Organic Tomato Gardening Tips
Natural tomato gardening is ideal for almost every backyard, however small. All you require is really a sunny corner. And nothing beats the taste of freshly picked sun ripened tomatoes from your own garden! Follow our tips for the perfect home grown natural tomatoes.
1. Location
Tomatoes require support and like a sunny, sheltered site. They usually prefer slightly acidic soil. A south or west facing fence or trellis is ideal. Some varieties grow up to 6 feet tall, others are smaller.
2. Variety
There are numerous different types of tomato. If you want a truly natural garden, you will wish to begin out with natural tomato seeds. Otherwise it is possible to use regular seeds and merely avoid using chemicals on your plants.
The greatest method to select a tomato variety would be to ask around among your neighbors. They will have exactly the same climate and soil type, so what works for them will probably work for you. Maybe they will even share seeds with you.
3. Feeding
Successful natural tomato gardening requires some attention. Feed plants at least twice within the season with a great organic fertilizer. Slow release fertilizers within the soil are a lot more effective than liquids. Spraying with kelp and fish emulsion from time to time will supply the growing leaves with extra nutrients.
Normal watering is vital. Never let the plants become so dry that they wilt. They might recover but they will not produce great juicy tomatoes that way.
4. Pests
Unfortunately tomatoes are vulnerable to various kinds of infestation. Here are some examples of tomato pests and what you can do about them.
Hornworms or Manduca quinquemaculata
This is a big ugly caterpillar native to the USA with a black horn on its rear end. It adores tomato plants and anything else in the same family (eggplant, potato, bell pepper, tobacco).
Hornworms will hide under the leaves of your plants so check every day, especially if you know that they are common in your local area. Sometimes you will discover them by seeing their black excretions that have fallen onto other leaves.
The easiest and most effective way to deal with hornworms organically would be to squish them. Alternatively, it is possible to buy parasitic wasps or braconid wasps which will lay their eggs within the caterpillar. When the eggs hatch, the larvae will feed on the caterpillar and kill it. Should you use braconid wasps, don't kill the hornworms yourself: the wasps will leave your garden if they don't discover a few to lay their eggs on. The adult wasps feed on the flowers of dill and cilantro plants so grow some of those near to your tomatoes too.
Eelworms or Nematode
These worms live within the soil all about the world. They feed within the roots of several plants including potatoes and tomatoes. There is an organic pesticide called Methyl Bromide that can assist with this. Planting marigolds in with your tomatoes is really a great prevention measure.
Tomato Blight
Tomato blight is caused by fungus. Good preventive measures include rotating your plants to ensure that the tomatoes are not always in exactly the same place, and thinning them out to ensure that they have plenty of circulating air. Still occasionally in a wet summer you'll see some blight. Remove and destroy affected plants immediately to stop it spreading, or it will ruin your chances of successful organic tomato gardening.