp to 1 gallon freshly brewed compost tea and use as a
foliar spray to increase blooms and set blooms.
READY TO PLANT
After soil preparation has been made and danger of frost has past, it is time to plant our tomato
transplants in prepared soil. If possible, plant the tomato in the evening or on a cloudy day, protecting
the transplant from scorching sun rays.
Plant in this sequence:
1. Dig hole large enough for the tomatoes’ root system.
2. Place in each planting hole a handful of each of the following amendments, worm castings, soft rock
phosphate, horticulture cornmeal, Epsom salt (one tablespoon) and a little compost.
3. Wet the hole (we are using the ‘wet-to-wet’ planting method).
4. Soak plant in a bucket containing a mix of: 1 capful of Maxicrop seaweed per gallon of water.
5. Plant tomato in the hole gently, firmly packing soil around the plant. Cover tomato to it’s lower leaves.
If tomato plant is leggy, lay the plant on it’s side and tipping the top of the tomato plant upward, pack soil
around plant stem. Water again. Add and pack more soil if needed.
Helpful Hints:
1. Do not plant on a windy day.
2. Place cage over tomato right away and wrap with clear plastic or row cover 3⁄4 the way up the cage.
Leave on cage until the tomato has reached that height and blooms are appearing.
3. Foliar spray about every two weeks with Garret Juice or fresh compost tea, (or a mixture of both) after
first bloom appears.
4. Side dress the tomato after first bloom appears with Rabbit Hill Farm Tomato and Pepper Food.
5. Drip irrigate about 1” per week. Always avoid splashing dirt up onto the leaves.
6. Place a red Christmas ornament on your cage, and the birds will peck at the ornament (with no success)
and later leave your juicy tomatoes alone.
7. Handpick hornworms off, then drown or squish. Inspect for hornworms at dusk.
8. Plant basil next to your tomato to increase flavor and tomato will have more firmness.
Harvest fruit in the summer as tomatoes turn red, usually 55 to 90 days after planting depending
on the variety. Slice up some wholesome, naturally grown goodness for the family dinner. Enjoy.
By Marilyn Simmons
Copyright 2009, Marilyn Simmons
Collective wisdom from the following resources:
John and Peggy Sheets, 7M Farms Italy, Texas Heirloom Tomato Farmers
Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening, J .Howard Garrett and C. Malcolm Beck
Garden Wisdom, Sharon Amos
Rodale’s Successful Organic Vegetables
Marilyn Simmons is owner of Garden Inspirations in Waxahachie, Texas
She raises fresh cut flowers, vegetables for "Veggies In Partnership", creates landscape designs
and brews fresh compost tea delivered to DOGC club meeting monthly.
Recommended links for seeds:
www.seedsofchange.com
www.tomatofest.com
www.johnnysseeds.com
www.organicseed.com (Parks) |
