Zambia Agribusiness Society

When you’re trying to grow your own edible food, tomatoes are a go-to crop due to their high success rate—not to mention their tastiness. However, there are still plenty of tomato-growing woes gardeners might experience that could be avoided with proper preparation and knowledge. From premature planting to improper watering, some of these tomato gardening mistakes can be grave. But with the help of  tomato gardening tips  from Jobe’s Organics—as well as fertilizers such as our  tomato granular —you can pave the way for an  edible garden  that rises from the dirt instead of bites the dust. 1. Not hardening seedlings Hardening your seedlings is one of the most important things you can do to help ensure their survival. Without hardening, your seedlings won’t be able to adapt to the change in temperature or the exposure to weather, like wind and rain. Some ways to ensure your seedlings are outdoor-ready include: Gradually increase your seedlings’ exposure to the elements about a month afte

1. I am losing about half of my tomato crop because of fruit rot. Sunken round spots develop over the ripening fruit. The spots enlarge rapidly in warm weather. What can be done? Answer : There are a number of tomato fruit rots. The majority, including anthracnose which you apparently have, can be controlled by staking the plants or using a tomato cage in the spring and mulching with grass clippings or leaves, to get the fruit off the damp ground. In addition, spray at seven to ten day intervals using maneb, zineb, captan or a multi-purpose vegetable or tomato spray containing one of these fungicides. Follow the manufacturer’s directions. These materials will also control the common and destructive foliage blights. Spraying should generally start when the first fruit clusters are the size of walnuts. 2. The older and lower leaves on my tomato plants are spotted, turning yellow and dropping off. I’m afraid the fruit will sun scald. What sprays do you recommend? Answe r : Tom