Tomatoes are the Star.

Tomatoes are the Star

In my opinion, in a summer garden – of all the wide range of plants that can be grown, the tomato is the superstar.  The one that just owns the season.  Sweetcorn could come in a close second if it wasn’t for the fact that in spite of their sunny yellow disposition, which can be stored in the freezer to bring joy to a winter day, they are a one hit wonder.  They are in the ground for less than 100 days and once they’re done they’re done.  There is nothing more to be gained and their grand presence is removed, as there is no point keeping plants with no chance of a further harvest.  

Tomatoes on the other hand are keepers.  They quickly grow tall to become a significant feature of the summer garden, but not only that – they keep on giving, from that first cherished rosy red and slightly under ripe fruit, right until the first autumnal frost (if disease doesn’t get there first) with an inundation of tomatoes that can be more than you know what to do with at times. 

Tomato planting day is always an exciting time – it symbolises the starters whistle blowing – the growing season is a foot!

In spite of good intentions I never manage to achieve single stem tomatoes with all the laterals removed. I end up with top heavy medusa-esk plants, so I create a fence like trellis with waratahs and washing line, so I can tie in branches, no matter where they are.

However, as alluded to above, they are a bit of a drama queen and attract all the wrong sorts of creatures.   There is a long list of things that can go wrong.  From birds taking triangle chunks from barely ripe fruit to the persistent risk of the dreaded blight.  Late blight being easier to bear as it often comes after a season of abundant giving and the premature end can come as a relief.  Its cousin Early Blight is to be feared as this can nip plants in the bud before they even begin.  And then there are a multitude of other problems and annoyances that with vigilance and fast action can be dealt with.   Tomatoes demand constant attention.

The irrigation system has been tested and the tomato bed was thoroughly watered before the thickest layer of mulch was applied.

This season I hit the mulch jackpot with a large round bale of millet straw from my neighbour is more than enough to lock in valuable moisture and supress weeds in the entire garden.

But in recent years there has been a new threat to my tomatoes – more dreaded than blight!  The Tomato Potato Psyllid.  This aphid sized sap sucker on its own is problematic – its population explodes quickly, and it sucks the life out of tall healthy plants.  But unfortunately, that’s not all.  It carries a bacteria called Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum which carries a death sentence for any tomato plant it comes in contact with.  The first sign of this destructive duo is it looks like someone has sprinkled sugar on the leaves.  This is poop – from the underside of the leaves above.  If you look closer you will see the juveniles hanging out, often in great numbers, living their best life.  An even closer look will show the eggs on the edge of the leaves held aloft like pins in a pincushion.  

Not a sight I want to see this season – or any other. The Tomato Potato Psyllid living their best lives under a tomato leaf.

Insect netting stretched over rebar posts and irrigation piping forms a sturdy frame, held in place with clips and pegs. Lessons have been learnt from the past and ping pong balls and pool noodle chunks protect the netting from the sharp edges of the tomato support structure within.

Well not this year – I’ve taken precautions.   I’ve netted the lot.  That should keep them out.  Having said that last year, in all that rain, they didn’t receive adequate watering in the two nice weeks we had, in which I was away, and the non-gardener help wasn’t much help at all.  So, when the first storm of that soggy summer ripped the cover off, the weakened and vulnerable plants were an easy target and one by one they all died without so much as a tomato sandwich.  This year I am holding out high hopes for an abundant harvest – more tomatoes than I know what to do with. 

Unclipping pegs gives easy access to the tomatoes under the insect netting to tie them in as they grow.

A regular liquid feed will keep them strong and healthy and provide a bountiful harvest.

All going well my extra love, care and attention as well as foolproof care instructions for the house sitter during our annual pilgrimage to the beach (a different one to ours to make it feel like holiday) and an abundance of faith, this season will be the summer of the pomme d’amour – the Love Apple, or to you and me the humble tomato!

Come again soon – the garden is looking great.

Sarah the Gardener  : o)

NB:  clicking on the images and the little i gives a description of how I care for my tomatoes.