3ft—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, April 22,1978
Dwarf tomato becoming
UNIVERSITY PARK -
Dwarf tomatoes are
becoming one of the most
popular plants for home
gardeners-offering fruit and
ornamental value both in
doors and out, Says John W.
White of the Department of
Horticulture at Penn State. .
Dr. White has studied
dwarf tomatoes as food
producing potted plants over
several years at University
Park. He said the key
ingredients are sufficient
sunlight and warmth, a
proper container and good
soil, adequate moisture, and
fertilizer.
“For many hobby gar
deners, success with dwarf
tomatoes has come with new
varieties, prepackaged soil
mixes, peat and plastic pots,
time-release fertilizers, and
lighting fixtures,” Dr. White
commented.
He noted that several
New 4-H
program started
in Berks Co.
LEESPORT - More than
20 Berks County teenagers
will participate in a new 4-H
public affairs leadership
program beginning today,
April 22, 1978, at the Berks
County agricultural center.
The all-day Saturday session
will be the first in a series of
three public affairs
workshops sponsored by die
Berks County Cooperative
Extension Service of Penn
State University. The overall
goals of the program are to
teach a process of group
leadership, to develop an
awareness of community
services and operations, and
to motivate participants to
become future community
leaders.
Participants representing
all areas of the county will
spend the Saturday morning
session learning leadership
skills. The afternoon will be
devoted to community and
local government operations
including a simulation
exercise entitled “Our
Town.”
The 4-H public affiars
leadership program for
older Berks County
teenagers is l he pilot
program in the slate. If the
project is successful in
Berks County, it will become
the model for similar
programs throughout
Pennsylvania.
Farm brings
$5200 per acre
NEW HOLLAND - A 40-
acre farm with a milking
parlor and tobacco shed was
sold here Thursday for
|208,000 or $5,200 per acre.
The farm is one block
north of Route 23 and bor
ders on North Kinzers
Avenue and Blast Bruce
Road.
It was sold by John E. and
Mildred M. Campbell to
John Z. Lapp of New
Holland.
Auctioneers were Robert
E. Martin of New Holland R 3
and Frank L. Steller of
Leola.
have a
nice weekend...
dwarf tomato varieties are
suited to containers. These
include ones such as Sugar
Lump, Patio, Pixie Hybrid,
Lollipop, Small Fry, and
Tiny Tim. Depending on the
variety, mature dwarf
tomato plants range in
height from 12 inches for
Tiny Tim to three feet for
Sugar Lump and Small fry.
The others are in between.
The best ornamental ef
fects in hanging baskets, as
well as good yields, are
possible with varieties such
as Yellow Pear, Sub-Arctic
Cherry, and Toy Boy.
A dwarf tomato plant, he
said, needs the soil volume of
at least a half-gallon milk
carton, a two pound coffee
can lined with plastic, or a
half-gallon plastic bleach
container. All containers
need some type of drainage
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for excess water to run off. K
a container does not have
drainage holes, punch holes
-in the bottom and put a one
half inch layer of small
stones or gravel in the
bottom.
In most cases, the best soil
is a top-grade, name-brand
potting mix, Dr. White
suggested. As next best, he
recommended 9 mix of equal
parts of coarse builder’s
sand, peat, and venniculite-.
with a pinch of slow-release
fertilizer added.
Drawf tomatoes should be
started in shallow containers
such as egg cartons and then
be transplanted to the half
gallon containers mentioned
earlier, after the first true
leaves appear.
Watering of the seeds and
tiny seedlings should be done
from a saucer or basin, using
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popular plant
warm water. The water
should move up through the
drain holes to saturate the
soil. If commercial potting
mixes are difficult to wet,
add two drops of liquid
dishwashing detergent per
quart of water. The
detergent makes the water
“wetter,” he explained.
Like all tomatoes, dwarf
plants need plenty of
sunlight. This generally
makes a southern window
the best location for
tomatoes grown indoors. If
the plants are tall and
spindly, they are not getting
enough light. A florescent
lamp of cool-white 40 watts,
located about eight inches
above the plants, can sub
stitute for sunlight over a 12
to 18 hour day.
“A well-prepared soil mix
contains the fertilizers that
m
plants need for the first three
or four weeks of growth.
Then nitrogen and
potassium should be added,
either with water each week
as a time-release pellet or as
an organic fertilizer. Follow
the instructions on the
container,” he advised.
“If the leaves become
smaller and lighter green as
a plant ages, then nitrogen is
lacking. On the other hand, if
a plant wilts when the soil is
moist, too much fertilizer
may have been added.”
The most important step in
watering full grown drawf
tomato plants, he declared,
is to add enough water at the
top for some to run through
the bottom of the container.
The excess water keeps
unused fertilizer salts from
accumulating in the soil. If a
mold or green slime
mu
develops cm the soil surface,
it is being kept too wet. If
plants wilt or the soil
away from the sides of the
container, the soil is too dry.
Where soot or dirt ac
cumulate on the leaf sur
faces, the leaves can be
sprayed occasionally with
lukewarm water.
As for insects and diseases
on dwarf tomato plaids
grown indoors, check
pesticides recommended for
tender ornamental plants for
suggested use on tomatoes.
Where dwarf plants are
grown indoors, one should
apply standard pesticides.
All instructions on pesticide
labels should be followed
carefully. A four page
leaflet, “Growing Tomatoes
and Eggplant in Home
Gardens,” is available from
county offices of ' the
Cooperative
Service or from the Mailing
Room, 112 Agricultural
Administration Building,
University Park, Pa. 16802.
‘ £ >