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Tomato Culture and Planting Instructions
Growing On /Hardening Off
Smoke Tree Farms uses only the finest seed from trusted seed companies to grow the many varieties of heirloom and tasty tomatoes we offer our customers. We use only organic soil and organic fertilizers in our seed starter mix and our potting soil. We then harden off our plants by adapting them to outside conditions about a week or 10 days before they are available for sale. Hardening off strengthens plant cell structure and results in sturdier and more rapidly growing plants. Because we make sure that each tomato plant is hardened off before we present them to our customers, you can be assured that with proper planting and care, your plants will produce wonderfully delicious and unique tomatoes for you and your family.
The growing season for tomatoes on the Kitsap Peninsula, WA is relatively short. Gardeners who plant their tomatoes without any 'seasonal starters" usually plant tomatoes after all danger of frost has passed, but no later than the first week of June. In order to begin planting in the ground as early as mid-April, many gardeners will protect young plants by covering them with small hoop houses made from double-layered polyethylene material, supported by steel wires or PVC pipe that are easily pushed into the ground. Others will use water-filled plastic tubes, which surround the plant, or plastic milk jugs, with the bottoms removed, and placed over the small plants to keep in the warmth on cool days and at night.
Depending upon the variety, tomatoes can be grown in pots as container plants, in hanging baskets, hydroponically in water or directly into the soil. Unless otherwise noted with our hanging basket tomatoes or our container plants, the tomatoes produced by Smoke Tree Farms are indeterminate. These varieties continue to grow, flower and produce fruit throughout the season. They will need to be staked.
All tomatoes thrive in full sun. Our customers have found that at least 6 hours/day (more is better) is required to produce healthy, productive plants. If they are hanging or in a container it is also wise to keep them sheltered from the wind and rain as much as possible. Many gardeners in the Northwest find that planting tomatoes under the south facing eaves of their house holds in the warmth the tomatoes require, keeps the rain off their leaves and allows the gardener to control the amount of water the plants get. We also suggest that if you plant tomatoes outside without cover, that you place a drip watering system under black plastic around the plants and take off the bottom 1 foot of leaves in order to lessen the chance of late blight.
Soil preparation for tomatoes planted into the ground is imperative. Tomatoes thrive in any reasonably good garden soil that is well drained and gets full sun. They prefer a soil pH adjusted to between 5.5 - 6.5 preferably tested in the fall. Lime may need to be added to our acidic Northwest soils. In the fall is also the best time to loosen up the soil to a depth of 8"-12" and to add compost or plant a cover crop to enrich the soil.
If you are preparing a new bed in the spring, we suggest bringing in a mix of 1/2 topsoil and 1/2 compost. If preparing an existing bed, till the surface again to smooth it out. Fertilize as recommended by your soil test results. Do not use an excessive amount of nitrogen. This will cause your tomato plants to produce an overabundance of foliage rather than fruit. Using a fertilizer with a high phosphorous and potash, which is also low in nitrogen (such as a 5-10-10) may be beneficial.
Space your indeterminate tomatoes 2-3 feet apart with rows at least 3 1/2 feet apart to allow for proper air circulation and harvesting. We recommend using 8' rebar or wooden stakes (1 1/2 - 2 ft goes into the ground) to keep your tomatoes up off the ground. If you have a row of tomato plants, you can use the "Florida Weave" method of tying them up. Place 1 stake between each two tomato plants and as they grow taller, run 5-6 rows of horizontal string down both sides of each row winding the string around each stake. The tomato plants will be sandwiched in between the string. This method allows the plants to grow freely without damage to their stems.
When transplanting hardened-off tomato plants to the garden, it is best to do it on an overcast, calm day in order to lessen the stress on the plants. Water plants thoroughly about one-half hour prior to planting, using a full-strength liquid fertilizer. (We use this same liquid fertilizer to help our plants along during the growing season.)
When planting, always make sure the hole is large enough to accommodate all the roots without crowding. We add an additional 2 Tbl. Dolomite (lime) and about 1/2 cup well-balanced granular organic fertilizer to each tomato planting hole, mixing it thoroughly in with the soil in the bottom of the hole. We find that this helps to prevent blossom end rot and gives us hardier plants. Plants should be set in deeper than they were in the container. Tomato plants root freely from any portion of the stems that are buried in the ground. Therefore, they can be buried down to the first leaf. Even if some of the plants have become leggy, dig out a trough and lay in the plants, burying the tall stems as far as possible. Smoke Tree Farms plants each of its tomatoes in a furrow. We find that we get hardier, sturdier plants with more abundant root systems to take up more nutrients and produce more and better fruit. Partially fill the hole with soil to within about 3" of the surface and water in thoroughly being careful to settle soil around roots, eliminating air pockets. Finish filling the hole with soil, firm soil around the stem and water again.
In order to keep heat in, weeds down and sanitary conditions around the tomato plants, it is important to mulch around the base of your tomato plants. We use a black plastic film with a drip-watering system underneath. It is important to remove all dropped plant material, rotting or damaged fruit. This prevents rot and blight diseases from spreading to other parts of the plant and neighboring plants. Controlling weeds is also important because they rob the tomato plants of needed water and nutrients. Limbing up the plants to 1 ft off the ground also helps eliminate some diseases that are spread by splashing water up onto the leaves.
Consistent, regular watering is the key to healthy tomato plants with abundant fruit. We do not water our plants a lot. We prefer to keep them on the drier side. But, we are careful to keep the moisture level consistent. Regular pruning, which consists of pinching non-fruit-bearing suckers from inside tomato branches or from the base of the plant, will increase the plants fruit size and yield. All of the energy will be used to produce fruit, not just a lot of foliage. Don't take off too much foliage or the tomato fruit may become sunburned. We recommend additional low nitrogen, high phosphorous and high potash fertilization every 4-6 weeks during the growing season until one month before frost. In our area, frost comes around Halloween. We also stop all water, as well as fertilization, the end of September. This forces the tomatoes to ripen faster. Sometimes, if the nights become suddenly cooler, it takes drastic measures to get the last fruits to ripen. This means that we top the plants and cut off all of the flowers and smaller fruits that would not have time to grow and ripen.
Leave the fruits on the vine until they are completely ripe for best flavor and food value. After picking, tomatoes should be kept in a cool, dark place. DO NOT REFRIGERATE. Refrigeration damages the texture and taste of tomatoes. Only after they are cut into, should they be refrigerated. At the end of the season, all green fruits should be picked before the first frost. They can be stored in shallow trays in a cool area where they will ripen slowly and provide usable fruits for many weeks.