1.Q. Tomato growing is very satisfying especially when you see tomatoes ripen and turn red. But I lose at least half my crop to bird damage. What can prevent this?

A. Bird damage is common in all areas. One control method which works quite well is to take old nylon stockings and cut them into pieces 10 to 12 inches long. Tie a knot in one end of the stocking and slip the open end over the entire cluster of tomatoes.

Secure the end above the tomato cluster with a rubber band or twist-tie. Birds will not be able to peck through the nylon. Slip the stocking off the cluster and harvest the ripe fruit and replace it to protect later-ripening fruit. Also, birds damage fully mature fruit more readily than breaker or pink fruit.

Harvest in breaker or green-wrap stage. Gardeners have tried many ways to reduce bird damage. Scarecrows, aluminum strips, tin foil plates and noisemakers will work until the local birds become accustomed to seeing or hearing them. Fabric covering materials such as Grow-Web and Reemay can also be used as a barrier mechanism.

2.Q. What causes tomato leaves to curl?

A. The exact cause of tomato leaf roll is not fully known. Tomato leaf roll appears about the time of fruit setting. The leaflets of the older leaves on the lower half of the tomato plant roll upward. This gives the leaflets a cupped appearance with sometimes even the margins touching or overlapping.

The overall growth of the tomato plant does not seem to be greatly affected and yields are normal. This condition appears to be most common on staked and pruned plants.

It occurs when excessive rainfall or overwatering keeps the soil too wet for too long. It is also related to intensive sunlight which causes carbohydrates to accumulate in the leaves. Some varieties of tomatoes are characteristically curled.

3.Q.  My tomatoes were healthy during the spring and early summer, yet after a recent rain, they wilted and died very rapidly.  That put all my tomato growing efforts to zero. Besides, I found a white fungal growth at the base of the plant.

A.This is southern blight. It is a soil-borne fungus and lives on organic material in the soil. Terrachlor used as a pre-plant treatment will reduce this problem. Also, the deep burial of undecomposed organic material in the soil will reduce the problem. Control foliage diseases on plants because the fallen leaves around the base of the plant will feed the fungus, and it will build up in this area and cause damage later. Crop rotation will also reduce southern blight.

4. Q. I have tomato plants that are 5 feet tall. Can I snip the ends off the branches to encourage fruit growth such as you do with squash? I do pinch off the suckers between the crooks of the branches. Thanks for any help you can give me.

A: Pruning the plant will keep it compact. Many people do get rid of the sucker growth that appears on the main stem. To get larger, fewer fruit, remove any blooms that appear before fruit set can take place. If you have over fertilized the tomatoes, the growth will be mostly vegetative. In that case, any pruning would be of little help.

5. Q. If tomatoes are picked green or before they are fully mature, how should they be handled to insure proper ripening and full flavor?

A. Never refrigerate tomatoes picked immature. Place them in a single layer at room temperature and allowed them to develop full color. When they are fully ripe, place them in the refrigerator several hours before eating. Those handled in this manner will be of high quality and full flavor.

Want  to know more about tomato growing?

Then, click here:

Gardens To Dig – Grow Big Juicy Tomatoes

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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener