As we enter the regular routine of the growing season, our focus will change from keeping the tomatos warm enough to keeping their roots moist. If the roots are kept moist, the tomato will not be as good of a target for bugs and diseases to begin with and will be better able to defend themselves when attacked. In fact, bugs and diseases should be considered less the cause of obvious problems than as symptoms of deeper problems. Bugs and diseases will usually seek out the weakest plants as something of a clean-up crew. Play your cards right and the weaker plants will be in your neighbors yard, not yours.
While there are as many methods to accomplish steady flow of moisture as there are gardeners, I usually take a week away from my garden in the heat (and, usually, drought) of late July. For this reason, I rely on Irrigro weep irrigation. (*) This uses a Tyvek tube buried under the mulch to gently keep the soil moist 24/7. It has never failed me yet. I usually leave an end of the tube sticking out and angled down to supply a drip of water for the birds and rodents. It seems to reduce the amount of damaged fruit I get. Plus, it’s kind of neat watching the wasps come to get a drink, too, knowing that they are better enemies of the caterpillars than I ever will be.
Time to first picking:
Harvest when fully ripe (fruit will come easily away from the vine). Generally 45-65 days from setting out in the garden to first fruit, depending on variety and growing conditions. Just roll the fruit in your palm. If it comes off, you win.
Time to last picking:
Last picking is generally determined by exposure to frost. Once frost is certain or as soon as possible after it has occurred, strip all remaining fruits, green and red. Larger green tomatoes can be encouraged to ripen slowly (extending the growing season) by wrapping them singly in squares of newspaper and placing in a cool, dark, location, such as a basement closet on a shelf against the outside wall. If things go well, you’ll still be eating fresh, ripe, tomatoes from your garden in early January. They won’t last much beyond the turn of the year, but oh, to eat fresh tomatoes from your own garden in the dead of winter!
Put smaller green tomatoes into relish or can them whole (pickled) for a year-around side vegetable / garnish.
Suckering / pruning:
There are two schools of thought regarding the practice of removing non-fruiting stems (suckers) from tomato plants and and I fall firmly in the “leave it” groiup. Pro-pruners argue that they are exposing the fruit to the sun by removing non-flowering growth.
That much is true: but tomatoes do not need sun directly on the fruit to ripen and the suckers do contribute to the overall food supply within the plant. I am trusting in the ‘wisdom’ of the tomato; presuming that it would not grow parts that it does not need.
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(*) Note: the video shows the Tyvek tube when it is first starting up. This produces a rapid watering for the first hour or so … but afterwards, the tubing just basically stays wet … much like a wick. The rate of water flow drops dramatically, but operates 24/7 – eliminating dry spells entirely. I aim for a drop per foot per minute and that seems to work about right. This is covered in the instructions that come with the product but not mentioned in the video.
