April 29, 2010 - It is time for tomatoes and Hunt County Master Gardner Association President Byron Chitwood has a lot of tips for vegetable gardeners.
"I have always been a gardener at heart," Chitwood said. "Grew up and both my grandparents were farmers near Guthrie, Okla., -- In fact, we lived off of what they raised. They only bought salt and pepper and grandpa bought Prince Albert Tobacco and grandma chased after him with a broom sweeping up after him."
Since growing up on his grandparent's farm, Chitwood downsized to a 2,000-square-foot vegetable garden, which he and his wife enjoy fresh produce from.
"Nothing tastes a whole lot better than a tomatoes, not even watermelons. Besides that, tomatoes are good for you," he said.
Their popularity has soared in both rural and suburban communities. Many gardeners today enjoy growing their own vegetables, including tomatoes ,which need a particular environment to thrive.
"The requirements to grow good tomatoes are well-drained soil, proper fertilization, room for growth, just tender love and care, proper watering, pest control and timely harvesting," Chitwood said.
Having the proper levels of both nitrogen and iron are important in the soil where tomatoes will be grown as well.
"If you have a large garden plot, it might be nice to have a soil test done through the AgriLife Extension," Chitwood suggested. "However, if you are gardening on a small scale, add two or three cups full of nitrogen fertilizer per hundred square feet of garden space -- or about two-tenths of a cup for a tomato plant."
When it comes to adding nitrogen, there are several options. Blood meal can be used at a hefty $16.15 per pound, cotton seed meal at $4.25 per pound of nitrogen, commercial fertilizer at $2 per pound or grass clippings can be used.
"(For) fertilization, if you are into organics, one of the best sources of iron is cottonseed meal. It is about 7 percent nitrogen, so you would want to triple the amount that you would use in your garden and you would want to use six or eight, 10 teacups full per hundred square feet."
When adding iron, a gardener can add it directly into the bottom of the hole before planting their tomatoes.
"Add some iron into the bottom of the hole when you get ready to plant it... just a teaspoon or two," he explained. "Put it right at the bottom of the hole."
Aside from proper fertilization, tomatoes need to be properly supported and protected throughout their growing process. Chitwood sometimes uses containers to plant his tomatoes.
"You can plant the tomatoes in containers," Chitwood explained. "This is a 25-gallon container and it is about 18 inches deep. I cut off the first eight inches of the top and used it for a planter. You want to drill holes in the bottom for proper drainage. Whiskey barrels that you see at the hardware store and such also make good container planters."
Soil prep for container plants is also important and should include of a third peat moss, and a third compost. Once the tomato is planted, it will need to be properly mulched.
"Once you get it planted, mulch around the plant and again be careful not to damage the plant," Chitwood warned. "Mulch slows the evaporation and keeps the soil cooler. Surprisingly, tomatoes are not really a hot weather crop. Like I said, they originated along the Coastal Plains in Peru and Chile, and it is usually pretty chilly around there."
There are both vegetables that when grown along side tomatoes can both help or hinder the tomatoes performance.
"If you use a large enough container, grow some green beans around that container and the green beans are good and they will fix nitrogen in the soil and it really helps the plants," Chitwood explained. "Like I say, they add nitrogen to the soil and the best variety of green beans I've found for this area are Contenders. We tested them down with the AgriLife at the Heritage Garden and they out-produced the other variety by about 10 to one. Other companion plants for tomatoes that seem to get along real good are asparagus, carrots, celery, chives, garlic onions and parsley. They are hindered in their growth by corn and potatoes."
Wind damage can also be a big factor for tomato growers.
"We always seem to get a lot of wind right when you plant your tomatoes," he noted. "It will eventually kill some of them. Just tie you a little stake in the ground and mark right here and tie them up with some real soft string."
Factors including quality, well-drained soil, proper fertilization, room for growth, proper watering, pest control and timely harvesting among many other factors are important to the growth of quality tomatoes. With care and planning, tomatoes can be grown almost anywhere.
To learn about these tips, or buy tickets for the Hunt County Master Gardeners' tour, visit www.huntcountymastergardners.org. The tour will consist of five gardens, including Chitwood's, and include demonstrations.
