July 22, 1998

It's that time of summer when reports of "the first tomato" start pouring in. I received a call from Kenneth Wexell on June 17 telling me he picked his first ripe tomato and another call from Bill Koehler on June 29 reporting his. There is nothing in the world that I like better than homegrown tomatoes, but growing tomatoes in the home garden is not without its problems.

This season, blossom-end rot will be common, especially on early tomatoes. The bottom side (blossom-end) turns brown or black and gets soft and mushy. Peppers and cucumbers are susceptible to this condition too. This problem has to do with calcium and water. When moisture levels in the soil are low, plant growth and calcium uptake slow down. When soil moisture levels increase, plant growth speeds up while calcium uptake lags behind. The fruits don't develop properly even though there is plenty of calcium in the soil. You can help prevent this problem by keeping soil moisture levels even. Don't let the soil dry out between rains. A good layer of mulch goes a long way to help retain soil moisture.

Foliar diseases are now beginning to show up in home gardens, too. Leaf spot and early blight are the most common tomato plant problems. Leaf spot appears as 1/8 inch round or angular lesions with dark margins and gray centers that usually have one or two tiny black specks. The affected leaves turn yellow and drop from the plant. The disease starts at the base of the plant and works its way upward and progresses rapidly in periods of warm, wet weather.

Early blight prefers cool weather with high humidity and morning dews. The disease causes little "bull's eyes" on the leaf surface, small round spots with dark centers. Lower leaves are the first to show the disease, usually.

To minimize all these tomato maladies, do what you can to keep soil moisture even. Keep the tomato plants up off the ground with a cage or trellis. Mulch the plants with chopped leaves or dried grass clippings. The mulch helps keep soil moisture levels even and helps prevent soil born pathogens from splashing up onto the foliage when it rains. Some gardeners remove the foliage growing close to the ground early on to prevent the start of foliar diseases.

There are no chemical remedies for blossom end rot because it is caused by environmental conditions, not an insect or disease. Some chemical fungicides are labeled for tomato blight and your hardware store or garden center may have them. Please read the label before you spray and dust these chemicals on something you plan on eating. Many people see a plant problem in their garden and reach for any yellow and red bottle they have in the garage without any thought as to whether the problem is a disease or an insect. Insecticides will not cure plant diseases and fungicides will not correct insect problems. I venture to say that far more chemicals are misused by homeowners than by farmers and businesses.

On a happier note, now is the time to set out broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage plants for fall crops. Local nurseries should have young plants ready for the garden now. Many gardeners prefer the flavor of fall broccoli and don't do the traditional planting in the spring. Young plants put out into the soil now will produce nice large heads in mid September into October. Protect these plants with a dusting of Dipel to prevent cabbage loopers from eating holes in the leaves.

Broccoli has been found to help protect the body against certain forms of cancer and homegrown broccoli is the best medicine. Maybe even George Bush will eat his broccoli when he reads this.