The tomato is one of the most popular home garden crops in Oklahoma. Tomatoes can grow in a small area, bear through most of the season, are easy to grow and have many uses in the home. They are also low in calories and a good source of Vitamin C.

Tomatoes should be grown in full sun and planted away from trees and shrubs to obtain the highest yields. Your area should also be well-drained; since poor drainage promotes root loss. Those of you with poorly drained or heavy clay soils should plant your tomatoes in raised beds or mounds 4-6” high.

Tomatoes can grow in many types of soil but do best in deep, fertile, well-drained soil that has good organic matter and slightly acid (pH of about 6.5). The soil should be worked when it is dry enough that it doesn’t stick to your tools. Garden soil may be improved by adding peat moss, or a soil amendment such as Back to Nature®. Lime is also a good additive for tomatoes; it supplies calcium which tomatoes need. If you are unsure about your soil type we always suggest a soil sample be taken.

A complete garden fertilizer should be added to the soil when it is being prepared for planting. Tomatoes prefer a fertilizer low in nitrogen, high in phosphorus and medium to high in potassium. A 10-20-10 prior to planting at the rate of 1-2# for each 100 sq.ft. should be adequate. All fertilizers should be worked into the top 6 inches of soil. As always if you need additional information on fertilizing your tomatoes ask one of our specialists.

Tomatoes should be set in the garden when the weather has warmed and the soil temperature is above 60⁰F. This is usually around the first or second week in April, but as you know Oklahoma weather can play tricks on us! Temperatures below around 50⁰F. have a tendency to reduce tomato growth. It is possible to set plants out early if you use the ‘wall of water’ to protect them.

Carefully remove pots from the root ball. Set the plants slightly lower than they were in the pots so as lower leaves are close to the ground. If your plants are already “leggy” try the trench method of planting: lay them down in a trench long enough to leave only the top 6” of the plant exposed after covering the stem. This allows roots to develop along the buried portion of the stem.

Make your holes 3-4” deep and 2-4’ apart in the row. Before setting your plants fill the holes with water and let it soak in. Backfill the soil loosely around the plant. Leave a slightly sunken area around each plant to hold water. After planting, fertilize with Osmocote for vegetables.

Mulching your tomatoes is one of the best things you can do to get high yields. Place a 2-3” layer of organic material such as straw or shredded mulch around the plants. Mulching helps discourage weed growth and helps retain moisture.

Your tomatoes will need to be staked or caged soon after planting. When staking, we suggest doing it right after planting as not to damage the new roots. A 6’ stake set about 10” deep in the soil works well. As the plant gets taller, tie it loosely to the stake about every 10-12”. Pruning your tomatoes will make for a more manageable plant. Remove the small shoots which grow out of the point where each leaf joins the main stem.

If you prefer caging we carry several sizes and styles of tomato cages. Many tomato varieties such as Better Boy will need a cage about 5’ tall. Bush variety tomatoes can use a cage about 2-2¹/₂’ tall. The cages should be 15-18” in diameter. The best method is to place the cage over young

plants and push the cage down into the soil to keep it from blowing away. Tomatoes in cages don’t need to be pruned.

Ugh, that four letter word! Weed! These little devils will compete for soil moisture and nutrients and can also serve as a great place for harmful insects to call home. Use of mulch will help reduce the need for hand weeding and hoeing, but won’t keep all the weeds out. Use of herbicides rated for vegetables is another alternative; however, always follow manufacturers recommendations. A 3-4 inch layer of mulch is one of the best ways to inhibit weed growth. If you hoe or cultivate around your tomatoes be careful not to damage the plants roots.

It’s impossible for us to tell you how often you should water your tomatoes. It all depends on your soil conditions, weather conditions, amount of direct sun, and numerous other factors. What we can tell you is tomato moisture should be checked on a daily basis. They like to be kept moist, but not wet. Make sure you water thoroughly enough to get down about 12-18”. A slow, even watering from the bottom is much better than a sprinkler. Ideally, none of the water should come in contact with the foliage, reducing leaf and fruit disease problems.

Tomatoes, if not cared for properly can have several disease, pest and physiological problems.

Leaf Curl: curling or rolling of the leaves occurs in hot weather or after cultivation or severe pruning. Keep plants well watered and don’t hoe deeply around plants.

Blossom Drop: Usually it has to do with our temperatures. Tomatoes don’t particularly like a night temperature below 60⁰F. or day temperatures above 92-95⁰F. Spring bloom drop from low temperatures can be reduced by a “bloom set” spray. Although consistent moisture and mulch will help, during high temperatures there is not much to do about bloom drop.

Cracking: Summer rains or letting your plants completely dry out could cause cracking. Crack resistant varieties are available. Picking fruits in the pink stage and allowing them to ripen indoors will help reduce cracking.

Fusarium Wilt: This fungus will turn lower leaves yellow and cause them to die. One or more branches may be affected while others remain unaffected. During later stages of fusarium wilt plants themselves will wilt and die. Planting fusarium resistant tomatoes is your best defense.

Verticillium Wilt: Symptoms of verticillium wilt are often confused with fusarium wilt. Plants typically don’t show symptoms until bearing a heavy fruit load or following stress. Leaf withering can progress up the plant until only a few leaves remain. Stunted plants can also be a symptom and usually these eventually die. Crop rotation is a recommended control for verticillium wilt, along with resistant tomato cultivars.

Nematodes: This is the most common parasite of tomatoes. Infected roots produce galls that resemble a string of pearls. Soil sterilization or planting nematode resistant tomatoes are your best bets.

Cutworms: The larvae chew plant stems at the soil surface usually shortly after planting. These can cut a tomato plant to the ground in no time. The cutworm can be identified by curling into a “C” shape when disturbed. Once you suspect cutworms dig around the plants base and sift the soil for caterpillars. An effective control is a “collar” around your young transplants, and keeping the planting area weed free. Remember to remove the collars after 2-4 weeks of growth.

Spider Mites: Damage from spider mites results in blotchy, yellow leaves with the underside having a silvery appearing webbing. Damage by mites can become quite severe especially under hot dry conditions. Early detection is important to avoid damage to your plants. To check for spider mites, shake leaves over a white piece of paper, if you see dark specks that move on the paper more than likely you have spider mites. Treatments with a miticide such as Kelthane® should be done as soon as mites are detected. A second treatment is usually needed in 3-5 days after the first. Careful coverage is essential.

Aphids: These insects attack the plant by sucking the sap and weakening it. They appear as little black or brown dots usually on the underside of leaves. They also leave a honeydew secretion which can attract fungus. Treat with a vegetable rated insecticide. More than one treatment may be necessary.