| In 1983 we got really wild and
bought 50 acres in LaBelle,
Florida, to grow organic tomatoes ...peppers, okra, cucumbers, oranges,
melons too, but mostly, the goal was tomatoes
Zone 10 has opposite seasons as "up north."
Here, we can plant continuously month after month starting in late August up
until March. Harvests start in November and late-planted tomatoes can
be harvested May-June, even July
Here are your basic guidelines to success:
- be sure your soil is free of nematodes (tiny worms that
get into plant roots and greatly diminish normal growth performance).
One can use nasty commercial chemicals, but it's safer and easier to use
plastic. Lay 3-5 mil plastic over the planting area and leave it
there for about 3 weeks. The heat of the sun will "cook" the
nematodes
- you can use pots instead of open soil in your land. Larger pots
are better (5-gallon minimum, with 7- or 10-gallon being best.
Insure excellent drainage ...for the past few years we have used "peanuts"
that are used in packaging for shipping at the bottom of our pots and they
work very well
- use fresh nursery soil or a 'pro-mix' type soil and buy the most
expensive you can find THAT DOES NOT CONTAIN fertilizers
- plant seeds just below the surface of the soil and keep moist.
Most varieties sprout in 7-12 days from seed
- if you buy plants, plant and inch or two deeper that the original soil
depth
- soil should be enriched with manure ...composted manure or dry
composted manure worked into the top 6 inches of the soil. Never use
fresh (wet) manure
- tomatoes love fish emulsion fertilizer.
Feed often with this organic food. You may also feed chemical
fertilizers. Feed well during the first 40-50 days or so then stop.
If you buy chemical food, buy the bags listed for use on vegetables.
Follow instructions and NEVER use more than the bag says to apply
- many tomato varieties suited for zone 10
are indeterminate, meaning, they keep growing, some reaching 8, 10, even
12-15 feet tall and are the vine type of tomato plant. Plants that
are determinate reach about 4-5 feet tall and stop growing. When
planting indeterminate varieties, plan on providing a good
trellis/support/stake system
- look for bugs. Diseases are certain death, so
bugs are easy to handle compared with fungus,
wilts and blights. Being watchful means you will see and be able to
take quick action should a problem arise
- water the soil and not the plant (leaves). Keeping the leaves
dry (except for natural rain) helps keep plants healthy
Buy tomato plants or seeds suited for
Florida. These include Big Beef, Early Girl, Sun Master and others.
Read the label. We have some seeds for a native Florida tomato
here
|
