When Gertrude Stein said, “A vegetable garden in the beginning looks so promising and then after all little by little it grows nothing but vegetables, nothing, nothing but vegetables,” she certainly was thinking tomatoes. A few simple steps for healthy tomatoes:
First, the obvious is to plunk in those stakes and wrap that Velcro tape to keep the tomatoes growing straight. After yesterday’s fierce winds and storms, without these protecting buddies to accompany your plants, you might just find droopy sets already suffering damage. Second, don’t overlook nasty diseases that can wipe out your plants. Stay ahead of the game with a spray program so bugs or blights don’t come in and spoil your hard work. It’s bad horticultural practice to let preventable diseases get out of control. Most good growers apply a prophylactic spray every week. Don’t wait to see the symptoms because at that point, it’s too late. One last simple step for great tomatoes - pinch off the suckers. This simple technique regulates vegetative growth, allowing the plant to put more energy into producing and ripening fruit. It can also be meditative as you pinch and drift through the garden.
That’s it in a clam shell (for any of you lucky buggers heading off to enjoy a weekend at the beach.) With that said, don’t overlook your tomato plants. Keep your vegetable garden healthy.
Image of tomato plant in the garden taken by Ann Bilowz
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