Everything you ever wanted to know about tomatoes

Every Thing You Ever Wanted to Know About Tomatoes Kevin Schoessow Ag Development Agent Burnett, Sawyer, and Washburn Co. 1 Because of its food value, many uses, and ease of culture, the tomato is probably the most widely grown vegetable by the home gardener. Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 2 Solanaceae Family includes • • • • • • • Tomato (Meso american) Pepper (Meso american) Eggplant (Asian) Potato (Andean) Tobacco (Meso american) Petunia Nightsade: eastern &bitter black Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 3 Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum “It is an unwholesome meat, engendering in the bodie many evill humors.” Doddoneasus 1554 • • • • • Origin is Andes mountain region of South America Domesticated in Mexico Many related wild species in South America “Tomato” is from the Nahuati language of Mexico. “Tomati” was the name used by Native Americans Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 4 Lycopersicon esculentum • Was considered poisonous until 1700’s • First introduced in US in 1710 • Thomas Jefferson was one of the first to grow tomatoes, which were called “Love Apples” at the time • Related to nightshade (alkaloids) • Major alkaloid in tomato is tomatine High in foliage but little in ripe fruit Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 5 Are they a Fruit? or a Vegetable? • Botanically it is a fruit • Horticulturally and legally it is a vegetable • They are the 2nd most important vegetable crop in the U.S. (the potato is #1) Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 6 Nutritional Aspect  Low in calories and protein Ranks 16th in vitamins, but #1 in contribution  Very high in Vitamin C poor man’s orange  Carotenoids nine different identified Beta-carotine Lycopene Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 7 Beta-carotine • • • • Main precursor of Vitamin A Range of 2 to 10 mg/g Highest amounts in some wild species High B-carotine varieties for special markets “Caro-Red” 10x normal Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 8 Lycopene • Red pigment • Health aspects – 90% of lycopene comes from tomatoes – Most potent antioxidant among carotenoids – May protect against some forms of cancer – Absorbed better in processed products Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 9 Fruit Color Low White High Yellow Low High Red Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension Orange 10 Plant Growth Habits • Determinate – Flower clusters produced with only one or two leaves (nodes) between them – After several clusters shoot will terminate in an infloresence (flower cluster) – Tend to be smaller plants are suited for caging or sprawling – Fruit tends to ripen all at once Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 11 Plant Growth Habits • Indeterminate – Three to four leaves are produced between flower clusters – Shoot does not terminate in flower cluster – Since plants continue to elongate they are larger and tend to get viney if not pruned – Suited for staking and caging – Fruit ripen throughout the growing season – ISI Indeterminate Short Internode varieties with the controlled growth habit of a “determinate” with the unlimited production potential of an “indeterminate” Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 12 Plant Growth Habits Determinate Indeterminate Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 13 Determinate Growth Habits Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 14 Indeterminate Growth Habits Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 15 Determinate? or Indeterminate? Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 16 Roots and Leaves • Deep rooted, penetrates below 4 feet – Direct seeded develop taproot – Transplants develop more fibrous root • Compound leaves are covered with fine hairs that emit the characteristic tomato smell when crushed Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 17 Flowers • Individual flowers borne in clusters of 4-8 flowers • Largely selffertilized and primarily wind pollinated Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 18 Fruit • Depending on variety fruit may be red, yellow, orange, green pink, or purple • Shape may be oblong, round or pear – Under simple genetic control • Size ranges from < 1 oz. to several lbs. – Under multi-genetic control • Composition is typically 5% solids (up to 12% for paste) and 95% water – Sugar/acid is prime factor in flavor – Low light reduces sugars Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 19 Vine Ripe Tomatoes? • Why is it that winter store bought tomatoes taste like cardboard? – Ripe tomatoes cannot be shipped long distances – Harvested as “breakers” – Fruit can “ripen” to near red if gassed with ethylene, but never develop full flavor Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 20 Breaker • 5-10% red Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 21 Growing Tomatoes • • • • Site Selection Cultivar Selection Recommended Varieties Cultural practices – Planting – Mulching and weed control – Staking, caging and pruning – Fertility – Diseases and Insects Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 22 Site Selection • • • • Full Sun Open to good air movement Loam to Sandy Loam well drained fertile soil Soil pH 5.8-7.5 Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 23 Cultivar Selection • Length of growing season • Disease and Pest considerations • Type – Early vs. Late – Cherry vs. Beefstake – Paste vs. Slicers – Hybrid vs. Heirloom – Determinate vs. Indeterminate Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 24 Early Varieties • Typically smaller plants and smaller fruits • 55 to 65 day (Siberia 48 days) – Early Girl, New Yorker, Wayahead, Flash, Daybreak, First Lady, Miracle Sweet, Sunstart – Artic, 4th of July, Glacier Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 25 Main Crop • Widest selection • 70 to 100 day (Big Boy, Big Girl 78 day) – Better Boy, Big Beef, Beefmaster, Jet Star, Pink Girl, Celebrity, Floramerica, Henz 1350, Ultra Sweet, Campbell 1327, Husky Gold, Husky Red – Sun Series, Mountain Series Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 26 Paste or Salsa • Fewer selections • Medium size fruit (2-4 oz.) • 65 to 75 day (Viva Italia 72 day) – Roma VF, Italian Gold, Sherriff – Super Marzano, Aztec, Classica – Shasta and 5913 X 5914 two promising new varieties being developed by UW-Madison Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 27 Small Fruit • Cherry or Grape sized fruits • 60 to 75 day (Sweet 100 65 day) – Yellow Pear, Pixie, Small Fry, Tiny Tim, Sweet Million, Juliet, Gardener’s Delight, Patio Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 28 Colored Fruit • Yellows, Golds, Oranges, Green Striped – Golden Boy, Golden Girl, Lemon Boy, Husky Gold, Sungold, Yellow Plum, Black Brandywine, Black Krim, Green Zebra, White Wonder, White Potato Leaf, Pineapple Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 29 Heirlooms • Family: seeds that have been passed down for several generations through a family • Commercial: open-pollinated varieties introduced before 1940 • Created: crossing two known parents and dehybridizing the resulting seeds for how ever many years/generations it takes to eliminate the undesirable characteristics • Mystery: varieties that are a product of natural cross-pollination of other heirloom varieties Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 30 Heirloom • More lobed and undulated fruit • Open pollinated • More prone to diseases, fruit cracking • 75 to 110 day (Brandywine 100day) – Aunt Ginny, Boondocks, Prudens Purple, Striped German, Old German, Amish Paste, Mr. Stripey www.heirloomtomatoes.bizland.com Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 31 • Plant after last spring frost • Spooner last frost – Median May 27 – 90% chance May 5 – 10% chance June 14 • Plant spacing – 24 to 36 inches in the row – 36 to 48 inches between the row Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 32 “Trenching-in” long stemmed plants Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 33 Mulches Penn. State University research indicates that tomatoes yielded slightly better on red plastic mulch •Retain Moisture •Reduce weeds •Reduce blossom end rot •Cleaner fruit •Reduce rain splash Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 34 Pruning and Staking Indeterminates • Leave two main stems • Remove suckers between leaves and main stem • Remove suckers before they get 2 ½ inches long • Remove late season (after Sept 1) flower buds Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 35 Pruning and Staking • Advantages – Promotes early, larger and cleaner fruits – Easier to harvest – May help reduce disease problems • Disadvantages – Lower yields – Increase risk of sunscald and fruit cracking Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 36 Caged tomatoes • • • • Little or no pruning Produce more fruit Later Ripening Low sunscald Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 37 Trellis Basket Weave Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 38 Fertilizing Tomatoes Soil Test Sandy soils low organic matter ~6 oz./plant 10-10-10 Heavy soils with higher organic matter ~4oz. 5-20-20 DO NOT over apply nitrogen promotes vegetative growth decreases fruit production increases chance of diseases Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 39 Diseases of Tomatoes • Fungal – Fusarium and Verticllium Wilts – Early Blight – Septoria Leaf Blight – Fruit Anthracnose • Bacterial – Bacterial Spot and Speck • Viral – Cucumber Mosaic Virus Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 40 Fusarium and Verticillium Wilts •Soil borne pathogens •Survives in soil for several years •Plants generally affected through roots •Rotation ( at least 2-3 years) •Plant VF or VFN resistant varieties Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 41 Septoria Leaf Blight •Survives over winter on infected plant debris, and also on equipment stakes and cages •Spores disperse by splashing water (rain, irrigarion) or workers moving through wet plants •Favored by moist, warm weather •Symptoms generally appear first on lower leaves Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 42 Septoria Leaf Blight •Rotation at least 2-3 years •Remove and destroy infected plant debris, sanitize equipment •Mulch (plastic preferred) •Stake and don’t over crowd plants •Avoid overhead irrigation •Irrigate in the morning •Apply Fungicide •Good coverage esp. on lower leaves •Apply at least weekly when weather is favorable Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 43 Early Blight •Survives in infected plant debris •Spores are wind dispersed •Infections occur first on oldest leaves •Rotation (at least 2-3 years) •Sanitation •Apply Fungicides Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 44 Fruit Antracnose Tobacco Mosaic Virus Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 45 Blossom End Rot •Caused by insufficient calcium when fruit are forming •Result from excessive nitrogen fertilization •Rapid plant growth •Drastic fluctuations in soil moisture Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 46 Catface •Environmental disease •Extreme malformations and scarring •Effected during initial fruit development •Caused by cool weather during fruit set or 2,4-D injury Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 47 Tomato Hornworm Damage Tomato Hornworm Larva Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 48 Tomato Hornworm Adult •Monitor Frequently •Treat if more than one larva per 2 plants •Bacillus thuringiensis Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 49 Aphids •Soft bodied •Piercing sucking mouth parts cupping and yellowing of leaf margins •Scout weekly •Cause •Insecticide soaps effective Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 50 Cutworms young stems near soil line •Active •Cut at night •Hide in the soil or under debris climb and chew on green fruit •May •Protect young plants with physical barrier •Bacillus thuringiensis on older plants Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 51 Installing a cutworm guard made from a paper grocery bag at planting time Tin cans work too Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 52 Publications available form • • • • • • • • A1691 Home-Grown Tomatoes for WI A3687 Growing Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplant in WI A3110 Disease-Resistant Vegetables for the Home Garden A2606 Early Blight & Septoria Leaf Spot of Tomatoes A2617 Verticillium & Fusarium Wilt of Tomatoes A1653 Vegetable Cultivars and Planting Guide for WI A2801 Growing Vegetables at Home Q & A A3383 Mulches for Home Gardens and Planting Visit our Horticulture website at www.uwex.edu/ces/wihort Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 53 Thank you for listening Special thanks to Karen Delahaut, Rosemary Eiden, Helen Harrison, Brain Hudleson, Jim Nienhuis, Patti Nagai, Phil Pellitteri and Craig Saxe for providing information and images for this presentation. Information in this presentation is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by UW-Extension or the author is implied Barron County Master Gardener Garden Expo March 9, 2002 Kevin Schoessow UW-Extension 54