Garden Tips

The tomato, Lycopersicon esculenturn, is probably the most widely grown vegetable in the tropics and its importance, dietetically, as a source of vitamin C cannot be overstressed. It came originally from South America where it grows wild on the slopes of the Andes. There are red, yellow and white fruited types, but the red far exceeds the other two in popularity.

Development by plant breeders has produced two main growth types, the tall and the dwarf or bush, both of which are represented by several hundred varieties. Within these two growth types American and British varieties generally differ: the fruits of the American varieties are usually multilocular (many segments) and the English bi-locular. Again, the fruit size of the American varieties is usually larger as the American public seems to demand this.

Tomatoes require a rich well-drained soil and do not need shade. The beds should be double-dug and limed if the soil is acid. It is as well to prepare the beds before the seed is planted so that the soil has time to settle down before it is time to transplant the young seedlings. Tomatoes are particularly prone to setbacks, but they well repay the time and trouble taken to see that they do not suffer from any checks.

A standard sized 4-foot bed will accommodate two rows of plants, allowing 2 feet between the rows. Dig the two trenches, i foot wide and deep along the length of the bed. Into the bottom of each trench spread well- rotted compost or animal manure, using about 56 lb. for every 25 feet of trench. On top sprinkle woodash at the rate of i L lb. every 22 feet, or sulphate or muriate of potash at the rate of 3, lb. for the same length. Then refill the trench with the soil which was removed and replace the mulch.

Now let us get on with the planting. Always plant the seed in either shallow boxes or baskets, never direct into the bed. The best mixture for the seed box consists of three parts of good topsoil (preferably fibrous material containing the roots of grass), two parts of well rotted compost or leaf mould and one part of river sand. To every bushel (approximately 28 lb.) of the above, add z lb. of superphosphate. Mix all well together and remove any lumps or grubs. Now fill the seedbox to within half an inch of the top and firm down with a flat piece of wood. Plant the seed 2 inches apart; when it is time to transplant, this will allow the plants to be removed with a small ball of earth round each root, so minimising the chance of a check. Do not plant the seed more than a quarter of an inch deep, and cover with fine soil. As soon as the seeds have been planted, water well and place the box in the shade, preferably on a verandah if a potting shed is not available.

Keep a board on top of the seed box until germination – about three days as this will conserve the moisture in the box. Water once a day during the rains and twice a day during the dry season. Watering is very important as too much or too little can seriously affect germination. Too much can cause young seedlings to damp off. To test whether or not water is required, push your finger into the soil to a depth of inch; if it looks and feels damp at that depth, no water is required. If you do not own a watering can with a fine rose, one can easily be made by punching fine holes in the bottom of a. cigarette tin.

Germination should start after three clays and all viable seeds should have germinated after ten days. At a spacing of a inches by 2 inches there is plenty of room for each seedling to develop properly without overcrowding. If the seeds were planted more closely, the seedlings would have to compete with each other, not only for the plant nutrients in the soil but also for light and air. Also overcrowding in the seedbox can cause disease, and always produces a percentage of weak spindly seedlings which will never give high yields.

When the seedlings are about three inches high – and they should be this height about a month after sowing – they will be ready to transplant into the permanent beds. Transplanting should be done if possible in the evening, so that the seedlings have the cooler hours of the night in which to get used to their new environment. If it can’t be done in the evening, then try to choose a dull day. Do not transplant in the hot sun. If you do, the plants will wilt and growth will be retarded.

First water the seedlings in the seedbox so that the soil is wet and will adhere to the roots. Do not start to move the seedlings a few at a time but take the seedbox to the bed. The hales for the seedlings should be prepared in two lines above where the compost was applied. Allow 18 inches between each seedling in the row and 24. inches between the rows. Plant them one at a time, pushing the fingers into the seedbox at the side of the seed ling and withdrawing with the seedling a nice ball of earth round the roots. t This ball of earth, if undisturbed, allows the root hairs to be moved without damage, which means that the supply of nutrients is continuous and growth is unchecked. Plant the seedling about an inch deeper than it was previously growing. By so doing, the bottom inch of stem will be below ground level; later on, this part of the stem will send out new roots which will assist the plant to take in more plant nutrients just when it requires this extra boost. Now water well and replace the mulch.

When transplanting has to be done at a very hot time of the year, it is advisable to build up the mulch lightly over each plant so that it acts as a shade. This is the only season when the seedlings require shade and it can be removed after a week. After transplanting, the young plants will require watering well during the dry season, but this will not be necessary during the rains unless rain has not fallen on the previous day. Too much watering is not good as it makes the root system less vigorous. The initial watering is heavy so that the young seedlings have plenty of moisture available. As they become established, they will send out their roots in search of more moisture. To further stimulate this root growth, water sparingly, if at all, for two or three weeks, by which time root growth should be satisfactory. When the young plants have become established and are growing well, watering must be determined by their needs. Over-watering will produce light fleshy growth and under-watering dark leaves and stunted growth. When water is needed, give enough – at least a bucketful a plant–as a bare sprinkling will do more harm than good, tending to draw the roots to the surface. A bucket is really the best receptacle to use, as long as it is used close to the surface and not three feet in the air.

From now on differences emerge between the techniques used for growing the dwarf and tall varieties, first in the length of stakes used and secondly in the control of growth. In both cases, two weeks after transplanting the plants will have to be staked. Plants of the dwarf varieties need 3-foot stakes and those of the tall varieties 5- to 6-foot stakes. Push them in about two inches from the plants and make firm. Tie loosely round the stem of the plant with good quality raffia, and then pass it round the stick. Always put the raffia underneath a leaf joint as this will prevent the plant from being blown about when it gets larger.

In both cases side shoots will soon appear at the leaf axils, which must be allowed to grow naturally in the dwarf varieties so as to form a bush. But the side shoots must be removed from the tall varieties, leaving only one central stem to carry the fruit. Some people like to leave two main stems on the tall varieties, but this will often reduce fruit size in the upper trusses unless more than one dressing of fertilizer is applied.

All tomatoes will benefit from a top dressing of fertilizer during the growing period. The ideal time to apply this is when the second truss of flowers is just beginning to open; given at this time it will provide the plant with the extra food it requires to continue making new growth and developing fruit at the same time. Any good general fertilizer can be used, but if specific tomato mixtures are available locally, they are to be preferred. If you wish to make your own mixture, use one part of sulphate of ammonia, five parts superphosphate and three parts muriate of potash, each by weight. Whichever is used, apply in a six-inch radius ring round the plant, having first removed the mulch of course. A matchbox is an easy container to use and one matchboxful will be sufficient for two plants. Take care that no fertilizer falls on the leaves as the sulphate of ammonia in the mixture will burn them. Now replace the mulch.