THE GREEN LIFE SOIL CO

TOMATO TASTE CONTEST 2012

You Say To-mate-o I say tom-arto... 
(Let's bring the whole thing on!)

For a while now Paul and I have been discussing the possibility of running some kind of contest for our customers, many of whom are fiercly proud of their gardens - and in particular of their tomato growing prowess.  So we have come up with a fun way to put this to a contest, and we hope you will be a part of it!

We think it will work something like this...

Judging will be in the form of a taste test, and will take place in early February. 

Of course, judging will be subjective and it's all meant in the spirit of fun and encouragement, so no correspondence will be entered into with disgruntled non-winners!

We will probably have taste rankings, and if the entries warrant it, maybe special awards to things like "the biggest tomato", "the smallest tomato", "the most interestingly shaped tomato" - or any other category we think applies to a tomato worthy of special mention!

So we hope you will give it a go - there will be prizes of gardening products, vouchers, bragging rights, and a certificate to show your grandchildren, neighbours, co-workers, mother-in-law, etc.  Not to mention the fame of being featured in our next newsletter, and possibly the local newspaper (if it's a slow news week). 

Entry is open to individuals, families, community groups, etc, and any type of tomato variety.  We embrace all types of Solanum lycopersicum, or even Lycopersicon lycopersicum or  Lycopersicon esculentum (depending on which site you Google). 

What you need to do to enter & and other vague rules...

1.  Grow some tasty tomatoes!  It sounds obvious, but we HIGHLY recommend using our soil for the best results!  Please grow them ORGANICALLY - keep the "icides" away - we're trusting you with this one!

2.  Bring your tomato into our store by 4.00pm on Sunday, 5th February 2012, which is the closing time for the competition.  When you bring in your entry, we will take your details, and each tomato will be given a number so that judging will be completely anonymous.

3.  Once the judge(s) have completed their taste test, we will trace back and notify the grower/s, and arrange presentation of prizes/certificates.  With their permission, we would like to follow up on winners gardening stories, and (if they're willing to share) get their top tips for tasty tomatoes to publish in the next newsletter!

4.  Entry will be by gold coin donation.  The Green Life Soil Co will match the total raised dollar-for-dollar, and donate all proceeds to charity.  Which Charity?   The overall winner can choose - but it will need to be a registered charity of course.

5.  We reserve the right to make changes to these rules as we go along if we think up improvements.  It's the first time we've run this contest, and we mean it to be a fun thing for everyone involved.

So that's it - get growing - there's still time to get some tomatoes producing.  We hope you will get inspired.

Growing Tomatoes

In case you're a novice gardener, but all inspired to give our taste contest a go, here are some interesting tomato facts and growing tips you may find useful.

The latin name Lycopersicon esculentum translates to 'edible wolf peach'.  Strange but true.  They originated from South America and grow very well in many parts of the world with mild, temperate or tropical climates (depending on variety).  And speaking of varities, there are hundreds of different varities available.  If you want to blow your mind, check out the varieties available at www.edenseeds.com.au. 

Tomatoes are often categorised into 'Determinate' and 'Indeterminate' groups. 

Determinate tomatoes often (but not always) have a more bushy growth habit, and tend to require minimal staking.  They often bear fruit all at once, which is handy if you wish to grow tomatoes for bottling or preserving.

Indeterminate tomatoes are often more vine-like in growth habit and require staking or training.  They tend to bear fruit over a longer period here and there, which is great for most home gardeners who like to have tomatoes on hand for salads over summer.

Both varieties have their good points, and it may be a good idea to select a couple of each type to grow.

To Stake or not to Stake

Staking a tomato plant and keeping it tidy has the advantages of increased sunlight and airflow around the plant, making them less susceptible to some fungal type disease.  It also makes working around the plants easier and accessing fruit to pick.  However, it is certainly not essential.  Allowing plants to sprawl has advantages too - namely fruit tends to be more protected from sunburn, and ripening is often a little more staggered.  It can be either fun to play 'hunt the ripe tomato' or frustrating - depending on your point of view.

To Prune or not to Prune

Some gardeners swear that to grow the best tomatoes you must pinch out lateral growth to keep the vine strong and to get a greater crop.  Others selectively prune foliage to allow greater sunlight and air circulation.  Other gardeners don't bother trimming anything.  Again - both methods work.  Do what works for you.

Peter Cundall is a staker, and a tip pincher-offer, so there you go.  But I also bet his garden is very tidy and he never leaves his tools out in the rain.  Just a guess.

General Growing

Tomatoes like a rich, improved soil and are hungry feeders.  Don't over feed them nitrogen rich fertilisers (eg. chicken manure) as this encourages more leaf growth over fruiting.  Use well rotted sheep and cow manures, and give them potash once a month to encourage flowering and fruit set.  Do mulch plants over summer and ensure regular watering.  If the soil is allowed to dry out, plants will stress and be more susceptible to problems.

Pots or Garden?

Tomatoes grow very well in pots or grow bags which are large enough (approx. 20 - 30L) so even small courtyard gardens can be productive!  If you have had problems with any soil borne disease or nematodes, perhaps try growing in pots for a season or two.  If you have limited space, cherry tomatoes are absolutely the most productive you can grow.

Diseases

Unfortunately tomatoes are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases, including:-

Blossom End Rot
This is caused by inconsistent watering, as plants lose the ability to take up calcium in dry soils.  Ensure watering is regularly timed, and stick to a routine.

Wilt Disease
When young plants show signs of wilt disease, there is often nothing that can be done to bring them back.  This is a virus that can be spread by sap sucking insects (like whitefly or thrip), or can sometimes be soil borne.  Do not compost plants, as the virus can spread throughout the garden this way.

Ensure you keep insect pests under control to avoid spread of the disease.

Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt are nasty soil borne viruses that can come from contaminated plants, seeds, stakes and gardening equipment.  It can be very hard to eliminate once you have it in your garden.  Strategies include crop rotation, using wilt resistant varieties, not saving seed from affected plants, and destroying (not composting) any infected plant material.  In extreme cases growing in pots may be the only solution.

Sunburn
The ideal ripening temperature for tomatoes is around 25 degrees.  In our very hot summers, fruit can burn.  Provide shade for the hottest part of the day and don't remove burnt foliage, as this still serves to protect fruit.

Nematodes
These are a symptom of poor, sandy soils.  If you have healthy, humus rich soils the huge range of beneficial microbes found therein prey on nematodes and keep their numbers in check.  Only if things get out of balance are root knot nematodes usually a problem.  Their numbers can be reduced by growing mustard as a green manure crop over winter, and watering in molasses to the soil at 500gm/m2.  (The molasses increases bacteria numbers which feed on nematodes.)  This should be a once-off treatment assuming you then work to improve your soil before planting future crops.

Solarisation over summer also works - lay clear or black plastic over the soil and weigh down the edges.  Leave for at least a month over the height of summer.  Note that this has a detrimental effect on all soil micro-organisms!  You will need to work to recolonise the soil with lots of healthy organic matter and fish hydrolysate when next preparing for planting.

French and African marigolds grown in high numbers and left in the ground for at least two months also help with nematode control - they exude a natural chemical found to be toxic to nematodes.  Plant them very thickly and enjoy their amazing colour while they do their work!

Tomato Bugs/Shield Bugs
Hand pick or shake these off into buckets of water mixed with a little detergent (which suffocates them).  Use a white oil or organic soap spray directly on the insects.  Harlequin bugs group together in the early morning so if you can see clusters of them you can effectively wipe out a large population at once.

Caterpillars/Budworm
Hand pick if you can find the tiny ones (chickens love them!), use Dipel for effective treatment.  Moths lay eggs on underside of leaves (squash them), and the hatchlings feed on leaves a short while before burrowing into fruit at an early stage of development.  Using Dipel when flowering is recommended, however you will need to re-apply after rain.  Garlic spray will work as a deterrent for many insect pests, but you need to use regularly.

Companion Planting

Tomatoes benefit from having asparagus, basil, carrots, chives, mint, nasturtium, parsnip, onion, corn, borage, parsley, marigolds and celery as companion plants.

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