Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Growing Tomatoes

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Petersons family <petersns AT whidbey.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Growing Tomatoes
  • Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:57:59 -0800

Alison - where do you get the biodegradable black plastic for your tomato production?
Molly Petersons
Molly's Island Garden
Whidbey Island, WA

On Jan 10, 2008, at 9:06 AM, Wiediger, Alison wrote:

<x-tad-smaller>Allan,</x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller> </x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller>There are probably as many good tips are there are growers, but we have found a few things key:</x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller> </x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller>Good fertility - so they grow and produce before our southeastern diseases stop production</x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller> </x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller>Mulching to control weeds that compete - we use biodegradable black plastic and hay/straw</x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller> </x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller>Consistent moisture - drip irrigation has been critical to our operation - drought is becoming all too common</x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller> </x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller>Succession planting - a planting only has </x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>nice</x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller> tomatoes for 4-6 weeks before disease starts shutting it down. We plant to have 3 outside plantings of tomatoes for the coming season.</x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller> </x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller>Variety selection – we select for varieties that will give us flavorful, beautiful tomatoes, and lots of them.  We have only a few we use and trial a few more each year in case we’ve missed one.  Goliath, Old Fashioned Goliath and Park’s Whopper for red slicers, Carolina Gold for yellow slicer, San Marzano hybrid for paste and a handful of heirlooms that never produce enough for us to justify the space they take, but look nice on our table, plus 8-10 cherry/grape types.  Each farm and each market will have varieties that suit them best – these are ours..... this year!</x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller> </x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller>Alison Wiediger, Au Naturel Farm</x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller> </x-tad-smaller>



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page