[Market-farming] 1. Am I crazy? re: tomatoes (Beth Spaugh)

Bill Shoemaker wshoemak at illinois.edu
Wed Jan 28 21:58:01 EST 2009


In the past I've recommended Red Sun from Johnnys as a good combination of productivity, fruit size, flavor and disease resistance. Fruit are large, very globular, good color, firm but not hard. Most are happy with the flavor. It's a semi-determinate. Some new stuff coming along I'll be trialing this year. Will let folks know next Fall how they do.

I find you can make nice cages for determinates by using #10 concrete wire. Use the full 5' width to make tall cages. Put one on each plant, drive a tomato stake in the ground between them. Bind two cages to each stake with a cable tie about 4' up. It reinforces them sufficiently that they won't blow down. The indeterminate will grow right up to the top and over but the cages manage them well for us in northern Illinois. They'll work in a tall tunnel too.

Bill

William H Shoemaker, UI-NRES
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road  St Charles, IL  60174
630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610


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