Garden Minute

Garden Minute Radio Program - Growing Tomatoes - April 21, 2015

This is Jason Lamb with your Gardening Minute.

Tomatoes are the most popular crop planted in New Mexico home gardens, as well as across the United States. Tomatoes are easy to grow but gardeners should be picky about variety selections for their area. Tomato varieties come in various sizes, shapes, colors, and growth habits. Try growing several different varieties in your home garden.

Tomatoes are a warm-season crop and are sensitive to frosts. For early production, try raising plants to transplant into the garden, or buy transplants from local nurseries. Tomatoes can also be direct seeded. Plants may produce later in the year but are generally more hardy and thrifty than transplants.

Plant Tomato seeds 1/2 in. deep in hills spaced 3 ft. apart, or plant them in straight rows on the side of the irrigation bed. Thin tomatoes to one plant every 18-30 in. and leave the most vigorous plants behind when thinning. Indeterminate varieties can be staked or caged to increase production. Buy tomatoes that are resistant to Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, and nematodes by checking the seed label for the letters V, F, and N. 

If you would like more information on Growing Tomatoes please contact the Extension office at 461-0562. We will host a Tree Care and Maintenance Workshop on May 6 at 5:30pm at the Extension office in Tucumcari NM that is free to the public. Please RSVP by May 1^st. This has been your Gardening Minute with Jason Lamb your Quay County Ag. Extension Agent. Where are programs are open to everyone.

(reference NMSU Circular 457 - Home Vegetable gardening in NM.)