Growing tomatoes is a popular hobby and enjoyment for the home gardener. Many gardeners have expressed difficulties and concerns in producing and harvesting tomatoes in the home garden over the last several years.
It has been difficult to grow tomatoes over the past few years due to several factors: extreme temperatures, dry conditions, TSWV – Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus and Blossom-end rot.
TSWV is caused by tiny insects which are known as thrips. These insects can transmit a virus that is detrimental to tomato plants. The insects have cost Georgia farmers millions of dollars in the damage they have caused to tomatoes, tobacco and peanuts.
The thrips that carry the virus and transmit it to the tomatoes will cause the plant’s foliage to turn purple. The leaves will also have a bronze cast look to them. The fruit will have mosaic and mottled configurations of a lighter color green on the outer fruit peeling.
There are several varieties of tomatoes that are resistant to TSWV. Amelia, Crista, BHN 444 and BHN 640 are few of the varieties that are typically grown, but there are also several other varieties that are resistant. Check with your local agriculture and garden supplier for variety availability.
Blossom-end rot appears as a small water-soaked spot near the blossom end of the tomato. The spot eventually enlarges and becomes dry, sunken, and brown or black. The cause of blossom-end rot is insufficient calcium uptake by the plant.
Any condition that reduces the plant’s roots ability to absorb water sets the plant up for blossom-end rot. Several factors that reduce the plant’s uptake of water include root-rotting fungus, nematodes, under watering, over watering, soil compaction and over fertilization.
To prevent blossom-end rot, maintain a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Keep moisture levels fairly uniform and use a nitrate source of nitrogen. The blossom-end rot condition can be corrected by spraying the plant with calcium chloride.
I hope that you will have better conditions to grow tomatoes this year compared to what you may have experienced in recent years. I wish you a bountiful tomato harvest in 2012.
Bill Tyson is the coordinator for Effingham County Cooperative Extension of the University of Georgia. E-mail him at firstname.lastname@example.org or call the Extension office at 754-8040.