SolveYourProblem
Article Series: Organic Gardening
Organic
Gardening Tips & Advice
How
To Grow Organic Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a very rewarding crop, and growing
organic tomatoes is as easy as non-organic if you follow these
simple steps.
1. Choose your site carefully
Tomatoes need a sunny, well-drained site. This could be in
a garden bed or in a large patio pot, but be sure to keep them
close to the house where you will see them every day so they
are never forgotten.
They will need to grow upward. If left to trail on the ground
they are likely to become diseased. So think ahead to provide
them with a trellis or something similar for tying when they
need it. They can grow up to 6 ft tall.
2. Choose your variety
Try to choose a variety that you know grows well in your area
and soil type. Ask around among other gardeners, especially
other organic gardeners who may even be prepared to give you
some seeds. Look for reliable, disease resistant varieties,
either hybrids or heirlooms. Most varieties prefer slightly
acidic soil.
If you buy seeds commercially, be prepared for just a small
crop in the first year. Plants from your own seeds should do
better in the second year.
3. Feeding and watering
Tomatoes will flourish best if fed with a good organic fertilizer
at least twice in the season. For best results the fertilizer
should be steadily accessible to the plants, so choose a slow
release fertilizer that you work into the soil, rather than
an intensive liquid feed. Occasional spraying with fish emulsion
and kelp will also help them to thrive.
Water them frequently if the weather is dry. They should never
be left to wilt between waterings. Even though they may not
die, they will have to divert much of their growing energy
away from producing fruit in order to stay alive in irregular
watering conditions. They are also likely to suffer blossom
end rot if the water supply is not regular. Mulching under
the plants will help to prevent the soil from drying out.
4. Pest control
Hornworms (Manduca quinquemaculata)
This pest is a large and fearsome-looking green caterpillar
with a black horn on the rear. Native to the USA, it feeds
on tomato plants and others in the nightshade family (eggplant,
tobacco, potato, bell pepper). It will happily eat your whole
tomato plant - leaves, stems and fruit.
The simplest way to deal with hornworms is simply to squish
them when found. They are very well camouflaged on the underside
of leaves but you can often see their black excrement fallen
onto the top of the leaf below. If squishing is not for you,
either remove them very far from your plants or purchase parasitic
wasps.
These braconid wasps are harmless to humans and their young
will feed on the hornworms. Do not kill any caterpillars that
carry the white wasp eggs on their backs, so that the wasp
larvae will hatch, feed and stay in your garden. The adult
wasps feed on dill and cilantro (coriander) flowers.
If you have an extremely strong stomach, tomato hornworms
are even said to be edible, containing lots of healthy chlorophyll
from their rich plant diet. Fry them and eat with fried green
tomatoes or salad.
Eelworms (Nematode)
Eelworms are found worldwide. They live in the soil and attack
the roots of plants including potatoes, tomatoes and some trees.
If you have them in the soil, you may not find out in time
to save your first plants but you can use the organic fungicide
Methyl bromide to spray your next young plants.
You can also prevent eelworm infestation by rotating your
tomatoes with other plants that will discourage this pest.
The marigold is one of the best plants for this purpose. Try
planting marigolds around your tomatoes, too.
Blight
There are two forms of tomato blight: early and late. Both
are caused by fungi and can be prevented or controlled by rotating
your plants and avoiding overcrowding so that the air can circulate
around even full-grown plants.
Late blight is common in a wet summer and may affect your
whole crop. Removing and destroying affected plants immediately
can help to keep the blight under control and save some of
your growing organic tomatoes. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2008
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