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             The Gardener Guy of Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Tomato Season

Price grows 150-200 varieties of tomatoes each year, about 1200 plants in total. I asked him how he deals with weeds. He says he uses a woven mesh landscape fabric. It is a heavy one, shiny on top and furry on the bottom; it allows air and water to penetrate, but does not allow weeds to grow. He cuts a 4-5 inch "X" in the fabric to plants his seedling, locating plants about 2 feet apart in rows 4 feet apart.

In addition to the advantage of weed control, the fabric limits soil-borne fungal diseases because the soil is covered, and there is minimal splash-up of spores. Unlike black plastic, the fabric breathes, but helps to hold moisture in the soil. Even after 10 days without rain, his soil will still be adequately moist, he said. I imagine it keeps the soil warmer, too, which should help speed growth of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, particularly early in the season.

The weed fabric Price buys is from Farm Tech, a company whose catalog I just happen to have. They sell something called Weed Guard Ground Cover in 100 foot rolls, 3-feet wide for about $36, including shipping to Cornish Flat. It also comes in 6-ft and 12-ft widths. You may contact them at 800-327-6835 or see the product at http://www.FarmTek.com.

I asked Price about soil fertility. He says he rototills in a layer of fallen leaves about 4 inches thick each fall, and uses a special tomato fertilizer he buys from Gardens Alive (http://www.GardensAlive.com or 513-354-1482), another catalog I just happen to have. Their tomato fertilizer is called TomatoesAlive and is an organic 6-4-1 fertilizer with 8% calcium and 1.6% magnesium. According to their directions, one should use 2 tablespoons per plant at planting time, and 2 more scratched in when fruit is being set.

I asked Tomato Bob for some of his recommendations. He likes "black" tomatoes like Cherokee Purple, Black Cherry and Black Krim. He agrees with me that Brandywine is fantastic. For a cherry tomato he like Matt's Wild Cherry - small, but flavorful he says. For paste tomatoes he likes four I have never tired, but will this year: Martino's Paste, Sausage, Ernie's Plump and Jersey Devil. You can order those seeds on line, or by calling 614-256-6298.

For support Tomato Bob uses cages made from the heavy steel mesh used by concrete crews to reinforce floors. It comes in 5 ft by 10 foot pieces, has 6-inch openings and is rugged enough to last for years. He cuts it so that the bottom of each piece has 6-inch prongs to stick in the ground, right through the fabric. He makes cages that are 20 inches in diameter, but each in 2 pieces (semicircles) for ease installing and storing.

Back on the web I found Gary Ibsen, who not only grows 600 varieties of certified organic heirloom tomatoes, he and his wife Dagma have organized a tomato festival in Carmel, California each September for the past 16 years. His web site, http://www.TomatoFest.com tells about the festival and about the seed varieties they sell. They may have the best selection of heirloom tomatoes in the country, and the website has descriptions, origins and photos of each.

The Tomato Fest is an afternoon event with 350 kinds of tomatoes to taste, 50 vineyards showcasing their wines, an old fashioned barbeque, salsa competion and more. They sell 2400 tickets, and the net profits are donated to children's charities - a total of $210,000 has been donated so far. The event this year is Sept 14 - and I want to go! All food and wine is included in the admission price of $95 (or $85 if tickets purchased by May 30).

I called Gary Ibsen and was amazed by his passion for tomatoes: he likes to consider himself the "Johnny Appleseed" of tomatoes, keeping many old varieties alive - even if they are not commercially viable. He is intimately involved in growing each of the 25,000 tomato plants that he and Dagma grow each year - some 10-15 acres of them.

Here are some of his favorites, starting off with two varieties he introduced and named: Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red (Eastwood lives nearby and attends the festival most years), the Julia Child (another friend of theirs, who allowed her name to be used), Homer Fike's Yellow Ox Heart, Paul Robeson and Black Zebra.

I always thought of myself as a bit of a tomato fanatic, growing 40-60 plants and a dozen varieties each year. Now, after talking to Bob Price and Gary Ibsen, I now realize I'm just a small-time player. But I'm already dreaming of summer, and the new varieties I'll try.

Henry Homeyer is the Vermont/NH associate editor of People, Places and Plants magazine. His web site is www.Gardening-Guy.com