Some people prune tomato plants and some just let them grow wild. So why might you want to prune your tomato plants?

photo credit: Hammer51012

For larger tomatoes
If you prune the plants more growth will go into the tomato and not vine production.

When growing tomatoes vertical or in hanging baskets
Plants can become heavy so when growing them vertical on a trellis, tomato cage or in a hanging basket you may want to prune them to lighten the plant and weight.

Grandpa Joes Pruning tips
Grandpa Joe grew his tomatoes vertically and used this pruning method. he also applied a lot of compost and aged fertilizer, followed by a heavy layer of mulch.

Prune the young tomato plant to form a “Y” fork low to the ground. Train these two stalks up a trellis made of wood or string. Don’t prune off any more suckers. Keep the vine growing vigorously to shade the tomatoes and protect them from sunburn.

Yes tomatoes can suffer too much from direct sun after they have been pruned.

Pruning can help you produce a larger crop of tomatoes. But it takes a few year pruning to find a method that works for you area and garden climate.

Technorati Tags: gardening tips, pruning tomatoes, tomatoes, vegetables

They say the tomato is America’s favorite vegetable (some call it a fruit). And I have to admit the tomato is a favorite of mine, particularly the heirloom varieties.

photo credit: thedabble

But in my zone 5 climate I need to start my tomatoes indoors and early so that the plant will be ready to produce as early as possible. I have learned tricks to accomplish this over many years.

I start my tomatoes indoor early then transplant them into homemade hot houses. By using a hot house I can start my tomato plants outdoors at least a month early. Here is a cheap and easy hothouse you can set up.

Hint: I use old aluminum storm windows that I pick up for free at garage sales or for a buck at auctions. This is one very economical hot house to set up.

Homemade Aluminum Window Hothouse

Dig a trench about 18 to 24 inches deep. If you have a tiller you can break the ground up and make the job a lot easier. Mound the excavated soil along the sides of the trench.

I then plant my tomatoes in the trench (your tomatoes will be about 18 inches below the actual soil line.) Then take the storm windows and place them over the tomatoes. This will create a very successful hot house where the tomatoes will thrive.

photo credit: iLoveButter

Tip: when placing the storm windows leave about 6 inches open at the end of the row for ventilation. At night cover this space with a board. And on very cold nights I will cover the hot house with a blanket for extra protection.

In about two to four weeks the tomatoes will be touching the glass window. If your nights are still cold you can place bricks or cement blocks on the top of the excavated soil to raise the sides. Make sure the bricks or blocks are secure and place the storm windows back on top.

When your nights are warm enough, remove the storm windows. But keep them close just in case you get a surprise frost.

There is one more very important advantage to using this hothouse method. As the plants grow I fill the trenches in with compost and soil. This means my tomato plants have roots that are 18 to 24 inches deep. This will make the plants sturdy and they will produce twice as well as ordinary tomato plants.

Tomato plants are one of the few plants that will produce roots up the stem and re-root. These additional roots are beneficial to plant production.

Technorati Tags: early tomatoes, homemade aluminum window hothouse, hothouse, tomato growing tips, tomatoes

I have had several people asking about tomato and tomatillo crop problems.
photo credit: sleepyneko

Most problems seem to be relating back to the weather. Many places have had irregular weather, either too hot and dry or cold nights.

Without seeing a photo I can only guess but here are a few of the more common tomato and tomatillo problems

1. If few flowers are forming on your tomato plants or the flowers drop before setting fruit, possible causes include:

·    Excess nitrogen
·    Too little sun
·    Nighttime temperatures above 70 degrees F or below 50 degrees F
·    Drought stress

Stress seems to cause more problems to the tomato family than other problems and it’s easy to over look. Here are a few possible solutions to your problems.

Avoid soil amendments with soluble nitrogen and make sure plants get a full day of sunlight. Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the season. Mulch covers on top of the soil around your tomato plants with help keep soil moisture even.

At planting time, use a balanced, granular fertilizer that’s made for tomatoes. During the growing season, treat your plants to a water-soluble fertilizer. I use a compost tea for my tomatoes. If you don’t use compost tea, you can ask for advice at your garden center

2. Dark, concentrically ringed spots that cover the lower leaves and stems are a sign of early blight. To control the spread of blight, you can use an organic Garden Dust, available in most garden centers. It’s also important to not get water on the leaves when watering and not handling plants when they are wet. This will also cause early blight to spread.

3. Water-soaked patches on fruit that turn brown, dry and papery are a sign of late blight. The stems might also have blackened areas. To control late blight, spray plants with compost tea, or follow the same program of control as for early blight.

4. Cracks in fruit are usually caused by uneven watering. This tends to happen the most in late summer if you have a dry hot spell that changes to a cool spell. If you use mulch to keep the soil evenly moist you should not have this problem.

5. Yellowed, distorted and curled leaves are usually a sign of an infestation of aphids. Check for signs of aphids on the undersides of leaves or on new growth. Aphids are easily combated with a strong jet of water or an application of neem oil will get aphids under control

Distorted leaves could also be tobacco mosaic virus. This virus causes young growth to be narrow and twisted. The leaves become mottled with yellow. If your plants have tobacco mosaic virus they will need to be removed and destroyed.

Note: do not add infected plants into a compost pile. It’s best to burn them.

Tomatoes and tomatillos are favorites in many gardens but they do tend to have disease and stress related problems.
photo credit: bhamsandwich

Keep them evenly watered, add fertilizer during the season and keep weeds down around the plants. With a watchful eye, they should grow and produce well.

For more information on how to grow the tomatillo check this link: Garden tips: How to grow the Tomatillo, the Tomatoes cousin

Technorati Tags: tomatillos, tomatoes, vegetables