Tomato
Man's Tips
Darrell Merrell
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Seed saver,
specialty grower, and ITG member, Darrell Merrell introduced Royal
Hillbilly in 1997. He developed it from a selection of a tomato
named Hillbilly that was given to him by Ruth Marcum of Collinsville,
Oklahoma. Ruth received her seeds from her brother Ralph Miller of Ohio. The seeds
that Merrell received grew out three different tomatoes. Through selection,
he stabilized one to a tomato with a deep, deep pink color that borders
on burgundy with a purplish or violet tinge. The flavor is a complex
blend of sweet and tart, snappy yet smooth. |
Dirt is one of Darrell Merrell's passions. Asked the secret of growing great
tomatoes, his answer is simple and direct:
It's in
the soil! It's in the soil! It's in the soil! It all begins with
your soil. You will not have a good crop of tomatoes without soil high
in humus and with the proper balance of nutrients. Compost added to your
garden plot year after year will supply all the nutrients needed. The
first year you may wish to add some nutrients to each planting hole: one
tablespoon blood meal for Nitrogen; one cup bone meal for Phosphorus; one
cup greensand or a handful of wood ashes for Potassium; and one tablespoon of
Epsom salts for Magnesium and Sulfur.
After a decade of this kind of treatment, Darrell's Tulsa, Oklahoma dirt
grows some fine 'maters. What's he do with the overflow? Each Spring he sells
more than 20,000 tomato transplants from his front yard!
Raconteur, entrepreneur, and unfailingly generous with his time,
talents,
and tomato expertise, people come from all over Oklahoma and surrounding
states to learn and talk tomatoes with "The Tomato Man" as Darrell is known
in Tulsa. Whenever somebody asks for "The Secret" to growing good tomatoes, he
reminds them that there are no one-size-fits-all recipes. Just the
experiences of gardeners. Darrell is one of the finest, and his
common-sense and sustainable tips are
among the best.
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Watering: Experts say that tomato plants need at least an
inch of water per week. Water thoroughly to encourage the roots to seek
water and nutrients deep in the soil. Soak to at least six to eight
inches. Soaker hoses are ideal but unless attached to a water meter, the
amount supplied is guesswork. Gallon containers with a hole in the bottom
sunk between each tomato plant works well. Fill with a water hose twice a
week. This method also gives you a chance to inspect the plants while
watering. If you use an overhead watering system, water early in the day
to allow the plants to dry out before nightfall. The nighttime dew is
enough for the plant to cope with, and foliage too wet overnight may help
some diseases. Too much water is just as bad as not enough. If the soil
stays too soggy it inhibits the roots from taking up nutrients and
eventually the roots will rot severely, slowing growth and even the death
of the plant. |
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Pruning: I do not prune except towards
the end of the season, late-September, when I sometimes cut off the main
stems above the top blossom. This causes the plant to put its energy into
ripening the tomatoes already on the vine. Pruning came into vogue in more
northern, short-season climates where it makes sense. In Oklahoma the
season is long enough for the "suckers" (that sprout from the
stem in the crotch right above a leaf branch) to fully develop and produce
tomatoes. If the "suckers" are pruned it does force the plant's
energy into the one main stem, resulting in earlier ripening and larger
fruit. I don't "sucker" for four reasons: a) more fruit per
plant over a continuous growing season, b) more foliage provides more
leaves to manufacture food for the plant, c) more foliage provides more
share for the tomatoes and helps prevent "sun scald", and d) I
don't have the time! |
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Diseases: The best cure is prevention.
Plant three to four feet apart to allow good air circulation so that
plants can dry after rain or morning dew. Rotate your plants each year to
a new location. This helps prevent disease build up in the soil. There is
no such thing as a totally disease resistant tomato, be it hybrid or O.P.
Perfect tomatoes and tomato plants appear in the seed catalogs (enhanced?)
but are not common in the average garden. Don't worry any more than you
have to over a few brown or yellow leaves, even spotted leaves. Chances
are you'll still get plenty of tomatoes. |
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Adaptation: Tomatoes are the
Number One plant grown in American gardens. We tend to think of them as a
native plant. THEY ARE NOT. That is why we grow seedlings under artificial
conditions for eight weeks or more before we transplant them. If we waited
for the soil to warm sufficiently to direct seed them, most tomatoes would
not be able to produce a mature fruit in most parts of the country. The
tomato's native habitat is tropical and semi-tropical regions of Mexico,
Central America and Western South America. They originated in Bolivia/Peru
area. Climatologic problems still persist in our temperate growing zone.
Most of my plants are from seeds I have saved over a number of growing
seasons. They are better acclimatized to our area, which gives my plants
an edge, particularly when it comes to disease resistance.
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Copyright © 1999 Darrell Merrell. All rights reserved.
Used by permission of Darrell Merrell and except for private use it may
not be reproduced in whole in in part in any format without written
permission from both the author and the Internet Tomato Trials.
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Internet
Tomato Trials
P. O. Box 76823 , Atlanta, GA 30358
Revised: November 21, 1999 |
The
first fruits for this seaon's trials are ripe! Time to think about
filing reports, so future growers can know what tastes and grows
good! Gang members who need report forms will find them at the ITG
Potting Shed.