How was your tomato crop this year? Was it good, bad or awful?
Fall is a good time to evaluate your effort.
Did you grow one of the standards or try anything new? Were you
happy with the cultivar grown? If not, remember that next year
and try a different one.
Did you have the right fertility program? Did you have white,
hard spots in your tomatoes? Were the fruits small, or did they
fall off in the bloom stage? All of these problems are a results
of your fertility program.
Soil Test
Remember, the soil test is one of the most important parts of
tomato growing. You need to test a soil sample in November or
early December.
Did you have blossom-end rot? If you did, the calcium level from
the soil test is critical. This problem results from inadequate
calcium levels, along with water fluctuations.
Speaking of water, fall is a good time, too, to get that drip
irrigation you were going to put in the garden for next spring.
Drip is the ecological way to save water. It will reduce the
chances of some diseases, too, by keeping the foliage dry.
Clean Cages
And before you put up those tomato cages, spray them with a
15-percent bleach solution. That will prevent carrying over this
year’s diseases.
Finally, remember where you planted tomatoes this year. Next
year, change places. That, too, will reduce chances for disease
and insect buildup.
To get a soil test kit, see your nearest county office of
the University of Georgia
Extension Service.
