|
|
|
Over 700 Varieties of great Heirloom Tomato and vegetable seeds. Heirloom tomatoes just can't be beat for their outstanding flavor and the beauty they add to recipes and dishes with their many shapes, sizes, and colors. Our website offers a list of over 700 Varieties of heirloom tomatoes, growing tips, gardening links, and seed saving information. Scroll down for tips to starting your own heirloom tomato seeds and growing the best Tomatoes ever!!! We have found these tips work well for just about all the heirloom varieties we offer.
Free Download -
Growing Heirloom Tomatoes -
Huge Tomatoes vs. Huge Yields
(Adobe reader required to review download. If you have problems opening this, you can simply print this page as we have also listing the guide at the bottom of this page.....good luck!)
Seed Starting Tips 1. Seeds can be started indoors 6-8 weeks before the last anticipated frost in your growing area. Starting seeds directly outdoors will produce plants but your yield will be limited. 2. Obtain some seed starting mix at the local garden store. Help support your local garden stores as they are usually are the people you go to for answers...not the big box store folks. The mix should contain peat moss to help retain water during seed germination as the seeds should be kept moist for proper germination. 3. If you are starting many varieties of tomatoes or other seedlings, you should have a separate starting container for each variety. We use 1/2 gallon cardboard milk/orange juice containers that are cut down their length with the ends stapled to hold them together. These are a very economical means of separating seeds. Be sure you mark your containers with seed type. We use a piece of clear plastic (cut from a milk jug) and put a number on it then have a cross reference list with the number and variety. 4. In a old bowl, bucket, or other container, place some of starting mix and add water while mixing to moisten the mix. 5. Fill the trays with 1-1 1/2" of the moistened seed starting mix and distribute seeds over surface. Cover seeds with 1/4" of starting mix and gently firm the surface. 6. Check seed trays every 2-3 days to make sure they stay moist. We cover ours with a loose fitting piece of plastic wrap to help retain water. Seeds will usually take 10-14 days to germinate (depending upon variety). Once the seeds have sprouted, they will need a light source. We start our seedlings in our basement and use fluorescent grow lights which works very well. If you start the seeds on a window sill make sure you turn the seeds daily to keep them from bending toward the light. If starting under a grow light, make sure the grow light is within 6" of the seedlings or they will become tall and leggy. Seedlings need 12-16 hours of light a day. An inexpensive timer works well to control grow light time. If you use grow lights, make sure to keep plants within 6" of the light or they will become leggy. 7. Once the seedlings are showing a second set of leaves, it is time to transplant them from the starting tray to individual pots. We have found that the best pots are plastic as they retain more water. The peat pots work well if you make sure to keep them moist...they work great for transplanting as you do not disturb the root structure of the seedlings. Gently loosen the soil in the starting tray and separate individual plants. Fill the transplant pot loosely with moistened starter mix and use a pencil to make a hole in the starting mix. Insert the seedling into the hole up to the second set of leaves...this may require the slight twisting or bunching up of the plant's root as they can get pretty long. Gently firm the soil around the seedling and moisten once you have finished transplanting. 8. If you start your seeds very early, you may need to transplant some of your biggest plants again as they will outgrow their pots. For our healthiest plants, we transplant them into 1/2 gallon milk containers that have been cut off about 6" from the bottom...these work Great!!! Transplanting Outdoors 9. When it looks like it is time to plant your seedlings outside, you will need to harden off the plants. This is simply getting them adjusted to the changing conditions outdoors. When you begin this, make sure the plants are kept in the shade for the first few days of hardening so they don't get sun-burned. Plants should be returned inside at night...this seems like a lot of work but it will yield stronger, healthier plants. Hardening off usually takes 7-10 days. 10. When planting your seedlings in the garden, make a shallow trench and lay the seedling in on its side. Bury the entire plant up to the first set of leaves,,,all of the stem up to these leaves is capable of producing roots. This will greatly improve your plants ability to obtain water and nutrients resulting in greater yields!! Plant Care in Your Garden 11. Once the tomato plants are in your garden they should be watered daily for the first week. They should be supported as they grow with wooden stakes or metal cages. We use old nylons cut into strips to tie plants to supports through the season as they do not bruise the stalks. Many commercial plant ties are also available. 12. Caution!!! Plants are very susceptible when young, to cutworms which will cut the plant off at the surface of the soil. To avoid these without chemicals, simply take a piece of aluminum (cut up a pie plate into 2' strips) and fashion a collar that slips around the plant and gently place in the soil around the stalk. 13. Tomato hornworms will more than likely be a problem when your plants start bearing fruit. They devour the foliage and in some cases even eat new green tomatoes. The easiest way we have found to get rid of these is to put a bounty out on them at ten cents a piece and have our kids pick them off. A natural bacteria is also available in plant stores that works. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction One of the most often asked questions in gardening is “how can I produce larger fruits/vegetables and more of them”. Gardening basics would suggest to simply provide plenty of water, nutrients, and sunlight to obtain a bumper crop from your garden. We would like to share with you, our tips and tricks that we have tried over the years that have seemed to provide the best overall results. This guide focuses on tomatoes but many of the techniques can be applied to other fruits and vegetables. There are a lot of factors affecting tomato growth that cannot be easily modified such as weather conditions and to a lesser extent soil and insects. Several Items affecting Tomato Growth:
• Soil Conditions • Nutrient Availability • Tomato Variety • Seed/Seedling Quality • Temperature • Available Water • Sunlight • Spacing • Disease • Insect Pests
This guide will cover each of the above and how to optimize conditions and discuss methods for growing both giant sized tomatoes and maximizing your yields. There are probably as many recommendations for gardening success as there are varieties of seeds. We are providing these based upon what has worked well for us which may or may not be successful for others. Soil Conditions Optimum soil conditions provide for a well drained garden that retains moisture within the soil, not on top, and a loose structure which allows for extensive root development. Dense clay and sandy soils can be improved by adding peat moss and compost. If using un-composted leaves or grass clippings, till them in at least 6 months prior to gardening as the composting action will lower the available nitrogen a sign of which is slow growing transplants with yellow leaves. We till in 4-6” of shredded leaves every fall. Peat moss or compost can be added at any time. Leaves and grass clippings can be added as a mulch at any time and will not reduce nitrogen available to the plants but provide a great long term nutrient source and conserve water. Nutrient Availability As noted above, plant materials added to the soil that are not fully composted, will compete with your plants for nitrogen so either add these in the fall or use as a mulch during the current season. The #1 mistake people make with tomatoes is over fertilizing. Many commercial liquid fertilizers are high in Nitrogen and produce huge dark green plants….but at the expense of fruit production. The following is an average nutrient make-up that we typically apply to our tomatoes based upon several available commercial organic fertilizers (the NPK numbers will vary slightly):
N-P-K (5-5-5) N - Nitrogen - Promotes leaf and stem growth P - Phosphorous - Promotes blossom development K - Potassium - Promotes root growth and disease resistance Week 1-2 - Initial seedling planting - Prior to planting, we till in an application of dry organic fertilizer with an NPK rating similar to above. At the time of planting, use a liquid fish emulsion (5-1-1) to give the seedlings an initial nitrogen boost. Every three weeks throughout season - Apply dry organic fertilizer around a range of (5-5-5) per manufacturers’ suggestions. When Blossoms Start - Apply bone meal (4-12-0) to help increase flowering and also provides calcium to help minimize Blossom End Rot. Note: Optimal Nutrient Absorption occurs at pH 6.5-7.5. Inexpensive pH test kits are available at most garden stores.
Tomato Varieties Suggested Varieties for growing Huge Beefsteaks include: Amana Orange, Delicious, Giant Belgium, Hillbilly, Mexico, and Old German Abundant producers include: Amish Paste, Aurora, Avalanche, Campbell’s 1327, Ceylon, De Pinto, Greek Domato, Holland, Homestead, Old Brooks, Martino’s Roma, and Rutgers. Seed/Seedling Quality Start with fresh seeds that will produce the most vigorous seedlings or pick up some healthy looking seedlings at a local greenhouse. Old seeds may not germinate well and poor quality plants can become diseased and produce poorly. Temperature Seeds require 65°F-80°F to germinate. Tomatoes can be planted around 50°F. They will general blossom from 55°F-95°F. Several days above 95°F and most varieties will drop their blossoms until temperatures cool back down. The warmer the ground temperature, the quicker the plants will become established. Available Water Tomatoes are heavy feeders for both nutrients and water. Consistent watering of heirlooms is extremely important to success. Heirloom skins are thinner than most hybrids and will split, usually when a heavy rain occurs after a dry period, as the tomato expands faster than the skin. Try and keep the soil evenly moist. Peat moss and compost both can help retain moisture as does plastic and natural mulch such as grass clippings, straw, and shredded leaves. Soaker hoses on a timer are a good choice and they also provide bottom watering which is preferred over top spraying as it minimizes soil splash up on leaves which can spread soil borne bacterial disease. Sunlight Full sun if possible to maximize fruit production. Planting and Spacing Preferred spacing is 2-3 feet apart to allow for plenty of air circulation to keep leaves dry and minimize disease. Caging or staking heirlooms is desirable as most are indeterminate varieties that can grow 6-8 feet tall. There are a few determinate bush varieties that need little or no staking. Plant seedlings all the way up to the top 4-6 leaves. This will aid in developing a fuller root system as roots will sprout all along the buried stem. Disease Heirloom tomatoes are more susceptible than hybrids to many tomato diseases including Fusarium and Verticilium Wilt, Septoria Leaf Spot, Tobacco Mosaic Virus, and Root Knot Nematodes. A good balanced fertilizer program along with bottom watering will help minimize disease. Rotating tomatoes and potatoes every year if possible also helps reduce soil borne diseases. Clean up crop residue in fall and discard instead of composting or tilling into the ground. If you are a smoker, please note that Tobacco Mosaic Virus can be spread by hand and it is advised that you wash your hands prior to gardening and do not smoke in the garden. Insect Pests The biggest, and I literally mean it, is the Tomato Hornworm. Leaf damage from these can be easily spotted and they can be hand picked and discarded. Cutworms can be a nuisance with seedlings but can be avoided by slipping a simple foil or plastic collar around the base of the seedling at soil level. Final Secrets to Huge Tomatoes and Unbelievable Yields: Huge Tomatoes - Follow tips on previous pages. When fruit sets, remove all but the largest green tomato. Remove other blossom clusters so that you end up with only 3-4 tomatoes per plant. This will allow much more energy to be used for the remaining tomatoes resulting in some monsters! Huge Yields - Follow tips on previous pages. As plant sets fruit, prune any side branches that appear that do not have a blossom cluster. The plant will put more energy into producing tomatoes. Be aware this is time consuming but is how some record yields have been recorded. We do not prune due to the number of plants we set out and have found that our yields are more than we can handle by applying the techniques described. We hope these suggestions help you to produce some of the best tomatoes ever and have a great time relaxing in your garden!
GOOD LUCK....Please feel free to Email us with any Questions...Thanks. Please email any questions or comments to: questions@tomatobob.com
|
