UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) Almost every gardener,
from Martha Stewart to the' fic
tional Don Corleone, has grown
tomatoes. The trick to growing
them effectively, according to a
Penn State gardening specialist,
is proper care and preparation.
Plant tomatoes by Memorial
Day. If temperatures dip to frost
levels after planting, icover the
tomato plants with paper or
cloth coverings. Plastic covers
will cause freezing if the plastic
touches the plant.
Here are some tomato growth
tips:
• Planting. Tomato plants
should be planted in early
evening, to reduce stress and
heat injury from the sun.
Tomatoes need cool, moist condi
tions after transplanting. Set
the plant into the ground up to
the first set of leaves so the roots
will be more stable.
• Stakes or cages. Stake or
cage the plants as you are plant
ing them. If you wait to stake
the plant, you’ll end up disturb
ing or breaking parts of the
plant.
• Water immediately.
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Stake Tomatoes On These Methods
Gardeners should use a water
soluble starter solution fertilizer
at half the recommended rate.
He suggests using about a pint
of liquid per plant for best
results.
• Fertilizers. High-phospho
rus fertilizer should be used.
High phosphorus means the
middle number on the formula is
at least three to four times the
other two numbers, such at 12-
48-12 or 10-55-10.
• More watering. Tomato
plants should be watered every
week- to 10 days, if it has not
rained in that time. Gardeners
should water so the soil is moist
from six to 10 inches deep. Light
spray sprinklers will take about
an hour to soak the soil thor
oughly. If you use a hose-end
sprayer or rose-fan sprinkler, it
will take about 10 to 15 minutes
of watering. About the time
you’re running out of patience,
that’s when the plant has had
enough water.”
• Tying. Two weeks after
planting, the stems should be
tied to the stake with soft twine,
strips of cloth or yarn.
• Add nutrients. Because
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Pennsylvania has calcium-rich
soils, gardeners should add mag
nesium to the soil. Tomatoes
require high amounts of magne
sium, which can be added by
applying high-magnesium lime
stone, or the even more magne
sium-rich dolomitic limestone.
The bottom leaves of the
plant will turn yellow if it needs
magnesium. When the plant is
in a weakened state, Early
Blight, a disease that attacks
tomato plants, can develop and
hurt the tomato crop.
•Insect and disease control.
Gardeners can control pests in
small gardens by breaking off
leaves with evidence of disease
of insects. Seal the affected
leaves in plastic bags and throw
them away. If conditions are too
far gone, spray.
About 40 days after the flow
ering or 65 to 80 days after
transplanting, the first tomatoes
should appear. For the best fla
vor and aroma, gardeners
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should wait for the tomato to
reach full color before picking.
The tomato should be slightly
firm, not mushy.
Any tomato showing even a
trace of color will ripen as long
as they aren’t refrigerated. How
long it takes to ripen depends on
size, variety and other factors.
TTie plants will continue to
produce tomatoes until the first
frost. If you know the frost is
coming, go out and pick every
thing. Those showing color will
ripen and the green ones can be
fried, or cooked into relish.
The following tomato vari
eties are known for superior
taste and aroma:
• First Lady VFNTAs (The
VFNTAs means this variety is
resistant to Verticullum,
Fusarium Wilt, Nematodes,
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• Big Beef VFNTAsL. (The L
means this variety is resistant
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• Delicious. A beefsteak type
tomato with excellent flavor and
aroma.
Cherry Tomatoes;
• Super Sweet 100 VF
• Sun Gold F. A yellow toma
to variety.
Husky Gold VF is recom
mended for gardeners growing
in small patches near patios or
in containers. The tomato is yel
low and averages about 2 inches
in diameter. The plant is com
pact with a very sturdy central
stalk, so it doesn’t require stak
ing.