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by Jeremy M . Kichler County Extension Coordinator Colquitt County • Moultrie , Georgia email : jkichler @ uga . edu
Tomatoes are a popular vegetable in everybody ’ s garden . Tomatoes do best in a sunny location that receives at least eight hours of sunlight each day The first thing a gardener should do is get a soil test . It is just a guess unless you soil test . If you need information about soil samples please contact the Colquitt County Extension Office .
Tomatoes require a soil with a pH in the range of 6.2 to 6.8 . In the absence of a soil test , apply lime at the rate of 5 pounds per
Home Tomato Tips
100 square feet of area . If the pH test comes back normal , but the calcium level is low , apply gypsum at the rate of 1 pound per 100 square feet . At planting , pour about 1 pint of starter solution ( 2 tablespoons of 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 fertilizer dissolved in 1 gallon of water ) around each plant . In the absence of a soil test , incorporate 1.5 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer for 100 square feet of bed before planting . Use a complete fertilizer that contains minor nutrients . After the first tomatoes form on the vine and are about the size of a quarter , side-dress them with 10-10-10 at the rate of 1 pound per 100 square feet of bed . Repeat every three to four weeks until harvest is completed .
Photo by Lewis Wilson on Unsplash
One of the biggest challenges in home tomato production is blossom-end rot . To manage this please maintain the soil pH between 6.2 to 6.8 and supply adequate levels of calcium through applications of dolomite limestone or gypsum . When hot conditions arrive please avoid extreme moisture fluctuations by using mulch and deep , timely irrigation once or twice a week . Please avoid overfertilizing plants with high ammoniacal nitrogen fertilizers . Excessive nitrogen can depress the uptake of calcium . Foliar applications of calcium with products such as Blossom End Rot Stop , are only short-term fixes and often work poorly because of poor absorption and movement to the fruit area where it is needed .
Tomatoes need about 1 to 2 inches of water per week depending on the type of soil they are growing in . If rainfall does not provide this quantity , water plants thoroughly once or twice per week . One or two heavy soakings are better than many light sprinklings .
Consider using drip irrigation or soaker hoses around your plants . These methods will help conserve moisture and avoid getting the foliage wet , which can cause disease . Hoses can be laid near each plant above the soil but under the mulch layer .
If you have questions about home tomato production please contact your local county Extension agent . n
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