Kitchen Garden - Tomatoes Not Looking Good

[Manassas]

Started a kitchen garden and the beans, squash, cucumbers and herbs are all doing fine. The tomatoes came up and started producing but foliage drooping and some fruits rotting on the vine. I think they need more shade and perhaps more drainage now that the rains started. I also have read that they do better in winter. But the markets are full of good tomatoes and they have to come from somewhere in this season. Any tips on summer tomatoes in Thailand?

[djayz]

I am by no means an expert on this topic, but from what I've read about tomatoes and my own hands-on experience growing them in the back garden, they seem to prefer a good watering once every 5 to 7 days. Then a dry spell followed a week or so later by another good watering.

They don't like being constantly moist or in wet soil.

You could try protecting a few plants from the rain by covering them with a large plastic sheet just to see what, if any, difference this makes.

In addition to this, the soil and pH values might not be suitable for tomatoes.

Good luck.

PS You might find more detailed advice in this thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/874479-growing-tomatoes-in-thailand/

[Suradit69]

Check the underside of leaves for red spider mite and check the main plant stem just below the soil level for cut worms or rot

Soapy water sprayed on & under the leaves will help reduce the mites if they haven't done too much damage yet. You'll probably have to repeat that if you see them.

Tomato plants can grow roots above those that exist when you first transplant them. If you put some newspaper around the stem and draw up soil it may put off cut worms and help the plant increase the number of roots available to support the plant ... assuming they're still fairly young.

[cooked]

Some of the advice on this page applies more to European gardening conditions than here in TH.

For a start, you cant grow the tomatoes you grow back home (generally) you are better off buying a local variety.

Then there is the soil problem. Some soil is riddled with different pathogens due to faulty culture practices in the past or is just unsuitable for growing tomatoes. No amount of special fertilsers or chemical treatment will solve this problem. My son in law brings me tomatoes every day, nobody in the village can grow them, but 400 metres away in the rice fields he is able to.

Tomatoes definitely don't need full sun here.

In the same plant family come egg plants and peppers, they also won't grow in our village unless sprayed regularly, which obviates the point of growing your own vegetables.

I very much doubt that soapy water will have much effect on spider mites, they are one of the most difficult pests to eradicate.

[Gary A]

I do miss big juicy tomatoes. I had a friend bring me seeds from South Florida. I figured if they do well in the Florida heat, they would do well here. The first time I planted them in the garden. They grew very well. The main stem was as big as your thumb. They flowered and formed fruit. The fruit got about the size of golf balls. Then the plants ALL withered and died. After that I tried sterilized soil in pots, in the full sun and in partial shade. I had the same results with all of the different varieties. I am now looking at aquaponics. I have two jars that are heavily populated with guppies. I can't do any worse with that project.

I even failed with Thai cherry tomatoes. I saved some seeds from market tomatoes. They grew well and were loaded with ripe tomatoes. The first one I ate was very bitter. They were not edible. All were bitter. Cherry tomatoes from the market are sweet and tasty. The other tomatoes available from the market are like rubber balls, tasteless and no juice.

[Suradit69]

Some of the advice on this page applies more to European gardening conditions than here in TH.

For a start, you cant grow the tomatoes you grow back home (generally) you are better off buying a local variety.

Then there is the soil problem. Some soil is riddled with different pathogens due to faulty culture practices in the past or is just unsuitable for growing tomatoes. No amount of special fertilsers or chemical treatment will solve this problem. My son in law brings me tomatoes every day, nobody in the village can grow them, but 400 metres away in the rice fields he is able to.

Tomatoes definitely don't need full sun here.

In the same plant family come egg plants and peppers, they also won't grow in our village unless sprayed regularly, which obviates the point of growing your own vegetables.

I very much doubt that soapy water will have much effect on spider mites, they are one of the most difficult pests to eradicate.

"Some of the advice on this page applies more to European gardening conditions than here in TH."

I've never grown tomatoes in Europe. What worked for me in the US also applied to tomatoes in Africa where I lived for years. I agree that local seeds make more sense than some you picked up elsewhere, but we even sometimes started plants from dried seeds from a ripe tomato. Definitely local soil conditions make a difference.

Also agree that spider mites are very difficult to eradicate, but I've had some success with reducing them with soapy water. For a small home garden it's worth a try. Not something you'd want to do with a large garden. I suspect some of the tomatoes you find in the market came from plants drenched in insecticide.

MANAGEMENT

Spider mites have many natural enemies that often limit populations. Adequate irrigation is important, because water-stressed plants are most likely to be damaged. Broad-spectrum insecticide treatments for other pests frequently cause mite outbreaks, so avoid these pesticides when possible. Sprays of water, insecticidal oils, or soaps can be used for management. Always monitor mite levels before treatment.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7405.html