“Only two things money can’t buy, that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes.”
— Country folk artist Guy Clark
A lot of people start growing vegetables because they want to go out into their yard and pick that perfect tomato. Alameda tomato growers face some challenges, though, because our weather is not perfect for tomato growing—we very seldom get hot days and almost never get hot nights. Growing tomatoes is not the easiest thing to do in a climate where the fog rolls in at 6 p.m., but you will have a good probability of success if you follow these steps.
[1]Locate your tomato patch in the sunniest part of your yard. Tomato cultivation began in either Central America or Mexico, and tomatoes still like it hot. Tomatoes need a minimum of eight hours of sun a day in Alameda—the more the better. If your planting space is cool and shady, you will not be able to grow tomatoes. Make friends with a neighbor who has a sunny yard, or apply for space in a community garden. A group is currently working on plans for a community garden in Jean Sweeney Open Space Park.
Fluff and amend your soil. Much of Alameda has sandy or silty soil, which makes tomato plants happy. If you are “blessed” with the clay soil that is common to much of the East Bay, you will need to dig in as much compost as you can truck to your yard. If you have sandy soil, you will still need to add compost so the soil will hold water, just not as much. You can never add too much compost.
You will also need to fertilize. Tomatoes need more calcium than many plants. A good source is agricultural lime, obtainable in our local nurseries, Encinal Nursery [3] and Plowshares [4]. Tomatoes also need regular doses of good organic fertilizer. Non-organic fertilizer is often heavy on nitrogen, which can harm tomatoes. Organic fertilizer releases slowly, so your plants won’t overdose. Apply both agricultural lime and fertilizer per package directions. More is not necessarily better!
Plant when it’s warm. I would not put tomato seedlings in the ground before the last week in April, since April and May are often overcast and cold. If you are starting your own seedlings, start the seeds six weeks before you plan to plant outside.
Start your plants inside. Tomatoes should be started inside. You can either buy starters or start the seeds yourself. The problem with most commercial tomato starters is that they are varieties of tomato plants that need hot nights, which Alameda doesn’t have. The best tomatoes for our microclimate are conventionally bred hybrid varieties that are intended for short-season growers. These need a minimum of heat to thrive and ripen. I have personally had good luck with only two heirlooms: Cherokee Purples and Yellow Pears. Yellow Pears are small tomatoes that are pear-shaped. They are great for beginners, since they will ripen when everything else fails. Alameda Backyard Growers will be at the Earth Day celebration on April 18, noon to 3 p.m., at Alameda Point Gym, 1101 West Redline Avenue on Alameda Point, with tomato varieties proven to ripen in Alameda.
You can also start your own seedlings with some minimal supplies. Check out this tutorial [5] from Alameda Backyard Growers. Also, Territorial Seed Company [6] specializes in seeds that will produce in the Pacific Northwest. If it works on the Oregon coast, it will work here!
[7]Use tomato cages. Once planted, tomatoes need support. Tomato cages are inexpensive and will keep the leaves and fruit off the ground. This is very important, since damp leaves will contract disease and fruit on the ground will get eaten by bugs. Each plant needs its own cage, which will also ensure that the plants are properly spaced.
Water carefully. It is very important to keep the tomato plant leaves dry. The best watering systems for tomatoes are drip systems or soaker hoses (these are also kinder to your EBMUD bill). If you hand-water, water the ground and be careful not to spray the tomato plant.
If all goes well, you should see nice ripe tomatoes by the end of July. In this climate, many tomato plants keep producing through October, so you should have tomatoes for quite a while. Tomatoes that don’t ripen can be made into fried green tomatoes or pickles. Pickled green cherry tomatoes can replace olives on an appetizer tray.
Tomatoes may seem like a lot of work, but think about it—growing tomatoes is probably easier and has a better rate of success than finding true love.
Margie Siegal is a long term gardener in Alameda and a supporter of Alameda Backyard Growers. Reach her via [email protected] [8]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Margie-Siegal [9].