Varieties
| Size | Determinate | Indeterminate | Heirloom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Baxter's Bush Cherry, Cherry Grande, Gold Nugget, Small Fry, Sweet Baby Girl, Vita-Gold | Black Cherry, Dona, Gold Gem, Husky Cherry Red, Jaune Flamme, Jolly, Juliet, Large Red Cherry, Sugar Snack, Sun Gold, Suncherry, Sunsugar, Sweet 100, Sweet Chelsea, Sweet Million, Yellow Cherry | |
| Medium | Amelia, Better Bush, Bush Early Girl, Carnival, Carolina Gold, Celebrity, Floramerica, Heatwave, Solar Fire, Solar Set, Sunmaster, Sure Fire | Carbon, Champion, Dona, Early Girl, First Lady, Golden Jubilee, Lemon Boy, Porter Improved, Super Fantastic | Arkansas Traveler, Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Golden Girl, Golden Sunray, Porter's Pride, Red Rose, Rose do Berne, Taxi, Zapotec Pink Ribbed |
| Large | Bush Beefsteak, Bush Goliath, Floradade, Homestead, Tomato 444 | Better Boy, Big Beef, Big Boy, Early Big Red, Rutgers, Sunny Goliath, Super Fantastic | Brandywine, Giant Belgium, Marianna's Peace, Prudens Purple |
| Paste | Chico III, Classica, Roma, Viva Italia | Golden Rave | San Marzano |
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Soil Preferences
Well drained sandy loams and silty loams with pH 5.5 - 7.3; avoid fields with heavy soils, low areas and those prone to salt problems.
Optimum Growing Conditions
A cold sensitive crop; 80-85°F days with 60-70°F nights, low humidity and sparse rainfall.
Establishment Methods
| Planting Method | Fresh market - transplanted Processing - direct seeded |
|---|---|
| Optimum Time | Direct seeded - seed zone temperature > 55°F Transplant - when danger of frost has passed |
| Seeding rate | 1 - 1.5 lbs/acre |
| Approx seed/oz | 7,000 - 12,000 |
| Seeding depth | 0.5 - 0.75" |
| Transplanting depth | Completely cover root ball |
| Seedling spacing | 18-24" on 6' wide raised beds |
Fertility/Fertilization
Rates presented as actual lbs/acre N2, P2o5, and K2o (base actual rates applied on soil test results).| Generalized rate: 150 - 80 - 100 lb/acre* | |
| N** | 50-80 lbs pre-plant 25 lbs side-dressed at 0.5" fruit diameter + 3-4 weeks |
|---|---|
| P | 80-100 lbs banded 2" below seed at planting or 2" below transplant root mass |
| K | 80-100 lbs applied pre-plant with N (normally not needed in most areas of Texas) |
Starter Solution = 2 parts liquid 10-34-0 per 50 gallons water applied at 1 cup/plant ** Ammonium nitrate is very stable and least likely to evaporate. Urea and ammonium sulfate evaporate if not incorporated.
Water/Irrigation
20-25" per season uniformly applied from bloom through harvest applied at 1.5 times pan evaporation. Excessive and/or fluctuations in moisture induces fruit disorders and split stems.Pest Management
Tomato Diseases and Common Name of Fungicidal Controls
| DISEASE | FUNGICIDE* | OMRI LISTED FUNGICIDE** |
|---|---|---|
| Bacterial spot | acibenzolar-s-methyl, copper sulfate, mancozeb, streptomycin, | Bacillus subtilis, clove, rosemary and thyme oil, copper hydroxide, cuprous oxide, hydrogen dioxide, |
| Early blight | azoxystrobin, boscalid, chlorothalonil, copper sulfate, fenamidone, fluoxastrobin, mancozeb, maneb, polyoxin D zinc salt, propamocarb hydrochloride, pyraclostrobin, pyrimethanil, trifloxystrobin, ziram, | Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, clove, rosemary and thyme oil, copper hydroxide, cuprous oxide, extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis, hydrogen dioxide, neem oil, potassium bicarbonate, |
| Late blight | azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, copper sulfate, cyazofamid, cymoxanil. dimethomorph, fenamidone, fluopicolide, fluoxastrobin, mancozeb, mancozeb, mandpropamid, maneb, potassium phosphite, propamocarb hydrochloride, pyraclostrobin, sodium tetraborohydrate decahydrate, trifloxystrobin, | Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, clove, rosemary and thyme oil, copper hydroxide, cuprous oxide, extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis, hydrogen dioxide, |
| Nematode | 1,3-dichloropropene, chloropicrin, metam-potassium, metam-sodium, sesame oil, | azadirachtin, |
| Powdery mildew | azoxystrobin, myclobutanil, paraffinic oil, polyoxin D zinc salt, potassium phosphite, potassium salts of fatty acids, copper sulfate, pyraclostrobin, sodium tetraborohydrate decahydrate, trifloxystrobin, | Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, clove, rosemary and thyme oil, extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis, hydrogen dioxide, neem oil, potassium bicarbonate, streptomyces lydicus, sulfur, |
| Verticillium & Fusarium wilts | 1,3-dichloropropene, chloropicrin, fludioxonil, metam-potassium, metam-sodium, metam-sodium, potassium phosphite, Trichoderma harzianum, | Bacillus subtilis, Gliocladium virens Gl-21, streptomyces lydicus, |
Tomato Insect Pests and Common Name of Insecticidal Controls
| INSECT | INSECTICIDE* | OMRI LISTED INSECTICIDE** |
|---|---|---|
| Armyworm | Bifenthrin, Cryolite, Deltamethrin, Flubendiamide , Methomyl, Novaluron, Spinetoram | Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis, Spinosad, Pyrethrins, |
| Cutworm | Bifenthrin, Carbaryl, Deltamethrin, Diazinon, Esfenvalerate, Flubendiamide, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Lambdacyhalothrin, Zeta-cypermethrin | Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis, |
| Earworm | Bifenthrin, Cryolite, Deltamethrin, Flubendiamide, Methomyl, Novaluron, Spinetoram | Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis, Pyrethrins, Spinosad |
| Hornworm | Chlorantraniliprole, Chlorfenapyr, Cryolite, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Indoxacarb, Lambdacyhalothrin, Methamidophos, Methomyl, Permethrin, Zeta-cypermethrin | Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis, Garlic Juice Extracts, Pyrethrins, Spinosad, |
| Leafminer | Cyfluthrin, Cyromazine, Deltamethrin, Dimethoate, Dinotefuran, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Imidacloprid, Lambdacyhalothrin, Methamidophos, Paraffinic oil, Petroleum oil, Soybean Oil, Thiamethoxam | Azadirachtin, Garlic Juice Extracts |
| Looper | Bifenthrin, Chlorantraniliprole, Indoxacarb, Methomyl, Novaluron, Spinetoram | Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis, Garlic Juice Extracts, Pyrethrins, Spinosad, |
| Mite | Paraffinic oil, Petroleum oil, Sodium tetraborohydrate decahydrate, Soybean Oil | Azadirachtin, Garlic Juice Extracts, Neem oil, |
| Pinworm | Methomyl | Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis |
| Stink Bug | Beta-cyfluthrin, Bifenthrin, Carbaryl, Cyfluthrin, Deltamethrin, Endosulfan, Fenpropathrin, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Lambdacyhalothrin, Methamidophos, Novaluron, Thiamethoxam | Azadirachtin, Pyrethrins |
| Thrips | Acetamiprid, Beta-cyfluthrin, Bifenthrin, Carbaryl, Cyfluthrin, Deltamethrin, Dinotefuran, Fenpropathrin, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Imidacloprid, Lambdacyhalothrin, Methamidophos, Novaluron, Petroleum oil, Potassium salts of fatty acids, Soybean Oil, Thiamethoxam, Zeta-cypermethrin | Azadirachtin, Neem oil, Pyrethrins, |
| Whitefly | Beta-cyfluthrin, Bifenthrin, Cyfluthrin, Deltamethrin, Dinotefuran, Endosulfan, Esfenvalerate, Fenpyroximate, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Imidacloprid, Lambdacyhalothrin, Novaluron, Paraffinic oil, Petroleum oil, Potassium salts of fatty acids, Pyridaben, Sodium tetraborohydrate decahydrate, Soybean Oil, Spiromesifen, Spirotetramat, Thiamethoxam, Zeta-cypermethrin | Azadirachtin, Garlic Juice Extracts, Neem oil, Pyrethrins |
Weeds and Common Name of Herbicidal Controls
| WEED | HERBICIDE* | OMRI LISTED HERBICIDE** |
|---|---|---|
| Preplant incorporated | DCPA, napropamide, s-metolachlor, pendimethalin, trifluralin | Corn gluten meal |
| Preemergence (prior to spear emergence) | DCPA, napropamide, s-metolachlor, rimsulfuron, pendimethalin, metribuzin | |
| Postemergence | carfentrazone, oxyfluorfen, paraquat, rimsulfuron, halosulfuron, sethoxydim, glyphosate, pelargonic acid, clethodim, metribuzin | d-limonene, clove oil, cinnamon and clove oil |
* The above is a partial listing of controls intended as examples. Some labels may have been revoked since the publication of this guide. Refer to product labels for specifics and use accordingly. Ensure that products with one of the listed active ingredients is registered for the crop it is to be used on. Failure to do the above may result in crop injury, death and/or citation for law violation. Humans, animals and the environment may also be adversely affected by misuse.
** As stated in §205.206 of the National Organic Standards, pest management decisions should follow a hierarchical approach, which should be defined in a farm's organic systems plan. Please ensure that you have followed the appropriate steps and any product to be used in certified organic production systems has been approved by your certifying agent.
Harvest
| Days after planting | 60-100 |
|---|---|
| Normal method | Fresh Market - Hand Processing - Machine |
| Containers | Fresh Market - Field boxes, baskets Processing - bulk wagons |
| Grades |
|
| Packaging/Handling | Dependent on size |
| Anticipated yield/acre | Fresh Market - 20,000-30,000 lbs/acre Processing - 5-10 tons/acre |
Transit Conditions
55-70°F at 90-95% RHComments/Production Keys
- Responds well to black plastic mulch and drip irrigation
- Windbreaks should be used in areas with prevailing winds
- Excessive N fertilizer can delay maturity and reduce yield
- Trellising reduces fruit rots and facilitate easy harvest
- Row covers over trellised plants reduces frost damage and induces earliness (remove when plants begin to flower or if temperature > 90°F for 2 consecutive days)
- Can be trellised by staking, caging, or staking + string weaving (preferred commercial method)
- Bloom drop, poor fruit set and/or cat-facing (deformed fruit) induced by high temperature (> 92°F) due to reduced pollination (condition aggravated by high relative humidity)
- Harvest mature green for long distance shipment and breaker stage (first pink at blossom end) for local markets
- Harvest 2-3 times/week
- Remove calyx cap at harvest to reduce fruit bruising
- Forced ripening of mature green tomatoes accomplished by holding fruit at 68-77°F, 85-95% RH, and exposing to 100-150 ppm ethylene gas for 24-48 hours in an air tight room
- Field ripening can be induced with Ethrel (refer to label)
- Fall production is marginal in most areas of Texas