Trellised tomatoes in the Vollmer vegetable garden.

Trellising pruned vines allows for better air circulation.

It decreases the chance of fungal diseases and exposes fruit to the warm sun.

TOMATO TIPS ~

Tomato plants are "big feeders.' They become large plants, laden with fruit, within a few months. It's appropriate to feed them a few additional times during the growing season. We recommend an organic liquid fertilizer balanced for blooming plants ~ add to 1 gallon of water at the rate noted on the bottle. Water each plant with approximately 1/2 gallon of the fertilizer water, every 3 weeks.

Whether you trellis your tomatoes or grow them with a cage around them, it's a good idea to remove the leaves on  the main stem, approximately 12" up from the base of the plant. This allows for maximum air circulation and eliminates the chance of watering or rain splash, hitting the leaves. Fungal spores are in the soil and can be splashed onto the leaves, starting late blight damage.

Consistant watering is important during the hot summer days. Consistant doesn't mean every day. It means letting the soil dry out to about 1" below the soil level and then watering the plants to saturation. Uneven watering ~ letting the plants get too dry or overwatering ~ lead to health issues, like blossom end rot.

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