Tomato Growing Resources

by Linda Carloni

We’re featuring tomatoes for June here at Alameda Backyard Growers. It’s a favorite summer garden plant all over, including in our Island City. To help keep your tomato seedlings successfully growing, check out these resources:

Continuing care 

Should you fertilize again?

Probably, but take care to wait until flowering and fruit set are well in progress.  Then use a reputable organic tomato or vegetable fertilizer – it should be higher in phosphorus than nitrogen to encourage fruit rather than leaf growth  Follow the directions on the package label.

Problems?

If you’re new to growing tomatoes, and spot something that looks wrong, start here.

For more comprehensive information on common Bay Area tomato problems – click here. 

Perhaps in part because of the rain in May, there seem to be more questions about leaf spots on tomato plants this spring. There are several fungal diseases that cause spots, and many are fought best by keeping water off your tomato leaves, keeping the tomatoes well-staked and pruning as needed so there is good air circulation in the interior of the plant.  Click here for more information.

Most comprehensive resource on home tomato pest management in California 

Good luck with your growing!  

Growing tomatoes