Hi, I'm new to Dave's. I live in Athens, GA. As we all know, it's been hotter than jumper cables at a redneck picnic lately--not too good for tomatoes. So I've been trimming diseased leaves and watering every day. I've lost about 6 plants out of 27 due to heat and/or disease (most of my plants are heirlooms, but 2 of the losses have been "disease-resistant" hybrids!). I found some new stuff called Moisturin--an anti-transpirant (helps the plant retain moisture). Moisturin's not widely available yet, but has been tested extensively at the University of Oregon. The manufacturer sold me a little bottle of concentrate to try. It's supposed to be organic and environmentally friendly. I've heard of other things, like Neem Oil, which are more readily available. Has anyone had good success with a non-toxic product to help prevent diseases and desiccation in extremely hot weather?
tomato growing in Georgiathe good, the bad, and the ugly
Hello and welcome to Dave's World !
I tried a new approach for my tomatoes this year. I bilt a 12ft x 3 ft raised bed made of cinder blocks. I filled it with shredded composted leaves and 3 bags of black cow. I put in an irrigation drip system too and water 15 min every other day. I planted 2 cherry sweet 100's and 5 better boys.
I am now getting a ton of cherries and sofball sized better boys. My plants are deep green and falling out of the bed. My cherries are over 7 ft tall. Absolutely the best crop I have ever raised. Best of all, the heat does not seem to bother them at all.
Now, my sister planted her 30 beter boys right in the ground and they are experiencing the same problems that you are describing.
Here's a great compost that plants really explode over !!
http://paulgadawg.turnwill2.hop.clickbank.net
I'm doing tomatoes for the first time in a few years, this year. I also have raised beds with soil well ammended with manure, and heavily mulched. The plants were very well watered when they were planted and have shown some signs of stress, but I'm trying not to provide with extra water right now if I don't HAVE to, due to watering restrictions. Mine are all organic, and three are heirloom and doing great. I thought the yellow heirloom was going to croak, but it sent out new growth and is gorgeous again.
I'm not 100% thrilled with Marvel Striped. I like the taste but it's not as resistant to all things like the green zebra is. Man, that is a GOOD eating tomato!!
My cherries are just ripening. I put them in much later than the others as they can stand the punishment of lack of water with no problem. I have learned to plant my tomatoes very, very deep here which seems to help in drought. Each is planted a minimum of 8" under the soil.
GGG
I grow 4th of July from seed (started about March) and find them very disease resistant. It is my most dependable tomato. I've had disease problems with others.
I have to deal with problems as I have to plant in the same place every year and I know you are not supposed to do that. I do amend every year. It is the only place I get enough sun, except for my lawn and I think my neighbors would seriously object if I started a garden there...
Anyway - 4th of July is very dependable, tasty and very disease resistant. They are early - not very big, about 1.5 - 2" and go until the frost kills them.
So far my Better Boy II is looking very good. It is a bigger tomato and I have hopes for it. Supposed to be disease resistant. I'll know by the the end of summer.
4th of July http://www.burpee.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=473&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=13&iSubCat=2004&iProductID=473&iSubSubCat=1864
Incidentally - don't smoke around tomatoes or let others do it. Don't touch tomato plants if you have been smoking.
Sterling, ok you got my curiosity up. I don't smoke, but DH does. Is that what is killing one of my tomato plants? No kidding, I didn't think anything of it, but come to think of it, he picked some ripe tomatoes off the plant the last time and now it has shut down. No blooms, no fruit, no nothing. And it is supposed to be one of those long-bearing varieties, until frost (forgot the name). No insects or other obvious problems. Is this a coinkidink??
Well, I do smoke and I had read in a number of places - when I was researching my tomato problems and their diseases - that it is bad to touch the plants if you've been smoking. Since I had a lot of problems with mosiac and wilt, I paid attention. I wash well before handling the plants. I also grow only really disease resistant plants and that helps too.
As an interesting aside: scientists have discovered that "smoke-induced emphysema was completely prevented by concomitant ingestion of lycopene (a potent antioxidant) given as tomato juice" in SAMP1 mice."
So the tomato plants may not like smokers but the tomatoes do help smokers stay healthier! Cool, huh?
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=35981
Hey, y'all. I am making notes for the day when I have sunshine enough (and no deersipoosies) to grow tomatoes! Thanks. In the meantime, a lady in the neighborhood is selling them to me and I am a happy tomato eater. In one of my courses they talked about the tobacco/tomato mosaic link. Smoking isn't the problem, it's touching the tobacco--I think. Here's a link that might shed some light. Sheila http://www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm/veg/htms/mosvirto.htm
Tobacco can kill a tomato in an instant! We see it at the church green house. Our workers smoke, and we insist on thorough handwashing after each smoke.
This spring at one of our plant sales, a very obnoxious person INSISTED on his right to smoke a cigar around our plants. About 50 drooped and died in 1/2 hr. That was 75 dollars for people with disabilities. He purchased about $5 of plants. I was so irked. We TOLD him it would happen he just stood by and watched.
GGG
Response to all the great postings above: Thanks for your input. I don't smoke and no one in the household uses tobacco, so I don't think that's my problem. Good to hear about the Fourth of July disease resistance. They were already on my list for next year. I start my seeds in mid-February or early March. I have grow lights sufficient to light four standard seedling trays with 72 cubicles in each tray. This spring I gave away sooo many tomato plants to my friends, my friends' friends, to the local grocery co-op. I had over 250 tomato seedlings. I just love to do seedlings. I'm sure I'll be doing it again next year--am planning on Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Fourth of July, Tomande, Big Mama, Black Cherry, a couple of yellows, German Red Strawberry (if my seed saving goes well) and a few others. Maybe I can put out the word next spring, if anyone is interested in driving to Athens to get free seedlings. Starting from seeds is so much fun! Cheers, Jane
Black Cherry is on my list for next year. So is Arkansa Traveller. And as always Sweet 100.
The yellow I'm growing is Yellow Prepetual. I love it. Tasty.
Drought is curling my leaves up right now and turning some yellow. Luckily we'll have rain this week. I just pick off the diseased/stressed leaves. The plant just makes a longer shoot and more tomatoes!
GGG
Food crops can be watered every day throughout GA. Call your local water dept if you have questions.. If they tell you it's just for farmers, your talking to someone that doesn't know better.. It's also on Walter Reeve's web site.
Our crop has done gang busters this year. My husband is responsible.. He made sure the PH was just right before planting and he helped me build the bamboo tepees that we made for supports. He alone has been tying them up as they have grown. I made this salsa last night and gave away lots of it to neighbors and froze some since I didn't want to can it.. http://www.recipezaar.com/9272#postreview I've also been giving the fruit away. Mail carrier, neighbors, coworkers.. everybody!
I am unsure of the particular varieties we are eating since we have a habit of just pulling all the ripe ones off without paying any attention to which plants they came from, so we are not making progress for which we want to grow next year.. I will start paying more attention to the tags and report back. He also set up a drop irrigation system and they get a little water at the root every day. After heavy rains, we have had some swell up and crack, but were glad to have the rain and ate around it.
GGG, I saw your ad in the GA Market bulletin!! :) hmm, I would have had to strongly insist that your smoker leave the premisis without plants!!
Susan
Susan, you are right, the watering exemptions are for "Personal Food Gardens". Some counties require that you water during the posted time frames tho. A hassle, but at least you won't lose what you've planted.
do you mean I can water my tomatoes and herbs every day???
Susan, that add was so messed up! They put in my phone number (where they got that, I'll never know, unless they keep old records!!).. and didn't put in a mailing address. Left off half my list of seeds, then wrote the entire add backwards...
Oh, boy. Guess they have new interns for the summer at the paper?
GGG
Spider07, I'd check with your county water department, but I'm pretty sure that the personal food garden exemption is common to all counties. Like I mentioned they may still be applying the restrictions as to what time you can water... Best to check!
VJ
thank you Vja!
Opps G! Better luck next month :)
Yes Spider!! )
http://www.walterreeves.com/landscaping/article.phtml?cat=19&id=515
Drought - Current Watering Restrictions
Watering restrictions are not at all uniform across the metro Atlanta area. Some municipalities are much different from others.
The following rules were adopted in 2004 by the Ga. Environmental Protection Division.
They are permanent, year-round and state-wide.
# Odd-numbered addresses may water lawns and wash cars Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
# Even-numbered and unnumbered addresses may water Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
# Vegetable gardens may be watered anytime.
# Businesses that need water to operate are exempt, including farms, car washes, professional landscapers, construction companies, sod producers and retail garden centers. Also exempted are homes and businesses that use recycled water, including golf courses that use treated wastewater to keep greens green.
# Local governments may change the rules to fit their communities' needs, but they must be at least as restrictive as the state.
So do we plant tomatoes around the hydrangeas? Sounds good to me...
thank you Susan.
what a beautiful picture!
Yes Sterling, I have accidentally watered many things that weren't edible food crops but the were within an acre vicinity and I just don't think those tomatoes would be happy with everything around them dead and all. I did lose my lady in red hydrangea this year :( Not close enough to a tomato plant I guess :(
Thanks Spider! :)
We are getting so many tomotoes every single day now!! My husband pulled about 30 two days ago and 25 today. Not including the grape ones!! :) I have called more neighbors to ask if they want some and they must be out of town.. I'm having guests this weekend and it will be mexican with chips and home made salsa, and of course the main dish, which I have yet to determine will have many many tomatoes too! :) I have a book on canning and a pressure cooker to do the job.. I guess nows the time to start canning and learning how!
Susan
