RickHarrison.com presents...
A Guide to Growing Tomatoes in Florida

pruning and garden hygiene

Ask a dozen tomatophiles how they prune their plants and you may get a dozen different responses. Some of us never prune; others maintain a strict regimen of removing side-shoots that emerge near the base of the plant (the so-called "suckers"). Major pruning is hardly ever a good idea. Removing a lot of foliage will traumatize the plant and expose the fruit to sun-scald.

Don't just drop the pruned-off leaves and stems on the ground. Instead, carry them to a garbage can. Any leaves and fruits that fall off the plants should also be removed from the garden. If you use clippers or a knife to do your pruning, sterilize the blade(s) before you move from one plant to the next.

If you have to handle the plants, try to do it during a time of day when their leaves are dry -- not in the morning when they are wet with dew.

feeding and watering

Over-watering will cause most varieties to produce bland-tasting fruit. On the other hand, allowing the plants to get very dry and then suddenly giving them a lot of water will make the fruit crack. Moderation is the key word. Bend over and stick your finger in the ground once in a while. When the top few inches of soil are getting dry, it's time to water. If you accidentally let the plants get so dry that they wilt, don't give them a whole lot of water all at once! Just give them a brief sprinkle to cool the soil, then come back after the heat of the afternoon has passed and water more thoroughly.

If possible, water the plants in a way that does not get the leaves wet. Soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems under plastic mulch are good. Personally I water by hand with a watering can.

If you prepared the soil properly before transplanting seedlings into it (by adding plenty of composted manure, a pinch of powdered phosphate rock, a trace of muriate of potash, and a calcium source such as bonemeal or crushed eggshells), then you will not need to do much fertilizing afterwards.

I sometimes water my plants with a very dilute solution of fish emulsion and Miracle Gro for Tomatoes. Other tomatophiles advocate manure tea and a few are fond of seaweed solution. Unless you are trying to grow the world's largest tomato, over-fertilizing is a big mistake; resist the temptation.

pests and diseases

Hopefully you won't have any major problems with insects, bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nutritional disorders. One of the advantages of watering the plants by hand, one by one, is that it virtually forces you to take a close look at each plant every couple of days. This is how you catch problems before they get out of control.

Caterpillars (called "worms" by some folks) can be controlled by B.t. (Bacillus thuringiensis) which is sometimes sold under the name Thuricide. Aphids, mites and other small insects can be fought with Safer's Insecticidal Soap.

Slugs and birds sometimes attack ripening fruit; bird netting or vinyl screen material will keep the birds away, while special traps or a barrier of diatomaceous earth will slow down the slugs. The more odiferous varieties of marigolds are said to repel nematodes, but you may have to grow them for several years and compost them into the soil to have any effect.

Fungal diseases can be slowed down by spraying the plants with fungicide every 14 days. Alternating between daconil and copper fungicide is a good idea. Follow the label directions exactly with regard to diluting the fungicide in water before spraying. Over-concentrated fungicide will hurt the plants, and over-diluted fungicide will give the fungi a chance to build up a resistance. Spray in the morning before the searing heat of day kicks in. Be sure to spray the undersides of the leaves as thoroughly as the tops.

Keep smokers out of the garden. Tobacco products can carry a virus (tobacco mosaic virus) that can infect tomatoes and related crops.