Growing Tomatoes

1. Growing Tomatoes 2010 Trial Results and Old Favorites Ward Upham Horticulture Kansas State University

2. ‘Modern’ tomato varieties • Semi-determinate (‘determinate’) vine Determinate Indeterminate

3. Advantages of Compact Vine • Adapted to raised bed culture • Short cages or ‘stake-weave’ • More stable in wind • Use less water and fertilizer • Closer spacing-more plants per row • Yields comparable to large vined types

4. Recommended Varieties • Grape/Cherry Types • Standard Slicers

5. Grape/Cherry Type Tomatoes • Juliet (indeterminate) • Mountain Belle (determinate) • Sun Gold (indeterminate) • Suncherry (indeterminate) • Supersweet 100 (indeterminate) • Tumbling Tom (determinate) • Sweet Olive (determinate) • SunSugar (indeterminate)

6. Standard Slicers • Amelia • Beefy Boy (indeterminate, short internodes) • Carolina Gold (yellow) • Celebrity • Floralina • Florida 47 • Florida 91

7. Standard Slicers (continued) • Jet Star • Jet Setter • Mountain Fresh Plus • Mountain Gold (yellow) • Mountain Spring • Scarlet Red (enhanced taste) • Sun Leaper

8. ‘Modern’ tomato varieties • Semi-determinate (‘determinate’) vine • Multiple disease resistance

9. Multiple Disease Resistance Modern varieties usually resistant to the wilt diseases. Heirlooms probably will not be.

10. Leaf blight (Early Blight and Septoria Leaf Spot) is a different story. No varieties with good resistance. Rotate plants to different areas or use chlorothalonil to control.

11. An ‘Old Favorite’ JetStar • Indeterminate • Good yields • Excellent crack resistance • Has limited disease resistance

12. JetStar vs. JetSetter • JetSetter is a modern variety that has been touted as an improved JetStar • JetSetter has better disease resistance but equal yield and unknown crack resistance • JetSetter is a few days earlier than JetStar • I plant both

13. Other Desirable Traits • Heat tolerant genetic trait (Hot Set) • Long Shelf Life (LSL) genetic trait • Enhanced Flavor

14. Blossom drop from excessive summer heat. Daytime 95 F, Night 75 F Excessive N; Hot, dry winds make problem worse A genetic trait- usually referred to as the Hot Set or Heat Set gene allows tomatoes to set under heat conditions. Many new varieties now are being developed with the Hot Set gene incorporated.

15. Heat Tolerant Varieties Florida 91, Sun Leaper and Sunmaster have done well. Florida 91 also has long shelf life and so would be my first choice.

16. Long Shelf Life (LSL) Tomato When a tomato reaches a full size, green stage, it starts to produce an internal gas – ethylene- which ‘drives’ the ripening process. Continuous ethylene production continues after the tomato is fully ripe- then it becomes soft, squishy, and begins to rot.

17. Long Shelf Life (LSL) Tomatoes LSL tomatoes can be held for a longer time after fully ripe with little loss of quality or flavor.

18. Long Shelf Life (LSL) Tomatoes LSL tomatoes can be held for a longer time after fully ripe with little loss of quality or flavor.

19. Long Shelf Life (LSL) Tomatoes Have held tomatoes for up to 1 month after fully ripe and still edible.

20. Long Shelf Life (LSL) Tomatoes Florida 91, Pik Ripe 193 and Keepsake are LSL varieties. Florida 91 is my first choice because it is also heat tolerant.

21. Growing Tomatoes

22. Don’t start too early in the season. In Manhattan, 20% chance of a freeze April 30 10% chance of a freeze May 5 5% chance of a freeze May 9 Soil temperature should be a consistent 55o F Below critical soil temperature, plant roots don’t develop and plants don’t absorb nutrients properly. Plants may survive but don’t ‘thrive’

23. How to Take the Soil Temperature • Take at a depth of 2 to 2.5 inches at between 10 and 11 am • Should be at least 55° for several days in a row

24. What Happens if YouPlant Too Early • Plants don’t grow • May get phosphorus deficiency

25. Planting Earlier • Use Walls-of-Water and Plastic Mulch

26. Transplanting • Use transplant solution (root stimulator) • One cup solution per plant

27. Basic Information • Full sun • How many: 3 – 5 plants per person • Spacing: 2 to 4 feet between plants • Mulch when soil warms • Irrigation: Try drip irrigation • Training (sprawling, cages, stake & weave)

28. Drip Irrigation • Water doesn’t evaporate as quickly • Foliage doesn’t get wet; less disease

29. Mulching • Wait until soil warms • Straw or hay are most commonly used materials

30. Training: Cages • Quick to set up • Tend to blow over, need room to store

31. Cages: What to Use? • Can buy cages; often too wimpy • Try concrete reinforcing wire

32. Making a Cage 13 squares + prongs

33. Training: Stake & Weave • Takes more time • Requires pruning

34. Training: Stake & Weave • Takes more time • Requires pruning

35. Training: Stake & Weave • Takes more time • Requires pruning

36. Training: Stake & Weave • What to use for stakes? • T-posts or Rebar

37. Blossom-End Rot on Tomatoes

38. Blossom-End Rot on Tomatoes • Caused by calcium deficiency in fruit • Usually not a lack of calcium in the soil • Tops outgrow the roots during cool spring weather • Weather turns hot and roots can’t keep up • Fruit bypassed; leaves have priority for water and nutrients • Situation corrects itself in a couple of weeks

39. Blossom-End Rot: Recommendations • Avoid damaging the root system • Do a good job of watering • Mulching can help • Adding calcium to the soil or spraying calcium on the plants usually does not work. Most of Kansas soils have adequate amounts of calcium.

40. For a Copy of This Presentation http://www.hfrr.ksu.edu/doc3116.ashx http://tinyurl.com/4opv4q2

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