Q: I've heard store-bought tomato cages aren't really tall or strong enough to contain tomato plants. What else can I do to keep them from falling over as they grow? A: Build your own cages, which would be much stronger and taller. Add tall stakes to the store-bought cages for additional support. Consider an overhead trellising system, or grow tomatoes against a trellis and support the plant as it grows
Q: Last year just about every tomato I picked had a brown spot on the bottom. What is it, and how can I stop it?
A: This is "blossom end rot." It happens because of wide fluctuations in soil moisture. Another cause could be a lack of calcium. Since calcium is usually sufficient in the soil, the plant is having trouble transferring it throughout the plant and into the fruit. This is what helps build strong cell walls. You can make sure that plants get consistent even moisture. Add some calcium to the planting hole at the time you plant, or buy products which you can spray on the plant to help it build up calcium to reduce the chance of this condition. Also, this rot is common in the earliest fruit, but often times this condition subsides in later fruit production on the same plant.
Q: Last year, I hardly got any fruit on my tomato plant. What did I do wrong?
A: You may have done nothing wrong. Weather has a lot to do with this. If temperatures are too hot your blossoms may drop. Over fertilization is common. Too much nitrogen fertilizer can make for a lush green plant, but at the expense of little fruit. Not enough sun will also greatly reduce the fruit set. Tomatoes need at least six hours of direct sunlight to maximize production. Disease can also cut down on the plants ability to produce.
Q: What are the best fertilizers to use, organic or chemical?
A: The plant doesn't know weather you're applying one or the other. A good all-purpose fertilizer is great applied a couple of times during the growing season. Tomatoes also benefit from rich, well-drained soil amended with lots of organic material?like compost and manure. They also respond well to foliar feedings where you actually apply liquid fertilizer to the foliage as well.
Q: I don't want to use pesticides on my tomato plants. What are my options for reducing harmful bug infestations?
A: One, you can live with some damage and do nothing. Secondly, let nature take its course. There are a number of beneficial insects, and predatory insects, which will remove the harmful bugs and worms from your plants. You could apply B.T. This is an organic bacterium, which is specific to certain larvae that attack tomato foliage. This is very effective and safe to humans. Lastly, a healthy plant with healthy soil is the best non-action you can take. Do everything you can to ensure that you have provided this environment.
