Growing tomatoes requires more than experience

By Bev Johnson | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, April 12, 2008

No matter how experienced a gardener you are, you have probably had a summer with few or no tomatoes, or fruit with marginal flavor.

That being the case, let's do a primer on tomatoes. Did you know that tomatoes are self fruitful? That is, the pollen from each flower's anthers can fertilize its own stigma. Vibration from the wind, the gardener brushing past or a fat bug can shake the pollen loose for the self-fertilization.

If, however, we get a cold spell and the temperatures fall below 55 degrees, the blooms fall off. On the other side of the spectrum, if the temps get above 95 degrees, the plants stop producing viable pollen.

In either case, the result is no tomatoes. So it behooves the Minnesota gardener to pick his plants well and hope the temps cooperate.

First of all, do a little research. If a tomato tastes like it came from the grocery store, why bother to plant it. Look for the words flavorful, or sweet or delicious or some other word that describes the flavor. Forget the description of size.

If you want a huge tomato just to brag about, get a Brandywine. That is an heirloom variety. They not only get big, but they are delicious and have little goop in the middle.

If you want an early tomato, the cherry varieties are the earliest. Bush Beefsteak and Early Girl are always some of the first to fruit. You may be sacrificing flavor for speed, however.

There are two types of tomatoes, determinate and non-determinate. The first stop growing after they set fruit. The second type will continue to grow and bear as long as the weather permits.

Here in the frozen north, it pays to pre-warm the soil with a cover of black plastic in the tomato patch. Pull it off just before you plant and cover the soil with paper or mulch as soon as you get the plant in the soil to prevent soil-borne diseases.

The soil should be at 55 degrees or warmer to prevent shock. A plastic bag over your tomato cage in spring will keep the air warm around your plant. A gallon milk jug with the bottom cut off will work, too.

Get only short season plants. Ninety days is really stretching it. Try for 65 to 80 days, if possible.

That, by the way, is when the plant will bear after you put it in the garden.

Check for disease resistance. All those letters after the name mean a resistance to a disease. Leave room between plants for air circulation. A damp summer can lead to fungus infections if the plants can't dry out during the day.

Let's hope for a good “‘mater” season.

Bev Johnson is a master gardener for West Otter Tail County.