Transcript Tomatoes - Pinnacle Farms

Tomatoes
EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW
ABOUT GROWING TOMATOES
JANNA ANDERSON
GBS 233
There are literally
thousands of varieties of
tomatoes to choose
from. Sometimes
handed down from
generation to
generation, to seed saver
exchanges and small
grower hybrids, the
possibilities are just
endless.
Difficulties or success
growing tomatoes often
start in the selection
process of varieties that
do well in your climate.
Selecting a variety
Hybrid vs. Heirlooms
Hybrid Varieties
 Commonly confused with
Genetically Modified
Organisms (GMO)
 Created by cross
pollinating two types of
tomatoes
 Hybrids are designed to
have more disease
resistance, better taste or
longer shelf life
Heirlooms
 Traditional “saver” type
of tomatoes
 Seed can be dried and
kept from year to year
with a predictable
offspring like the parents
 Generally believed to
have better taste but a
short shelf life and
sometimes are very ugly
and difficult to grow!
As you can see from the
chart, the type of
tomatoes you plant can
have a huge relation on
what yield you may have.
Certain tomatoes grow
much larger or smaller
dependent on the
varieties for example,
Brandywines are large
and Dr. Wyche’s yellow
are usually smaller
around 4 to 8 oz. each.
There is a correlation to
size, our short seasons,
and the success you have.
Timing is Everything!
SINCE TIMING WILL MAKE OR
BREAK YOU WITH TOMATOES,
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS
THAT OUR LAST FROST DATE IN
P H O E N I X I S M A R C H 1 5 TH.
IT TYPICALLY GOES OVER 90
DEGREES ROUTINELY IN MAY,
AND SINCE TOMATOES FREEZE,
THEY CANNOT GO OUT BEFORE
M A R C H 1 5 TH U N L E S S P R O T E C T E D
AND MUST SET FRUIT BEFORE
MAY, SINCE TOMATOES CANNOT
POLLINATE IN HOT WEATHER.
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Min Max
temp temp
Feb
Mar
April
May
Jun
Jul
What that means to you!
WHEN SOMEONE SAYS “WE HAVE
SHORT SEASONS HERE,” THEY ARE
REFERRING TO THE SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE IT GETS
SO HOT CROPS DON’T GROW WELL.
WHEN SELECTING TOMATO
VARIETIES, THE DAYS IT TAKES TO
MATURITY SHOULD BE LESS THAN
70 FOR A GOOD CROP. ANY MORE
THAN THAT, AND THE CROP WILL
LIKELY JUST TAKE UP SPACE FOR
THE SUMMER, GROWING ONLY
LEAVES AND NO FRUIT. IT WILL
PICK UP IN THE FALL WHEN
NIGHTS GET COOLER AND
SOMETIMES YOU WILL GET A
SECOND CROP.
Winter
Spring
Fall
Summer
Getting Started
 Select transplants with dark green color
 Look for a shorter, sturdy stem
 Check under leaves for bugs or damage
 Look at bottom of pot for roots sticking out
 Get a plant smaller than the pot to avoid root bound
transplants
 Try to find how it was grown, and if it is hardened off
or needs extra protection from the sun
 Talk to your grower about varieties
Traditionally, we all
think to add compost
and maybe manure, but
for a reliable tomato
with the best flavor and
heat resistance, plain old
dirt is the best thing you
can start with.
AZ native soil is high in
micronutrients and
minerals simply not
found in a commercial
potting mix.
Add no more than 1/3 of
compost or manure to
the planting hole, mix
well and water in
deeply
GOT DIRT?
Now that you have
successfully
transplanted your
tomatoes, you can sit
back and watch them
grow.
Watering should be done
only when the dirt is dry
more than and inch
below the surface. Dirt
in AZ looks dry, but has
a nice layer holding in
the moisture below, so
check before watering,
then deep water-being
careful not to splash the
leaves!
Watch them grow!
Now comes the waiting,
the hardest part.
Watching the tomatoes
carefully for the first
sign of a tomato baby.
If the weather is over 90
degrees, you might try to
shade the plants with
light shade cloth. This
will help keep them
cooler.
Mulching carefully
around the plants will
conserve water and keep
the soil cooler.
Weeds are good sources of water conservation!
With a little luck and a
bit of work, the day will
finally come when you
see the first tomatoes
turning a rosy red!
Easy recipe: Mix about
2 tablespoons of rice
wine vinegar with 1
tablespoon of olive oil
and salt and pepper to
taste. It is ok to
marinade it for a few
minutes.
Finally the
day comes