Crop Talk: Tomatoes
Let’s talk tomatoes. Almost no other crop screams “summer” like a vine-ripened tomato straight off the plant. Whether it’s a full-on beefsteak or a handful of colorful cherries, that first harvest of the season is the moment farmer and consumer alike have been waiting for since January.
At High Mowing, we’ve put together a solid collection of resources for organic growers seeking the perfect tomato crop, and we want to take this opportunity to share it with you. Read on to discover more about growing information and cultural tips for organic tomato production.
Greenhouse versus open field. If you’re limited in your real estate, it may be an easy choice. Where you grow greatly impacts how your plants will grow: the probability of disease, the quality of the soil, your labor budget, and your customer demand should all be taken into consideration when deciding whether to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse or in the field, or both. Our expanded selection of tomatoes has high performing varieties for both production methods.
For those growing in protected culture, click here to read about our top recommendations for greenhouse tomatoes.
Trellising and pruning. It never hurts to refine your trellising and pruning techniques, especially if you have to teach them to others when your field crew arrives for the harvest season. Read our blog post about the different trellising options based on your production scale. Perfecting your techniques will increase your efficiency, and help you pass on your skills to others when the rush of the season hits and your expertise is needed everywhere at once.
Diagnose. For all the joy they bring, tomatoes also seem to be particularly adept at attracting pests and diseases that can dishearten growers in a matter of just a few days. From blossom drop to tomato hornworms, there’s a lot to keep an eye out for when tending to this high-profit crop. For resources on diagnosing plant troubles, we are particularly fond of the comprehensive resource list put together by the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association which includes links to regional extension resources for quick and easy pathogen and pest diagnoses.
Prevention and Mitigation. Depending on your production systems, organic prevention and mitigation techniques can range from as long term as crop rotation and cover cropping to repeated copper applications for mitigating tomato blight. For an overview of disease prevention practices in high tunnel production, check out our comprehensive blog post on that very topic. Then brush up on your mitigation techniques with some of our favorite pest and disease resources for organic growers.
Take notes. Luckily, whether you prefer to grow robust, disease-resistant hybrids in high tunnels, or a smattering of delicious heirlooms out in the field, High Mowing’s deep bench of organic tomato varieties has you covered. But even we’ll admit that not every tomato variety will grow well in every setting – as you tweak your systems and adjust your variety preferences, take note of what performed exceptionally well in your production system. The more you know, the more you can improve upon in the following season, and the closer you’ll get to that perfect tomato crop.
4 Comments
- About High Mowing Organic Seeds
- Articles by Farmer Paul Betz
- Articles by Megen Hall
- Ask The Expert
- Beginner Gardeners' Guide
- Breeding / Research Program
- Commercial Growing
- Contests
- Covid-19 Updates
- Crop Talk
- Events
- Farm Ethics
- Farmer Authors
- GMOs
- Greenhouses
- Growing Tips
- Health and Wellness
- Kids and Gardening
- Philosophy
- Plant Diseases
- Plant Pests
- Recipes
- Seed Bin Article - 2011
- Seed Saving and Production
- Soil Health
- Story of a Seed
- Trials
- Uncategorized
- Variety Highlights
- Winter Growing
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- January 2008
- kathy m on Our Garden Beanpole Giveaway
- Sam on Our Garden Beanpole Giveaway
- Carol Yemola on Our Garden Beanpole Giveaway
- Georgia on Our Garden Beanpole Giveaway
- Alicia H on Our Garden Beanpole Giveaway
Any tips on mitigating or preventing anthracnose on tomatoes? I have gotten every year on our land since we started growing on our N. Michigan small organic farm.
I have had tomatoes in the hoops, rotated in the field, and they always seem to get anthracnose, which eventually means me picking through hundreds of pounds of rotten fruit looking for any salvageable. It is a tough one to handle. I have preventively sprayed a tank-mix of cease/milstop, and last year I sprayed copper, but still got not control it. I have increased spacing, increased pruning, I use woven plastic mulch and drip, and trellis..etc.
It is quite frustrating and would like one season without so much damaged fruit.
As far as I know there is no resistant varieties to this, and wondering if you have encountered this and if you have any potential solutions.
Cheers,
Adam
It sounds like you are doing everything that you should to address this disease. Good cultural practices are important in lowering the amount of inoculum and spores that would lead to infection. Removing and disposing of infected material will also help, as the sclerotia will over winter.
I have flirted with this disease in my greenhouses, but don’t have as much problem with it until the time of the season when demand slows a little and I am holding the fruit a little longer on the plant; the riper the fruits, the more advanced the infection. That said, based on your description I don’t nearly have the pressure you are describing. Maybe picking fruits a little under ripe would help? Using preventative sprays should also work, but my understanding is they really need to be preventative, as the infection can begin at the immature stage. And spraying is a pain, especially in the greenhouse/ tunnel…
I’ll keep thinking about this and update as appropriate.
Best,
Paul Betz, Midwest Sales Representative