KEY FACTORS CONSIDERED IMPORTANT BY SUCCESSFUL VEGETABLE GROWERS
By
Drs.
Jerry M. Parsons and Roland E. Roberts
Professors and Extension Horticulturists-Retired
Gardeners are always interested about "what's new" in
vegetable varieties. Every spring folks want to try a new variety
hoping it will produce more and maybe taste better. Our goal is
to only recommend a variety which is significantly better in some
attribute such as yield or quality or flavor. Hundreds of vegetable
cultivars are offered for sale by major seed companies in the
United States of America.
Horticulturists comprise the only group capable of testing new
varieties in different locations throughout the state to see which
ones are best adapted. Lately, consolidation of many seed companies
has occurred into only a few huge companies which emphasize corporate
profits. Seed of the tomato
varieties: Spring Giant, Big Set, Bingo (97), Whirlaway (97) and President (96) are no longer produced and
seed supplies will be exhausted in the year designated beside
each variety. These problems
are pervasive in flowering ornamentals as well.
See:
http://www.plantanswers.com/veg_varieties.htm
TO GET THE HIGHEST YIELDS OF RECOMMENDED VARIETIES:
1. ESTABLISH & MAINTAIN HIGHLY
FERTILE SOIL
The ideal soil for most vegetable production is
very high in organic matter.
If your soil is not high in organic matter apply
compost or manure. Before planting, apply well decomposed compost
at the rate of 40 to 60 pounds per 100 square feet of garden in
addition to the fertilizer nutrients you decide to apply.
In addition to the compost recommended above, manure
can be used instead of dry fertilizer. Manures vary widely in
nutrient concentration and salt content, so take care to not apply
too much. Compared to chemically formulated fertilizers, use of
manures is a less precise method of fertilization because sources
of manures vary greatly in nutrient and soluble salt content.
A safe application of sheep, rabbit, or cow manure is a rate of
no more than 50 pounds per 100 square feet (10 tons per acre).
Mix it well into the top 8 to 12 inches of soil by tilling or
spading. If a dried manure is used do
not apply more than the amount recommended on the bag.
Side dress tomato and pepper plants
with nitrogen every two to three weeks, starting when the first
fruit are still tiny. Apply one level tablespoon of urea
(45-0-0) or 19-5-9 Slow-release fertilizer or two tablespoons of ammonium
sulfate (21-0-0) per plant by sprinkling it uniformly over a six-foot
diameter circular pattern over the mulch or soil around each plant.
Then, immediately irrigate with one inch of water.
2. TRANSPLANT 5- TO 6-WEEK OLD PLANTS GROWN IN
4- TO 5-INCH POTS
Plants of tomato varieties older than 5 to 6 weeks
and plants grown in pots less than 4 to 5 inches diameter have
been shown to be less productive in carefully conducted research.
So buy plants no more than 4 to 5 weeks old in 4 to 5-inch pots.
Space plants to allow full access from all sides of the plant
during culture and harvest. Plant spacings
of 4 feet to 6 feet in rows 6 to 8 feet apart for caged tomato
production of vigorous determinate-plant cultivars or for mulched
ground culture work well. Smaller determinate-plant tomato cultivars
such as Surefire are more productive planted two feet apart in
the row. Pepper transplants, 7 to 8 weeks old in 2 ´ to 3-inch
pots or cell packs are best. In the garden, peppers perform well
spaced 12 to 18 inches apart in rows 36 to 40 inches apart.
One of the most important techniques for successfully
growing a bumper crop of tomatoes and peppers is to use a starter
solution at transplanting time to ensure adequate fertility during
early growth of the plants. Purchase starter solutions at local
garden centers or make them at home by mixing 2 level tablespoons
of super phosphate in a gallon of water. Specially formulated
commercial starter solutions are generally preferable to home
mixes because they are usually higher in phosphates and are completely
water soluble. After following label directions for mixing the
starter solution, pour about a cup or so in each transplant hole
or pour the solution in the soil as part of the initial watering.
Set the transplant directly in the center of the
hole and fill with soil. If the tomato transplant is leggy and
tall, lay the stem portion of the plant on its side rather than
digging a hole deeper to accommodate the taller plant. Setting
tomato transplants too deep, especially in heavy clay soils, often
slows early growth, resulting in later maturity and fewer tomatoes.
Setting pepper transplants too deep causes the stem to rot (not
root!) and the plant dies. If your soil is sandy, deep planting
generally does not cause a problem.
3. BUILD AND USE PLASTIC/GROW-WEB WRAPPED CAGES
FOR LOW TEMPERATURE PROTECTION, WIND, HAIL, INSECTS DISEASE CONTROL
Tomatoes and peppers are subtropical plants and
benefit from early season protection. Use concrete reinforcing
wire to form a cage that is 18 to 24 inches in diameter and 5
feet in height. Wrap cages with Grow-Web Spunweb products can be found in local nurseries or mail-ordered
directly from the manufacturers. One address is: Indeco Products Incorporated, P.O.
Box 865, San Marcos, Texas
78666 Telephone:
512-396-5814 or 1-888-246-3326 Email: indecoprod@centuryinter.net.
Clamp Grow-Web to the wire with clothespins to keep it in place.
The Grow-Web wrapped cage will slow wind, keep air and soil warmer
around the plant, prevent entry into cage by virus-carrying insects,
and let in plenty of light. An additional wrap of clear polyethylene
film increases the temperature inside the cage during day by 20
to 30 degrees F. and at night by 3 to 5 degrees F. if the cage
top is covered with the plastic.. Remove
plastic from over the cage top during the day to prevent overheating
(temps. inside cage over 90 degrees F. hurt the plant)
. Cut vent holes in plastic at cage base to permit cooling
(chimney effect) during warm days. Remove plastic when cage diameter
is filled with foliage. When leaves touch Grow-Web, unwrap and
drape it over and around the cage to continue repelling insects
while liberating the plant to grow and set fruit. If nuisance
pests such as deer or birds persist, the Grow-Web can be left
on until harvest begins.
Either stake-and-tie or cage all
tomatoes. Staking-and-tying produces larger early tomatoes
but less overall fruit than caging. When staking
tomatoes, put the stake in shortly after transplanting to lessen
root damage. A 6-foot stake set 10 inches deep in the soil
works well. As the plant grows taller, tie it loosely to the stake
every 12 inches with pieces of rag, twine or soft material.
Prune staked tomatoes to produce a more orderly
vine. Remove small shoots which grow out of the point where each
leaf joins the main stem. Remove shoots by bending them sideways
until they snap. Never cut suckers off because of the possibility
of transmitting disease organisms from one plant to the next.
For the two main vines, remove all but one shoot arising just
above the first cluster of blooms. It will develop into a second
branch. Be careful when suckering tomato varieties such as Surefire
which has a determinate growth habit. If the wrong growing top
is removed from these normally short-in-stature plants, they will
be stunted and less productive. Indeterminate tomato types are
better adapted to staking. If semi-determinate types such as Merced,
Heatwave and SunMaster are to be
pruned, remove only the first 4-6 suckers to insure good top foliage
cover of the fruit. Semi-determinate tomato varieties which are
to be pruned MUST receive continuous fertilization throughout
the growing season or foliage will be too sparse resulting in
sunburned fruit.
Few, if any, tomato or pepper varieties will set
fruit during cool, cloudy weather. Even some of the heat - setting
types drop blooms in cloudy weather conditions. These tomato blooms
leave such a distinct stem when they fall from the bloom cluster
that many gardeners think the blooms have been eaten off by insects.
Artificial blossom-setting hormones, sold as Blossom-Set, are
helpful in setting or holding some of these blooms by "fooling
" the bloom into believing it has been pollinated.
Most of this poor fruit set caused by cloudy weather conditions
directly relates to incomplete pollination of the blooms. Tomato
and pepper flowers are wind or mechanically pollinated, so gardeners
don't have to worry about bee populations.
4. APPLY AND MAINTAIN DEEP LAYER OF MULCH WHICH
CONSERVES SOIL MOISTURE MAINTAINS OPTIMUM SOIL TEMPERATURE ENCOURAGES
EXTENSIVE ROOT SYSTEM - For a complete understanding of Mulches
and How They Work, visit the Internet site: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/PLANTanswers/drought/mulches.html
The optimum root zone temperature for tomato and
pepper is 75 degrees F. Apply and maintain four to six inches
depth of clean wheat straw, or grass clippings, starting as soon
as the soil temperature has reached 70 degrees F. Mulch outward
at least four to six feet from stem (center) of plant. This will
conserve soil moisture, maintain near optimum root zone temperature,
allow roots to grow in soil right to the surface, and prevent
weed growth. The plant mulched in this manner will be much more
productive. Any fruit which touch dry mulch will not rot as they
do when resting on moist soil.
Mulch, mulch, mulch -- mulching can not be overemphasized
for tomato and pepper health, both in commercial fresh market
and home garden plantings. Mulching has been strongly emphasized
in horticulture education for generations as an important technique
for promoting plant health. Good sources of mulch include clean
wheat straw, rye straw, alfalfa, vetch, crimson clover, sorghum,
haygrazer and lawn clippings which have been allowed to heat
to over 140 degrees F. for 24 to 48 hours in plastic bags.
5. KEEP SOIL MOISTURE NEAR OPTIMUM
The tomato and pepper plants are water spenders.
They can not be conditioned to thrive on limited soil moisture.
Consequences of soil moisture deficit are aborted blossoms, blossom
end rot, radial fruit cracking, small fruit and lower yield, also
insufficient leaf growth and sunburn of fruit directly exposed
to strong sunlight.
Tomato and pepper roots will not grow in dry soil
to find moist soil. Maintain optimum soil moisture from the center
of the plant outward at least three to four feet to encourage
maximum root development which will result in optimum plant health
and highest possible fruit quality and yield. Roots of a healthy
tomato or pepper plant with full fruit load will grow outward
three to four feet from the stem base in all directions. This
is an area around the plant of over 28 square feet for a 3-foot
radius circle and over 50 square feet for a circle with a 4-foot
radius. One inch of water over 28 square feet (a circle with radius
of 3 feet) is about 16 gallons. One inch of water over 50 square
feet (a circle with radius of 4 feet) is about 31 gallons. A half
inch diameter hose delivers about 3 gallons/minute at 50 to 60
psi. Know the delivery rate of your irrigation system, and run
your system long enough to deliver gallonage
required.
The soil area inhabited by tomato or pepper roots
will require irrigation every 3 to 5 days depending on the temperature
and wind. Required volume of water will increase as plants grow
larger.
6. INSPECT PLANT FOR INSECTS AND DISEASES --
FOR CONTROLLING ANY PEST
MENTIONED GARDENERS MAY WANT TO USE THE MINI-INPUT TECHNIQUES
LOWER LEAF UNDERSIDE FOR MITES; GROWING TIPS AND
UPPER LEAVES FOR APHIDS; LOWER LEAVES FOR EARLY BLIGHT; LOWER
LEAVES AND FRUIT CALYX FOR PINWORM
Gardeners may want to check out the mini-input control
techniques outlined at Internet site: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/PLANTanswers/publications/miniput.html.
Most insects are detected and controlled using a recommended insecticide.
Worms or caterpillars
are the most conspicuous to gardeners. Worms (caterpillars) come
in a variety of colors and shapes, but all damage plants by eating
holes in leaves. They feed on tomatoes as well as most garden
vegetables. Entire plants may be eaten by these caterpillars if
they occur in large numbers. These are easily controlled using
Dipel, Thuricide, Bio-Spray or Biological Worm Killer. These materials
contain the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis
that kills only caterpillars and does not harm beneficial insects.
Good coverage of upper and lower leaf surfaces is necessary for
best control.
Pinworm adults (tiny nocturnal moths) love to lay
eggs on the bottom leaf lower surface near the plant center. From
there they spread upward on the plant acting much like leaf miners
and rolling the leaf around them as they build their little cocoon
in which to pupate. Timely use of Bacillus thuringiensis will control most pinworms.
Spider mites are the least detectable pest. Spider
mites are tiny spiders (plant chiggers) that feed on the leaf
undersides of many garden vegetables and flowers. Most mites are
about 1/32 inch long and live and feed in a web they produce rapidly.
They can damage plants in a short time. Inspect plants frequently
by examining the underside of leaves with a magnifying glass.
When large populations of mites are present, leaves appear "stippled"
or dotted with yellow, and webbing is usually present on the underside
of leaves. Spray plants with Kelthane
and one teaspoon of liquid soap. Repeat the spray every 4 days
for two applications. Sulfur also controls mites but do not apply
on squash and other vine crops. Highly refined summer oil can
be applied to help control mites.
Control other insects by using insecticides such
as malathion, Spinosad or endosulfan which can be legally used on the appropriate crop.
Avoid continuous blanket use of any specific insecticide. Otherwise,
insects may become resistant to the insecticide. It is a good
idea to alternate labeled insecticides periodically.
Insects can be harmful, but disease can be disastrous.
Diseases MUST be prevented since diseased leaves cannot be cured.
There are two main diseases of tomatoes which cause
disaster every spring. Early blight (Alternaria)
and Septoria leaf spot (
For photographs of the effects of these diseases on tomato
fruit and leaves, visit the InterNet
site:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/tomatoproblemsolver/index.html)
are the culprits. Early blight of tomatoes and peppers is characterized
by irregular, brown spots that first appear on older foliage.
With age, the spots show concentric rings forming a target pattern.
A yellow, diffuse zone is formed around each spot. Although this
fungus disease can be observed throughout the year, it is most
common during the fruiting period. Peppers are susceptible to
bacterial leaf spot, preventable with sprays of Kocide 101 if the weather turns rainy. The more tomatoes and
peppers a plant produces, the more susceptible
to and disastrous are the effects of an early blight infection.
The fungus is favored by high humidity and high temperatures.
The ONLY control is PREVENTION which begins when the plant is
transplanted. During periods of high humidity, which includes
most of the spring, apply a fungicide weekly after tomato fruit
is formed. The best fungicide to use is one containing chlorothalonil
(Daconil or Fertilome
Broad Spectrum Fungicide).
Another destructive foliage disease of tomatoes
is Septoria leaf spot. It may attack
at any time; however, it generally causes problems after the fruit
begins maturing. When checking plants for this disease, look at the older foliage.
The fungus is characterized by circular lesions with gray centers
surrounded by dark margins. With age, the spots become covered
with tiny, black specks from which spores grow. Lesions are smaller
and more numerous than tomato early blight spots. The fruit is
rarely affected, but stems and blossoms are attacked. The disease
overwinters on old tomato vines and wild relatives of the tomato
family. The fungus is most active when temperatures are between
60 degrees and 80 degrees F. and during periods of high humidity.
Bacterial leaf spot of peppers causes spots on both
foliage and fruit. Small, yellowish green to brown spots develop
on the leaves. Under favorable weather conditions, the spots become
numerous and sometimes coalesce into large spots. Infected leaves
then turn yellow and fall off. The best control is a copper spray
such as Kocide 101 or a streptomycin
product such as Agri-Strep applied weekly
during periods of high humidity and leaf wetness.
7. HARVEST CAREFULLY AND TIMELY -- PICK TOMATO
FRUIT WHEN PINK AT BLOSSOM END; REMOVE CALYX TO PREVENT PUNCTURE;
KEEP TOMATO FRUIT AT 75 TO 55 DEGREES F. AND PEPPER FRUIT AT 45
TO 50 DEGREES F.
Tomato fruit do not ripen on the plant any better
than off the plant IF picked when pink color is visible on the
blossom end (side facing the ground) and held at room temperature
in light or dark.. This is a truth and
reality that is hard for many people to believe. Harvesting fruit
when fruit are just beginning to turn pink at the blossom end
will maximize both quality and yield by getting them out of harm's
way. Remove the calyx to prevent puncture and hold the fruit at
55 to 75 degrees F.
Harvest bell peppers when they are 4 to 5 inches
long with full, well-formed lobes. Immature peppers are soft,
pliable, thin fleshed and pale. Harvest most jalapenos when they
are 2 to 2 ´ inches
long; the Grande jalapeno can be 3-4 inches long. Mature jalapenos
turn orange or red; this does not mean they are hotter. Store
at 45 to 50 degrees F.
8. MAINTAIN PLANT HEALTH -- PRUNE OUT OLD LEAVES,
FRUITING TRUSSES, AND UNPRODUCTIVE STEMS; ROTATE EVERY YEAR (4
YEAR ROTATION BEST); KEEP AREA AROUND PLANTS MULCHED
By midseason, older leaves at base of caged tomato
plants become infected with early blight or infested with pinworm.
These leaves are shaded by those above and no longer benefit fruit
growth. Basically all nonproductive plant tissue (fruiting trusses,
old yellowing or diseased leaves, spindly non-fruiting stems)
can be removed from the older (lower) regions of the plant to
let in more sunlight.
If possible, long rotation (4 years) will prevent
soil borne diseases and nematodes (For more information about
nematode control, visit the InterNet sites: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/PLANTanswers/earthkind/ekgarden26.html
and http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/PLANTanswers/fallgarden/nematode.html)
from becoming a problem. Do not plant an area to tomato or any
other member of the nightshade family (includes potato, pepper,
eggplant, tomato) or okra any more often than once every 4 years.
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1.
Dwarf Cherry Tomato Surprise
2. Heatwave
Large-fruited Tomato -- 68 days. Lycopersicon esculentum. Plant produces good yields of
7 ounce red tomatoes even at temperatures
up to 100 degrees F. This heat tolerant variety is suitable for
those in the deep South where daytime
temperatures average in the 90's. Semi-Determinate
plant growth. Sets fruit under lower temperatures and higher
temperatures than most tomatoes.
3. Merced Large-fruited Tomato -- The first crop
of big, deep-globe shaped tomatoes will be ready to harvest in
75-80 days from transplant in the spring. Since it is not considered
to be a heat-setting tomato, days-to-harvest will depend on weather
conditions in July, August and September. Merced
has fine appearance, firmness and flavor. Merced's
firm, smooth-shouldered fruit ripen to a uniform bright red. The
delicious flavor delivers satisfaction -- it has a very likable,
"this is how a tomato should taste" flavor. Field test
results from Florida, California
and Texas show that
this variety has what it takes: (1) wide adaptability (2) resistance
to verticillium, fusarium
(races 1 and 2), stemphylium and tobacco
mosaic virus (TMV) (3) deep- globe shaped tomatoes with a meaty,
rich texture. It is much firmer, higher quality and meatier than
other commonly used varieties such as Celebrity.
4.
Surefire Medium-size Tomato -- The tomato rage of 1992
named Surefire has what is best described as a non-controversial
flavor -- people neither loved it or hated it. Surefire was judged
to be the meatiest tomato and all agreed it would be the best
for sausas, sauses and long-storage.
The Surefire tomato variety should be planted to produce
the earliest fruit of the year and a meaty tomato which can be
used in sausas as well as for fresh
consumption. Surefire is the most reliable fall tomato for
all parts of Texas. It is the first Texas SuperStar
vegetable and was promoted statewide in Fall,
1992 in August. Surefire is one of the very best tomatoes for
both production, taste and the ability
to set in high temps ever developed. Surefire is a name Jerry Parsons gave to GS12
which was originally sold by Goldsmith Seed which was purchased
by Northrup King Seed Company. The Surefire (VF) tomato variety is resistant
to Verticillium (V) Wilt and Fusarium (F) Wilt but not to nematodes. Smaller determinate
tomatoes such as Surefire are more productive per square foot
and should be planted two feet apart in the row.
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