| There are quite a few tomatoes that do well here, the most important thing to maybe remember is.. days to harvest.. shorter harvest days obviously means, you will end up with more tomatoes when is all said and done. But sometimes you just cant beat a brandywine or beefsteak type tomato. Be prepared to wait 80+ days (sometimes in the 70ish range) to pick those beasts. Siberian and san francisco fog are good seeds to start, they are more cold tolerant then alot of varieties, which means you can get em in the ground earlier, they also mature early. Olives, sweet 100's or million's, Lrg Red cherries, all do well, and would be up to you. You'll find what works best for you by trial and error :)
There is a nursery in the "arcadia area"(not sure im allowed to put a name down) that usually has a great selection of varieties ;) tips from my experience in growing tomatoes... -inconsistant waterings can lead to cracks on fruit. So don't forget to check moisture, evenly moist at all times, but not sopping wet like a sponge full of water. Remember there is no schedule to water, you water when the plants need it. Weather, humidity, and soil structure will determine a "schedule" for you.
-calcium, do not worry about it, our soil has it, if you are unsure, get a soil test to determine if needed.
-To establish more of a root structure, and you have plants already started, try stripping the leaves almost half way up, including side shoots at leaf stem base, and planting it up to where the leaves you didn't strip are. Tomatoes develop very adventurous roots from the stem.
-Once the tomatoes get some height to them, i like to strip some of the older leaves at the bottom of the plant to allow air circulation through the plant, and prevent stangnant air and fungi build up.
-If growing indeterminate tomatoes (grow and produce fruit until killed by frost) a tomato cage usually wont cut it, think bigger, and know that it will want to grow like a vine.
-If growing a determinate variety (grow to a certain height, bloom, fruit, ripen all at once, and then usually dies, or will notice decreased vigor in plant usually) You will notice they tend to be more upright and bushy, usually max would be 4' or smaller depending on variety, and you wouldn't need a cage necessarily.
-Tomatoes are hungry plants,so feed regularly, and not when you happen to remember to fertilize them.
-High alkalinity in the soil and water CAN create an environment in the soil where a plant can't uptake certain nutrients, so try to keep the pH reasonable by adding compost, and organic type fertilizers.
-Rotate your tomato beds every year, a build-up of harmful organisms can be bad for next years crop of tomatoes. (wont get scientific, google can help ya with that.) |
