How to Grow Great Tomatoes
Robert W. Nixon
Also by these 27 other
Howard County Master Gardeners…
Linda Branagan, Columbia Diane Brown, Westminster
Drenda Collins, Clarksville Linda Decker, Highland
Michelle Domangue, Columbia Aylene Kovensky Gard, Columbia
Leslie Gilbert, Mt. Airy Corliss Glennon, Dayton
Pat Greenwald, Sykesville Joyce Halasz, Ellicott City
Jane Hayes, Clarksville Jerry Kissel, Ellicott City
Paul Kojzar, Ellicott City Chris McComas, Woodbine
Holly McFarland, Columbia Shelley McNeal, Clarksville
Ron Newmister, Dayton Barbara Nibali, Ellicott City
Rosemary Noble, Ellicott City Sylvia Rampini-Huestis, Columbia
Jo Ann Russo, Sykesville Paul Rutter, Elkridge
Carolyn Taggart, Columbia Louisa Rogoff Thompson, Columbia
Barbara White, Ellicott City Jan Marie Williams-Nguyen, Columbia
Lisa Wingate, Ellicott City
College of
Agriculture and
Natural Resources
Tomato basics/botany
• Member of the nightshade family
• Other members: peppers, potatoes, tobacco,
& eggplants
• Native European members included
belladonna, mandrake, and henbane, all
poisonous and without edible fruit
• Tomato leaves, stems, & green fruit contain a
glycoalkaloid
Tomato basics/history
• Origin: west coast of South America
• Spanish explorers: Aztecs sold tomatoes in
their markets and made sauces from them
• Aztec “tomatl” became Spanish “tomate” and
eventually English “tomato”
• Spanish & Italians first used for food in
Europe, but others considered it poisonous
Tomato basics/site selection
Tomatoes flourish in (1) good, well-drained soil
and require a (2) minimum of 6 hours
(preferably 8-10 hours) of direct sunlight and
(3) approximately an inch of water a week.
Plants have
vigorous root
systems
Tip: Add compost to your garden soil
to improve it from year to year
“Add compost, compost,
and more compost. I use
leaves, grass clippings,
and kitchen scraps to
make it. I incorporate it
into the garden bed after
it has finished aging
(3 to 6 months).”
Shelley McNeal & Lindy
Growing tomatoes in containers
Containers can
solve problems,
such as bad soil &
high-rise living, but
requirements for
the plants remain
the same
*Mention of a brand names is for
purpose of illustration and not
endorsement
You can make your own containers
HGIC Publication 600,
Container Vegetable
Gardening, contains
detailed how-to
information, including
diagrams for making your
own containers from 5gallon buckets.
Paul Rutter
Tip: Deer & lots of other critters love
tomatoes. Fence them out!
Clarksville’s finest
Starting your tomato seeds
Too many seeds?
34 Early Girl seeds in $1.09 packet =
$.04 each + $.14 for each of 36 cells of
$4.94 Seed Starter kit = approximately
$.18 each tomato seedling.
Store them in an airtight
container in a cool, dry
place, such as
refrigerator or freezer.
They will remain viable
for 5 to 7 years, though
germination rate will
decline each year.
Tip: Start seeds 4-8 weeks before setout date in sterile, soilless medium in
a 75-degree F. location under
fluorescent lights.
Standard cool-white fluorescent bulbs
work well. Adjust the lights so they
remain 1”-2” above the seedlings.
Consider your utility room …
a greenhouse without glass
3-6 mil. clear plastic draped over lights would increase
humidity and air temperature
I use trays with grids, yoghurt cups,
marker, & a Phillips screwdriver
Punch drainage holes & use widely
available sterile seeding mix
Pat Greenwald’s home mix: 1/3 each of perlite, milled
sphagnum peat moss, & horticultural-grade vermiculite
Fill cup ½ with starter mix, drop in
seed & cover with mix, water …
About 5 to 7 days later …
About a week later, thin seedlings
with scissors to one per cup …
Damping off: Root rots that kill
seeds or seedlings
“A number of soil-borne, fungal and bacterial
root rots affect a wide range of vegetable
crops. Three fungal diseases … are collectively
referred to as ‘damping off’…. Seedlings
grown inside homes under fluorescent lights
and in greenhouses succumb to damping-off if
the medium is poorly drained and kept too
wet.”
-- UME’s Home and Garden Information
Center
website
Tip: Prevent damping-off diseases by
(1) using sterile, soilless starting mix,
(2) watering plants from bottom after
the mix has dried slightly, and (3)
removing infected plants immediately.
Additional safeguard: cover seeds with ¼”
vermiculite, sand, or other sterile material.
Tip: Periodic repotting results in
strong seedlings
“I transplant seedlings
from 2- to 4- to 6-inch
pots. Each time, I
remove the lower
leaves, so just the top 2
inches of leaves remain.
I replant them deeply in
the larger pot. The
result is great seedlings
with strong root
systems.”
Jane Hayes with ‘San
Marzano’
Tip: Begin hardening off seedlings
10 to 14 days before transplanting
“Hardening off” means introducing your plants to
outdoor living: light, wind, temperature differences
Best time to plant?
• When soil temperature reaches 55 to 60
degrees
• Here, usually mid-May to 1st week of June
• Can plant earlier if plants are protected
• If planted early, plants may grow slowly & be
subject to insect & disease attacks
• But choice plant varieties may not be available
then at retailers, so buy & hold
Transplanting tips
• Cloudy, wind-free day – or late afternoon
• Dig holes in soil improved with compost; mix
in 1/4 cup of garden fertilizer, a small handful
of gypsum or lime, and a pint of water
• Remove leaves except top-2-3 inches
• Set plants deep, to just below remaining
leaves, and protect from harsh weather
• Mulch ASAP & water as needed
The perfect collar: toilet paper roll
The collar protects the stem from
cutworms, which are moth larvae
(caterpillars) that live just
underground and may sever young
plants near ground level.
Paul Kojzar: Planting
“I plant tomatoes where I did not grow
tomatoes last year. I dig a hole about 2’ wide
and 2’ deep and fill it with a 50:50 mix of my
organic compost and existing soil from my
garden. For each plant, I add ½ cup of
hydrated lime* and a cup of dry chicken
manure. Finally, I mulch my tomato patch
with a 2”-deep mix of shredded leaves and
grass clippings.”
* Caustic: read directions carefully
Ron Newmister: Planting I
“I make a hole approximately 8” deep and 12”
wide. I use half garden soil mixed with half
well-aged (> 6 months) horse manure (1-1-1).
Compost/cow-manure mixtures available in
40-lb. bags work just as well. Put half of the
soil/manure mixture in the bottom of the
hole….
Ron Newmister: Planting II
“Pinch all leaves from plant except for the top 1 or 2
groups. Place plant in hole at an angle of 30 degrees
to the soil surface with the top pointing to
the northeast. The
strong spring/early
summer (southwest)
sun will pull the plant
to the vertical in 1 or 2
days....
Ron Newmister: Planting III
“Fill planting hole with the remaining half of
the soil/manure mixture, leaving
approximately 2” of the stem above the soil
surface. Side dress each plant when
approximately 6” tall with ¼ cup of lime plus ¼
cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer.”
Paul Rutter creates his own organic
fertilizer mix
Paul Rutter
Tip: Stake or cage and mulch
your plants to prevent diseases
and facilitate access
Stake ‘em …
Aylene Gard
Barbara White
Cage ‘em …
Ron Newmister
Ron Newmister: Making cages I
“I make circular cages out of concretereinforcement mesh, which is a steel, fencelike material with a 6” grid. It’s available in
rolls that are 5’ high by 25’, 50’, or 100’ in
length. Cutting at every 17th grid results in a
cage approximately 4 ½’ high and 8’ in
circumference and 2 ½’ in diameter….
Ron Newmister: Making cages II
… Cut the horizontal wire from the cage
bottom so the remaining 6” vertical pieces can
be pushed into the soil for stability. A single
piece of 5’ rebar, a steel fence post, or a
pointed wooden stick can be driven alongside
and tied to the cage to help the plant survive
our occasional hurricane. Add 3 to 4” of
mulch, such as straw or grass clippings, before
installing the cage.”
Paul Kojzar: Caging
“I use a two-layer caging
system to hold my
plants in place. The first
layer is a traditional
tomato cage, while the
second layer is a 3’diameter round cage
made from concrete
reinforcing mesh with
6”-openings and 5’ tall.”
The mulch often recommended: Straw
… newspaper, compost, plastic …
any barrier between leaves and soil
Paul Rutter
Train ‘em …
Pat Greenwald with
‘Costoluto Genovese’
Ron Newmister: Training tomatoes
“As the plant grows, bring the branches
through the grids to the outside of the cage.
Do this every 2 or 3 days. If the branches get
too long while inside the cage, they will break
when you try to bring them through the
grids.”
Two kinds of store-bought ties
Jute, sisal, cotton, Velcro …
Plastic stretch ties
Most-used tie by HoCo Master
Gardeners: pantyhose tops
To sucker, or not to sucker?
“Suckers are the little
vegetative growths that
arise at the junctions of
the stem & the side
branches. They have no
useful purpose….”
“Prune them if you are
a sucker-pruner. Pinch
them if you are a
sucker-pincher. Let
them go & things will
get pretty dense &
green….”
John Page, Grow the Best
Tomatoes, Storey Country
Wisdom Bulletin, A189
HGIC Publication 70
Recommended Vegetable Cultivars
TOMATOES (* = hybrid variety)
Red: Better Boy*, Big Beef*, Big Boy*, Celebrity*,
Delicious, Early Girl*, Jet Star*, Mortgage
Lifter, Park’s Whopper*, Red Pear, Rutgers,
Stupice, Supersonic*
Pink/purple: Cherokee Purple, Eva Purple Ball,
German Johnson, Giant Belgian, Pink
Brandywine, Pruden’s Purple
Yellow: Golden Queen, Lemon Boy, Yellow Pear
Paste: Amish Paste, Roma, San Marzano, San
Remo, Super Italian, Viva Italia*
Cherry: Gardener’s Delight, Sun Cherry, Sun Gold,
Sweet 100*, Sweet Cherry, Sweet Million
Howard County Master Gardeners
suggest these varieties …
Early: Early Girl* (* = hybrid variety)
Red cherry: Sweet 100*
Orange cherry: Sun Gold*
Small red: Juliet*
Large red: Celebrity*, Better Boy*, & Supersteak*
Heirloom: Brandywine
Paste: San Marzano
Small yellow: Yellow Plum/Pear
Large orange: Kellogg’s Breakfast
Key terms: Determinate and Indeterminate
varieties, sometimes abbreviated (D) and (I)
• Determinate (or bush or patio) varieties grow
to the pre-determined height of the cultivar.
Though plants may be short, they can produce
fruit all summer. This type is great for
containers and small gardens.
• Indeterminate varieties produce fruit at
intervals along their ever-growing stems , with
blooms and fruit in all stages of development
– until frost kills the plant.
Disease ID codes help you select
resistant hybrid varieties
Totally Tomatoes
Early Girl Hybrid VFF
Totally Tomatoes
Ron Newmister
"Early Girl is dependable, has few
disease problems, and is better
adapted to varying weather
conditions than other early varieties
I've tried. It has very good flavor for
an early tomato“ – Barbara White
Sweet 100 Hybrid VF
Totally Tomatoes
August 23
Photo: Paul Kojzar
“Sweet 100 has true tomato flavor
as well as sweetness. It’s an
incredibly vigorous vine growing
6’ tall or more and producing
hundreds of tomatoes”
– Louisa Rogoff Thompson
Sun Gold Hybrid
Totally Tomatoes
“’I put a bowl of those little
orange tomatoes on the
counter,’” my neighbor said,
“’and they were gone in less
than an hour’”
– Bob
Nixon
Juliet Hybrid
Totally Tomatoes
“A great munchable – meaty & not
too sweet. A great treat to take to
the office. Resists cracking. One of
the first I pick in early summer, one
of the last in the fall” – Bob Nixon
Celebrity Hybrid
Totally Tomatoes
“Celebrity meets all my needs –
a long-season fruit, 4-oz.
tomatoes small enough to use
all of at one meal” – Louisa
Rogoff Thompson
Better Boy Hybrid VFN
Totally Tomatoes
“Great taste. Fruit to 1 lb. A
great slicer with disease
resistance. Call this one ‘Old
Faithful.’ A great choice for a
first-time tomato grower”
– Bob Nixon
Supersteak Hybrid VFN
Totally Tomatoes
“Supersteaks are great for
making sandwiches. One slice
and your job is done”
–
Paul Rutter
Paul Rutter
Brandywine
Totally Tomatoes
Paul Rutter
“Brandywines are big, pink,
heirloom tomatoes with a fabulous
old-fashioned taste. One slice per
BLT! But they don’t do well in the
dry, hot summers we’ve been
having” – Jane Hayes
San Marzano
Totally Tomatoes
Jane Hayes
“San Marzanos are prolific, rich
tasting, and their thin skin
allows for canning or freezing
without peeling” – Jane Hayes
Yellow Plum/Pear
Totally Tomatoes
“Our family has used Yellow
Plums or Yellow Pears for more
than 100 years to make tomato
preserves. They tend to split
after rains, so keep them picked”
– Bob Nixon
Kellogg’s Breakfast
Totally Tomatoes
Diane Brown
“Kellogg’s Breakfast is big &
delicious. It has a thin skin that
tends to split, so keep an eye on
it. Mine won the Third Premium
ribbon in the Large Tomato
category at the 2007 Howard
County Fair. It weighed 1¾
pounds” – Diane Brown
What can go wrong?
Marianna’s Peace
4 common problems:
• Damping off
• Blossom-end rot
• Leaves die,
beginning near soil
• “Bugs” attack
Most solutions are
simple & non-toxic
Blossom-end rot: Fruit tissue
disintegrates at blossom end
Tip: Time, lime, and water generally
solve blossom-end rot
• Generally it’s an early-season problem that “naturally goes
away”
• Remove affected fruit as soon as possible
• Add handful of gypsum or ground limestone to planting soil
• Mulch to conserve moisture
• Drip irrigate deeply; 1 to 2 gallons/plant per week
• Establish pH of 6.3 to 6.8 after soil test*
*Test your garden soil every 3 to 5 years. Call the Home &
Garden Information Center, send them a question through the
website or read HG #110, Selecting and Using a Soil Testing
Laboratory, to learn how to do it and where to get your soil
analyzed.
Tip: Drip irrigate, mulch, prune,
select resistant varieties to prevent
leaf die-back diseases
• Mulch and drip irrigate to prevent soil
splashing onto leaves
• Prune lower 12”+ of leaves as plants grow
• If disease is severe, spray with a fixed
copper fungicide to slow or stop disease
• No cultivars have genetic resistance,
though some are more susceptible than
others
• Ignore: Generally late season before plant
adversely affected
• Rotate location of tomato patch
• Remove all debris after season
Tip: Make simple drip irrigation
system from jugs & buckets
Paul Kojzar: Watering
“I water as needed during early stages of the
plant development. Once plants are
established, I do not water them as long as
the soil is moist under the mulch. I usually
end up with smaller tomatoes, but they are
loaded with flavor.”
Tip: Beneficial insects and simple
remedies usually control “bad
bugs” so avoid toxic chemicals
• Aphids: Predators & parasites, such as lady beetles & small
wasps, generally control. Or blast them off with your watering
hose.
• Whiteflies: Predators and parasites usually control. Or use
insecticidal soap, pyrethrum, or a combination, as directed on
the label.
• Hornworms: Hand pick and squish underfoot or drown in jar
of soapy water. Or use them as fish bait.
• Warning: Toxic sprays that kill the “bad guys” generally kill the
“good guys” too.
Hornworm saga, Part 1: You notice
droppings or missing leaves
Hornworm saga, Part 2:
You look closer …
Paul Rutter
Hornworm, Part 3:
The braconid wasps win
Photo: Rosemary Noble
Paul Kojzar: Pest control
“As a matter of principle, I leave nature to take
care of a limited number of pests and any
disease. Small blooms of various herbs
planted in the garden attract plenty of
beneficial insects, but a solar-powered
electrical fence keeps deer away.”
Plan for soccer moms & dads, aka
“plant ‘em, forget ‘em, pick ‘em”
•
•
•
•
•
•
Prepare your patch/spaces (2 to 4 hours)
Buy 4 to 6 plants (1 1/2 hours)
Set out plants (1 hour)
Buy a bale of straw & cages (1 hour)
Cage & mulch plants (1 hour)
Occasional tying, watering, pruning, weeding (half
hour now & then)
• Pick ‘em
October & threat of heavy frost:
Bring in your last treasures …
Tomato Festival
Cookbook, p. 261
Photo: Paul Kojzar
… and remove the plants if they
were infected with a killing disease
Buy seeds and plants
at local nurseries and retailers …
How to choose good plants
• Look for short, stocky plants with dark-green leaves
• Avoid plants that evidence disease (yellow leaves) or
damage (lack of water)
• Check label for resistance to diseases & pests (VFN…)
• Check label (or catalogs) to see if variety is
determinate or indeterminate
• Shop when new plants have arrived, probably just
before the weekend
HGIC Publication 56
IPM Series: Tomatoes
University of Maryland
Master Gardener Handbook
Chapter 17, Vegetables
Library: R Md. 635M
Pick up a brochure to find
out how you can become a
Master Gardener
Other resources
635
At libraries using Dewey Decimal
Classification, you can find gardening
books at this & nearby numbers.
How to Grow Great Tomatoes
Resources
• Grow It! Eat It!
http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit
– We have all types of practical food gardening tips and
information. Check out our popular blog!
• Home and Garden Information Center
http://www.extension.umd.edu/hgic
– Here you will find factsheets, photos, and videos. You
can also subscribe to the free monthly e-newsletter.
– We answer gardening questions 24/7…just click
“Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts”
• Maryland Master Gardener Program
http://www.extension.umd.edu/mg
– Consider becoming a trained MG volunteer!
Thank you for letting me share this
program with you … Bob Nixon
By Robert W. Nixon and …
This program was brought to you by the
Maryland Master Gardener Program
Howard County
University of Maryland Extension