Growing Tips

Tomato Growing Tips for the Northwest Coast

Here at Ostman Farm, we fully appreciate the joy of a ripe, home-grown tomato. We also understand that growing one successfully on the Northwest Coast can be a challenge, so we offer you these suggestions to help you with growing your tomato plants in our often cool and foggy summer climate.

1. Start with a healthy, pest and disease free plant that is not badly root bound. No amount of good care can make up for a bad start. A plant that is not stressed to begin with will adapt better to the conditions it is planted in.
2. Location, Location, Location! Tomatoes like warmth and sun- a bed or container along a south-facing wall will give it nice reflected heat. Make sure that the plant will be able to receive at least six hours of sunlight a day. Tomatoes are not shade plants.
3. Amend your soil! Don’t put a healthy plant into unhealthy soil. Dig in some good, organic compost and some nutritious slow-release fertilizer. If you are planting your tomato in the ground, make sure the soil has good drainage- wet soil will cause root rot and other diseases.
4. Plant it deep- pinch off all but the top two layers of leaves, and plant it to that depth. Really! The tomato will develop roots all along the buried stem, giving it a strong root system. For tall plants, dig a trench about two feet deep and wide, lay the root ball on its side and gently bend the stem as you plant it so that the roots can develop in the warmer surface soil.
5. Keep it clean- pinch off any leaves that start to touch the ground. This will help prevent soil splashing up onto the plant when you water, and help prevent soil-borne diseases.
6. Size matters! If you are going to plant your tomato in a container, make sure it is a BIG ONE. A fifteen gallon pot size at minimum, bigger if you have it. Tomatoes have a large root system, and they will appreciate the leg room. Planting in a pot that is too small will result in less top growth, smaller fruit production and the need to water more frequently.
7. Good early season protection can make a huge difference. Here on the coast, late Spring and early Summer can sometimes be cold and wet, two things a tomato plant hates to be. If you aren’t growing your plant in a greenhouse, try making a mini-greenhouse over it. Place a tomato cage over the small plant, and at night, or if it rains, wrap the cage in floating row cover insulating fabric, or cover it with a white plastic garbage bag. This will keep the leaves dry, and offer some protection from nighttime chill. Remember to take the protection off when it gets sunny! Also try using ‘wall o’ water’ insulation devices to help retain heat at night.
8. Offer support! Remember that indeterminate tomato plants can get 6’-8’ feet tall, sometimes more. We like to grow our tomatoes against a six foot tall trellis to accommodate the height of the vines. Determinate tomatoes will stay smaller, but can also easily outgrow traditional cages. If you use a cage, try pounding a piece of rebar or bamboo into the ground through the cage to help it not tip over from the plant’s weight.
9. Don’t throw out that protection! Keep your floating row cover fabric on hand, and when we get those cool summer nights, or a wet storm blows through, cover your plants with the insulating fabric. This will really help the fruit stay warm enough to ripen better, especially at night.
10. Water only when the plant needs it, not on a schedule. Buy a soil moisture meter that will tell you how wet the soil in below where you can stick your finger into, and don’t water it if it is still wet. Water only at the base of the plant- getting the leaves wet will encourage disease to flourish.

Still more questions or concerns? e mail us at: info@ostmanfarm.com and we will try to help.