Dan West Garden Center

April 2009 Newsletter©

Maters!

Winter is finally over!  It’s April.  Time to plant…maybe.  We had a mid April frost last year and a mid April freeze the year before, so be careful.  You don’t gain anything by planting annuals and vegetables in cold ground.  (I gain…I get to sell them to you twice when either frost gets them or they stunt from cold ground.)

This month, I want to talk about one of my favorite things…maters.  (That’s Southern for ’tomato’ for all ya’ll that ain’t learnt to talk Southern yet.)  One of my favorite recipes is white bread, Miracle Whip, Provolone cheese, ground pepper and a couple of mater slices.  It’ll get you tongue to flappin’, dang near beat your brains out it’s so good!

Then ancestor of the modern tomato is native to South America.  It is related to deadly nightshade and once thought to be poisonous.  It really wasn’t widely eaten until the early 1800’s. There are thousands of varieties.  Every seed company has a variety that only they sell and of course, it’s the best. There are new ‘best ever’ varieties every year.  The varieties listed here are those that have met the test of time. 

Some things you need to know…

Many tomato varieties will have one or more of the following letters after the name…V,F,N or T.

That means that variety is resistant to Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, Nematodes or Tobacco Mosaic. 

Tomato plants are either determinate or indeterminate.  Determinate plants grow to a certain size, produce their entire crop and then they are done.  Indeterminate plants continue to grow and produce fruit until weather conditions stop them. 

Tomato plants are either hybrid or open pollinated.  Open pollinated plants (most heirlooms) retain their characteristics generation after generation, so you can save the seed and expect the same thing next year.  Hybrids have characteristics of both the parents and saved seed will not be the same as what you planted.

The further apart the plants, the less trouble you will have with diseases.  Large growing plants should be 36” apart with 4-5’ between rows.

Tomatoes are 95% water so water deeply and infrequently.  Improper watering may cause leaf roll (not a disease) and uneven fruit ripening.

Use nitrogen fertilizer cautiously.  Excess nitrogen, especially on young plants, causes excessive vine growth and poor fruit set.  Make sure you are using a quality fertilizer with micro-nutrients.  Insufficient potassium causes fruit to be less juicy.  Insufficient sulfur, chlorine or sodium causes poor flavor.  Insufficient boron causes cracking and uneven ripening.

Most people stake tomatoes. They are not trees, they are ramblers.  Left to themselves, the vines would pile up on top of each other, thus shading the fruit.  This is important when daytime temperatures reach the upper 90’s because high temps reduce the flavor and cause uneven ripening.

Staking may actually increase production because sun on the stem will stress the plant causing it to try to do the one thing it’s designed to do…reproduce.  Try this sometime…Cut 4, 2x4 pieces of lumber with one pointed end and drive them 12” into the ground at the corners of a 4’ x 6’ rectangle.  Attach a 2x4 on top the stakes on the 2 - 6’ sides and attach 3 – 4’ pieces, 1 at each end and 1 in the center.

Nail chicken wire or fencing to the top to create a “tomato table”, that the plants can grow up through and rest on top the wire.  You can get under them to weed, water or fertilize and walk around it to harvest your bounty.  The plants shade themselves and their roots.

Blossom-end rot is a common problem.  The bottom of the tomato turns black.  This is not a disease, it’s a calcium deficiency.  It’s usually associated with over watering.  Water locks up calcium in a form unavailable to the plant.  It may cure itself as the summer progresses but you lose the affected fruit.  Make sure your pH is 6.5 to 7 and, should you have a problem, remove the bad fruit and treat them with Yield Booster, a liquid calcium chloride that is quickly available to the plant. 

Cracking is a common problem also.  Some varieties are more crack resistant than others but it’s usually from inconsistent watering and direct sun hitting the fruit.

Early blight is a fungal problem often seen.  It cause leaves to yellow at the base of the plant and works upward.  Use chlorothalonil or mancozeb to cure it.

Spotted tomato wilt virus has become a serious Mid South problem.  There are hundreds of host plants, including chickweed, and it is transmitted by thrips. Symptoms include tip dieback, black spotted foliage and discolored rings in the fruit.  An infected plant should be quickly removed from the garden and spray surrounding plants to control thrips.  There are very few resistant varieties.

Poor fruit set may be caused by night temps below 55° or above 75°, day temps above 95° or by a lack of pollinating insects.  You can increase fruit set by spraying the open flowers with a blossom set spray.

Production dates below are days after transplanting.  Add 4-6 weeks from seed.

Amish Paste – Heirloom - Good slicing or paste variety. Average 10 oz. each, excellent sweet taste, very meaty, few seeds, oblong fruit, heavy yield, indeterminate, produces at about 75 days.

Arkansas Traveler – Heirloom – One of the best tasting tomatoes. Resistant to cracking and disease, handles excessive heat well, rose-pink color, very meaty, indeterminate, produces at about 85 days.

Beefmaster – Hybrid – VFN - Huge fruit, slightly ribbed, often 1.5 to 2 lbs each, heavy producer, deep red color, good slicer and flavor, indeterminate, produces at about 80 days.

Beefsteak – The original heirloom Beefsteak was probably Red Ponderosa.  Many new tomatoes are called Beefsteak style because of their meatiness and lack of pulp.  They are the largest of the tomatoes and because they are so meaty, they hold together well and are the best for slicing.  The original Red Ponderosa is an indeterminate variety that produces in about 85 days. 

Beefy Boy – Hybrid – VFN - Excellent sweet flavor, heavy producer, almost perfectly round 1 lb. fruit, very meaty, good slicer, indeterminate, produces at about 70 days.

Better Boy – Hybrid – VFN – Good performer, bright red 12 oz. fruit and juicy, indeterminate, produces at about 70 days.

Big Boy – Hybrid – One of the most popular varieties. Large 1 lb. bright red juicy fruit, crack resistant, good yield, indeterminate, produces at about 78 days.

Black Krim - Heirloom – As with most black tomatoes, this Russian variety has a sweet, smoky flavor.  Produces 8-10 oz fruit, heavy producer, prone to cracking but fruits well in hot weather.  Flesh is purple near the top of the fruit, more red near the base, indeterminate, produces at 80 days.

Bradley – Open pollinated – One of the best pink varieties.   This one is determinate. The entire crop of 10 oz. fruit matures at the same time which makes it an excellent choice for canning and freezing.  Often listed as an heirloom variety, it was developed by the University of Arkansas in 1961.  Produces at about 80 days.

Brandywine – Heirloom – A purplish-pink variety that dates back to the 1880’s. Very rich flavor, fruit averages 12 oz. but can reach 2 lbs.  Indeterminate, produces at about 80 days.

Caspian Pink – Heirloom – A Russian variety that is one on the very best tasting tomatoes.  Fruit ranges from 1 to 2 lbs each and they are a beefsteak type, very meaty, indeterminate and produce in about 80 days.

Celebrity – Hybrid - VFNT - Very vigorous, exceptionally high yield, disease resistant, crack resistant, round 8 oz. very meaty fruit, determinate, produces at about 70 days.

Champion – Hybrid – VF – Very meaty 9-12 oz. fruit, compact plants, determinate, produces at about 62 days.

Cherokee Purple – Heirloom – Unique dusty rose color.  Considered by many to be the sweetest, best tasting tomato.  Heavy producer, somewhat smoky flavor, round 12 oz. fruit, indeterminate, produces at about 80 days.  It is said to have come from the Cherokee Indians in Tennessee.

Delicious – Hybrid – Very large fruit.  The world record tomato was a Delicious at better than 7 lbs.  Very meaty, few seeds, crack resistant, indeterminate, produces at about 77 days.

Early Girl –  Hybrid – VF – Bright red, round 6 oz. fruit, heavy producer, good slicer, indeterminate, early producer at just 57 days.

Fourth of July – Small 4 oz. fruit produced in clusters similar to Sweet 100. Heavy producer, indeterminate and produces the first fruit in as little as 44 days after planting.

Golden Boy – Hybrid – Deep golden yellow 8 oz. fruit, few seeds, indeterminate, produces at about 80 days.

Grape – Hybrid - Produces grape-like clusters of elongated small fruit. Crack resistant, heat tolerant, very vigorous vines, heavy producer, indeterminate, produces at about 60 days.

Green Zebra – Slightly elongated 3 oz. fruit, matures to a yellow gold with green stripes.  Good slicer or salad tomato.  Often listed as an heirloom, it was actually developed in 1985 by an heirloom breeder for a California restaurant.  Indeterminate, produces at about 86 days.

Health Kick – Hybrid – VF - Produces an abundance of 4 oz. slightly elongated fruit.  Contains 50% more lycopene than other tomatoes.  Good for salads, sauces and paste.  Determinate, produces at about 74 days.  Some resistance to Spotted Tomato Wilt Virus.

Heinz 1350 – Hybrid – VF – Probably the best canning tomato, bright red uniform 6 oz. fruit, heavy yields, crack resistant, determinate, produces at about 70 days.

Homely Homer – Large, heavily ribbed, beefsteak type fruit.  Good, but not a great producer.  Fruit is delicious but it is so heavily ridged it appears deformed.  A novelty to be planted along with other more productive varieties.  Indeterminate, produces at about 80 days.

Husky Red – Hybrid – VF – Bright red 6 oz. fruit, good flavor, heavy producer.  Indeterminate but the plant is dwarf, growing only to 4’, produces at about 68 days.

Jet Star – Hybrid – VF – Heavy producer and outstanding taste, crack resistant 8 oz. fruit, low acid content so it’s not a good canning variety, indeterminate, produces at about 72 days.

Jubilee – Golden orange round medium sized fruit, low acid content, mild taste, very meaty, few seeds, indeterminate, produces at about 80 days.

Lemon Boy – Hybrid – VFN – Produces 8 oz. yellow fruit, vigorous plant and heavy producer, mild sweet taste, indeterminate, produces at about 72 days.

Marglobe – Hybrid – F – Medium sized, thick walled fruit, heavy producer, vigorous vines, determinate, produces at about 72 days.  Considered an heirloom, it was developed in 1917 and released by the USDA in 1925.

Marglobe Improved – Hybrid – VF - The same as above but improved disease resistance.

Mortgage Lifter – Heirloom - A pink beefsteak type tomato, very large fruit, very meaty, few seeds, indeterminate, produces at about 85 days.

Mountain Pride – Hybrid – VF – Firm round large fruit, very meaty, crack resistant, determinate, produces at about 77 days.

Mr. Stripey –  Heirloom – Rich, tangy flavor, 2 inch salad tomato, red with yellow/orange stripes, heavy producer, indeterminate, produces at about 56 days.

Old German – Heirloom – Large yellow 1 lb. plus fruit with streaks of red.  Sweet flavor, indeterminate, produces at about 75 days.

Oxheart – Heirloom – Large heart shaped pink fruit, often 1 lb or more, good slicer, very meaty, few seeds, indeterminate, produces at about 80 days.

Patio – Hybrid – F – Very popular container plant. Dwarf plant, grows to 2’, but produces large crops of 4 oz. very tasty fruit, determinate, produces at about 70 days.

Ramapo – Hybrid – VF - Developed at Rutgers University in 1968.  Excellent flavor, not the heaviest producer, but worth growing.  Medium to large fruit, crack resistant, produces at about 80 days.  This variety disappeared when Rutgers stopped producing the seed.  However, Rutgers still had seed for the parent plants and has now brought back Ramapo into production by popular demand.   Maybe not this year, but next year, we should have these available again.

Red Cherry – Heirloom – The original Red Cherry dates back to before 1840.  Heavy producer, very vigorous vines, heat tolerant and resistant to tomato fruitworm, indeterminate, produces at about 72 days.  An improved ‘Large Red Cherry’ is often seen.  It’s a newer selection with much larger fruit.

Roma – Hybrid – VF – Compact vines, heavy yield, 3” oblong fruit, excellent for sauce, paste or canning, very meaty, nearly solid with few seeds, determinate, produces at about 78 days.

Rutgers – Open pollinated – VF – Heavy producer, consistent 8 oz. fruit, very meaty, excellent canning variety, determinate, produces at about 74 days.

Super Fantastic – Hybrid – VF – Heavy producer, round 10 oz. fruit, very meaty and juicy, excellent flavor, indeterminate, produces at about 70 days.

Supersonic – Hybrid – VF - Very heavy producer, large 12 oz. fruit, very meaty, crack resistant, vigorous vines, indeterminate, produces at about 79 days.

Supersteak – Hybrid – VFN - Large beefsteak type fruit often 1-2 lbs each, very meaty, good slicer, good for juice, indeterminate, produces at about 80 days.

Sweet 100 – Hybrid – Long clusters of ½ fruit, very sweet, very high vitamin C content, vigorous vines, heavy producer, indeterminate, produces at about 65 days.

Whopper – Hybrid – VFNT -  Heavy producer, crack resistant 4” fruit, very meaty, juicy, indeterminate, produces at about 65 days.

Yellow Plum – Hybrid – Clusters of 1.5” yellow plum shaped fruit, good flavor, indeterminate, produces at about 78 days.

This was the March Mystery Plant.  It’s a Rainbow Knockout Rose and we had several correct answers.

This month’s contest is a little different.  In the previous months, a little plant knowledge was necessary to win.  This month, everyone is on an even playing field.  To win, you have to know (guess) which of the maters above is my favorite!  To be honest, I haven’t tried them all, but there is one that stands out to me.  It has a high acid and sugar content which makes for the best taste. 

The contest ends on April 15^th.  Drop by either store to enter or you can email your entry to questions@danwestonline.com.  One winner, selected from all correct entries, will receive a $25 Dan West Gift Certificate.

Thanks for shopping with us at Dan West.