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Tag: tomatoes

When is the Best Time to Plant Tomato Seeds?”

“When is the best time to plant tomato seeds?” Question from Diana of Indianapolis, Indiana

Answer: This is an easy question to answer! It takes around six to eight weeks to grow tomatoes from seed to ready-to-plant starts. And, tomatoes produce fruit between 65 to 85 days after planting, depending on the variety, so you want to give them plenty of time to produce good fruit through the warmth of summer. It’s also good to know that determinate or bush-type tomatoes produce earlier than indeterminate or vining tomatoes.

I always start my tomatoes indoors for the best results. Then, once the threat of frost has passed, I plant them outdoors. Please read this great Black Gold article Growing Tomatoes from Seed to Harvest. It will tell you everything that you need to know to grow the best tomatoes possible from seed.

Happy tomato growing!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Help! I Have Egg-Covered Tomato Hornworms on My Tomatoes.

“I noticed two strange-looking caterpillars with eggs on their backs in my tomato garden this year and learned these were hornworms and they are terrible for tomato plants.  I intend on moving my tomatoes elsewhere next year.” Question from Jennifer of Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania

Answer: You are in luck! You don’t need to worry about the tomato hornworms on your tomatoes because the eggs on their backs are those of parasitic wasps. They will kill a hornworm in no time, so nature has taken care of your problem!

Moving your tomatoes will not change whether you get hornworms or not. They are the caterpillars of a beautiful the five-spotted hawkmoth, which can detect tomatoes from afar and will lay eggs on your plants in the night.

The eggs may be placed on leaf tops or bottoms and are greenish, so they are very difficult to see. This means they are hard to remove before hatching.  Just look for leaf chewing damage, then look for hornworms. When you find them, physically remove the caterpillars as you see them. It’s the easiest way to get rid of them fast if they are not already parasitized.

I hope that this information helps!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What Are the Best Tomato Varieties for Central Florida?

“What are the best tomato varieties for USDA Hardiness Zone 9a?” Question from Janet of Summerfield, Florida.

Answer: The best tomato varieties you grow will depend on the time of year in your Central-Florida location. You are lucky to have the luxury of being able to grow tomatoes almost year-round. For summer, grow very heat-tolerant varieties, and in your milder springs and falls pick fast-to-produce varieties tolerant of cooler conditions. Overall, choose tomatoes that are high yielding and disease resistant.

Tomato Varieties for Florida

Two of the best heat-tolerant varieties include the large, red-fruited ‘Heatmaster‘, which can take the high heat of the South, and disease and heat-resistant ‘Heatwave II‘, which bears deep red tomatoes with good flavor.

Two tasty early varieties for cooler growing conditions include ‘Aurora‘, which bears loads of medium-sized, red tomatoes fast, and ‘Alaska‘, which quickly produces red salad tomatoes on short vines.

From there, I encourage you to read all about our favorite sauce tomatoes, monster beefsteak tomatoes, eating tomatoes, and the 10 best-tasting cherry tomatoes.

Growing Tomatoes

Wherever you live, tomatoes need constant soil replenishment. Getting your soil and feeding regime right is so important. In general, tomatoes like fertile, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter and has a relatively neutral soil pH of around 6.0 to 6.8. If you are growing plants in the ground, amend your soil thoroughly with a quality amendment that’s high in organic matter, like OMRI Listed Black Gold Garden Compost Blend.  Be sure to raise low soils, so they are well-drained. It is also essential to feed regularly with a fertilizer formulated for tomatoes and to keep plants evenly irrigated.

Click here to read a great University of Florida Extension article with more information about growing tomatoes in your region. It also details some heirloom tomatoes tolerant of heat.

Happy tomato growing!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Help Me Grow Better Potted Tomatoes in NYC

“I like to grow tomatoes on my steps in Brooklyn, NY. I believe I can do better and get a better product by having guidance.” Question from Chante or Brooklyn, New York

Answer: The plant in your photo looks quite healthy! As long as you have a spot with at least 8 hours of sunlight, you can grow great tomatoes. Here are five steps to growing strong, vigorous tomatoes in containers:

Chante’s Tomato
  1. Start with great tomatoes. The best for patio or urban step gardens should be compact, heavy producers with great flavor. I suggest trying the new, red-fruited  ‘Tidy Treats’ dwarf cherry tomato, the golden-fruited sauce tomato ‘Sunrise Sauce’, and the delicious red slicer ‘Mountain Fresh Plus’. All of these tomatoes are compact and perfect for container growing. (If you want to try growing your own tomatoes from seed, click here to learn more.)
  2. Plant in large containers. Tomatoes develop vast root systems and require a lot of fertilizer and water for good growth, so planting them in large containers is smart. Big pots hold more water and ensure roots will spread for better overall growth and higher tomato yields. (Be sure to provide extra water on hot summer days.)
  3. Choose a really good potting soil that is OMRI Listed for organic gardening. I suggest Black Gold Waterhold Cocoblend Potting Mix for urban tomato growing. It holds extra water, which is a good thing in harsh urban areas.
  4. Provide fertilizer formulated for tomatoes. Tomatoes will grow and produce best if provided a quality tomato fertilizer at the start of the season.
  5. Cage your tomatoes. Even more compact potted tomatoes grow better and are easier to harvest if caged.

For an easy tutorial, I also recommend you watch our video below about growing tomatoes in containers.

Happy tomato growing!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What’s Your Favorite Eating Tomato?

Tomato ‘Gold Tomato’

“For Central MS, what is your best suggestion for a good “eatin’ ‘mater?” Question from Judy of Louisville, Mississippi

Answer: You can never love just one tomato! I have three standbys for great overall eating tomatoes. These are the ones I grow each year no matter what, and they’ll grow well in your Southern heat.

The best tomato for flavor is ‘Gold Medal’, a golden heirloom beefsteak tomato imbued with red blotches. It has beautiful fruit with an amazing sweet tomato flavor. Its only downfall is that it is not a big producer, but the flavor is tops.

My favorite all-purpose tomato is Franchi Sementi’s ‘Red Pear’. I’ve been singing the accolades of this traditional Italian heirloom for years. It bears lots of large, red, pear-shaped tomatoes with excellent flavor and firm, dense flesh. They are super for eating fresh or making sauce. This one is an all-around winner.

The orange-fleshed beefsteak ‘Kellogg’s Breakfast’ is a delicious tomato and the plants produce well. This heirloom has super sweet flavor and pleasing meaty flesh.

For great cherry tomatoes, I recommend you click here to read our Fafard article about the 10 best-tasting cherry tomatoes.

Good soil is essential for high tomato yields and good flavor. The richer and deeper the soil, the better the root development. Deep roots give tomatoes an edge during hot, dry spells, especially down South. Black Gold Garden Compost Blend and Earthworm Castings are ideal amendments for tomatoes, and both are OMRI Listed for organic gardening. Also, be sure to feed your plants with a fertilizer formulated for tomatoes.

Happy tomato growing!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

 

What is the Best Soil for Growing Tomatoes?

“What’s the best soil when planting tomatoes?” Question from Jonathon of Centreville, Alabama.

Answer: Getting your soil and feeding regime right is so important for growing great tomatoes. In general, tomatoes like fertile, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter and has a relatively neutral soil pH of around 6.0 to 6.8.

If you are growing plants in the ground, amend your soil well with a quality amendment that’s high in organic matter, like OMRI Listed Black Gold Garden Compost Blend. Our compost blend is approved for organic gardening and has the right pH. Be sure to raise low soils, so they are well-drained. It is also essential to feed regularly with a fertilizer formulated for tomatoes and to keep plants evenly irrigated. [Click here to learn more about growing super tomatoes, or to read all about our favorite sauce tomatoes and monster beefsteak tomatoes.]

If you are interested in growing tomatoes in containers, please watch the video below.

Happy tomato growing!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

My Tomato Containers are Not Producing

“I have tomatoes in pots on my deck but they haven’t bloomed. The plants are beautiful. I water frequently. I used Miracle Grow potting soil. The tomatoes in the garden are fruiting. I live in Texas, it’s very hot this year.Where did I go wrong? Question from Donna of Cross Plains, Texas


Answer:  Tomato containers are always more demanding. These veggies are heavy feeders and drinkers, so they need large containers with plenty of space, everyday water and diligent feeding, which it sounds like you are providing. So, high heat is most certainly the problem. Most tomatoes are sensitive to temperatures above 95 degrees and many varieties stop producing when days ans nights remain too hot. This is especially the case with container-grown tomatoes because their roots are more exposed to ambient heat.

Water and feed your tomatoes well, place them under shade during the hottest time of day and they should perk up once temperatures cool down. You also might consider planting them in the ground and see if they come around. Tell me how they do!

We also recommend a soil with high water-holding capacity, like Black Gold All Purpose Potting Mix, which feeds plants for up to 6 months! We also encourage you watch our video about how to grow great tomatoes in containers (below)!

Happy Gardening, Jessie

 

Managing Tomato Late Blight

“My tomato leaves are turning brown and fruits don’t look good. They have weird spots on them. What is going on?” -Question from Andy in Macon, Georgia

ANSWER: A photo would confirm it, but it sounds like your tomatoes have been stricken with late blight. Late blight is caused by a fungus-like disease that overwinters on infected plant material on or in soils. Sometimes plants sold carrying the disease.

The symptoms of tomato late blight are tomatoes with oily patches, and plants with stem lesions, and browning leaves. (See the image of the late-blighted ‘Speckled Roman’ tomato above.) Sadly, late blight (Phytophthora infestans) is a deadly disease–in fact it is the disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine. It kills tomatoes more slowly than potatoes, but it is equally lethal and destroys tomato fruits.

There are several things that you can do to protect your beds and future tomato plantings from this disease. Please read this Black Gold article about tomato late blight to learn more: Click here to read more about tomato late blight.

Good luck!

Jessie Keith