Preventing Common Tomato Plant Problems
Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable (or fruit if you want to get into that argument!) people grow in their home gardens. Unfortunately, tomato plant problems, including damage from insects, diseases and fungus, are also very common.
When gardeners discover something is wrong with their precious tomato plants, it is sometimes too late to solve the problem which may result in a total loss of the plant or the entire crop.
If home gardeners use a few simple, preventative measures and perform regular weekly maintenance during the growing season, many frequent problems can be avoided before they even start.
Prevention starts before the growing season. Soil preparation, crop rotation and seed or seedling selection are all important steps to get your tomato crop off to a good start. Plant spacing is also important. A minimum of 18 inches or more should be left between seedlings to allow future growth and proper air circulation around the plant. The air circulation prevents excess moisture around the plant which may ultimately lead to diseases.
Once you get your tomato plants off to a good start, regular weekly maintenance will insure they are the healthiest they can be. In turn, the plants will fight insects and disease by themselves and will reward you for all your hard work with fresh, juicy, home grown tomatoes.
Regular inspection of the plants is very important. Without disturbing or handling the plant too much, taking a look at every aspect of the plant at least once a week will insure you catch any potential problems quickly. Inspect the stems, tops and bottoms of leaves and any tomatoes that have already formed on the vine. Research and treat anything that does not look quite right.
Tomato plants also need a lot of water for proper growth. If Mother Nature does not provide at least 1-3 inches of rain weekly, make sure each plant receives at least 2 gallons per week once they are established (two weeks after seedlings are planted in the ground). This regular watering schedule will avoid many common problems tomatoes experience on the vine including cracking and splitting.
To retain moisture in the soil and prevent the roots from drying out, mulch around the base of each tomato plant with dried grass, straw or pine needles. The mulch will also help keep weeds from growing and stealing nutrients away from the tomato plants. Grass clippings from your lawn can be used but in moderation.
If left unattended, tomato vines would crawl all along the ground and take up quite a lot of space in your garden. This would leave the tomatoes on the ground very vulnerable to insects. Most gardeners stake or cage their plants to avoid this problem. Which one works better? It is really a matter of preference. If you tie tomato plants to a stake, just make sure you do not tie them too tight. Leave plenty of room for the tomato plant to grow.
“Suckers” are the leafy shoots that develop between the main stem and branch of the tomato plant. Home gardeners debate about whether to pick suckers off the tomato plants or not. Again, it is a matter of preference. If you regularly pick all the suckers, you will end up with a single stem plant and larger, but fewer tomatoes. If you do not pick any suckers and let the tomato plant grow unchecked, you will end up with a very bushy plant with lots of foliage and smaller tomatoes. Many gardeners agree that leaving some suckers on the plan is a good compromise.
When the tomato plant reaches 12 to 18 inches in height, leave two or three of the new suckers alone. They will develop into several new main stems. From that point on, pick as many of the suckers as you can find. This will give you a bushy plant that produces a maximum amount of fruit without stressing the plant with too much foliage.
If you follow even a few of these suggestions, your tomato plants will reward you with fresh healthy tomatoes all summer long.
Visit the author’s detailed, illustrated article Preventing Tomato Plant Problems for more information about curing common tomato plant problems… and make sure you spend a little time in Suzy’s Garden – a great place for more gardening and crafting information and fun !
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