Tips for growing tomatoes in Eastern NC

By Joanne K. and John W., NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers

When sunny 70+ degree days start popping up in March in eastern NC, gardeners become eager to start digging in the dirt to plant their veggies.

Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) come in a variety of sizes and colors. Anh Van, Public Domain Mark 1.0

However, not all vegetables are happy in the ground when temperatures fluctuate between 30°F and 70°F, with the possibility of frost lingering in the air.

One of these vegetables is every gardener's favorite — the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

Who doesn't love the taste of the homegrown tomato, freshly picked and warm from the sun! It's the quintessential taste of summer!

Types of Plants
When deciding which varieties to plant, there are two types to consider:
1) Determinate tomatoes grow to a certain height and are good for container planting. The fruit ripens in 3 to 4 weeks and then the plant is done. Most of the disease-resistant varieties are determinate.

2) Indeterminate ones grow from 5 to 20 feet tall, fruiting all season if the climate is favorable. They need a support system such as cages, poles, or trellises to prevent drooping or breaking.

Tomatoes grown in porous terracotta pots on a porch. Sharon_K, CC BY-SA 4.0

Vines climbing on support fuentedelateja. CC-BY-SA 2.0

The seed packet or plant tag will identify the type of tomato. In our hot coastal plain, tomatoes do best that range in size from cherries to tennis balls. Some favorites are ‘Sweet Million,’ ‘Super Sweet 100,’ and ‘Juliet.’
Growing Requirements
Tomatoes need fertile well-drained garden soil, full sun, warmth, and moderate water. They prefer moist, loamy, and slightly acidic soil with a pH of 5.8 to 6.8.
When to Plant
Since nurseries carry only a limited variety of tomatoes, you may choose to start your own from seeds for more taste and variety. In this case, early February is the time to start seeds.

The time to transplant either seedlings or transplants is mid- to late-April when the soil has warmed up to a minimum of 65°-70°F. Air temperatures below 50°F may slow plant growth.

Tomatoes will grow roots anywhere along the stem that is underground so planting in an inclined trench is often recommended.  Remove all leaves except the top bunch and lay the plant with its root ball in the deepest part of trench.

Tomato seedling. Airflore CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Plant tomatoes sideways in a trench. Remove leaves from lower part of the stem and roots will grow from the planted stem.

Hornworm (Manduca sexta) on tomato; Joanne K.

To prevent cutworm damage, add an aluminum foil collar about 2" high, wrapping it loosely around the stem with 1/2" of height below the soil line. Remove the foil when the plant gets bigger.

Water and cover the soil around the plant with mulch to prevent soil-borne diseases and reduce evaporation.

 Caring for Your Plants 
Depending on the variety, tomatoes need anywhere from no support to 15-foot poles.

Water when the soil starts to dry out. Drip irrigation is better than overhead to reduce disease problems. Tomatoes need 1" to 1 1/2" of rain or water each week.

Do a soil test to determine your fertilizer needs. Use a plant-starting fertilizer solution when putting the tomatoes in the ground.

Tomatoes are heavy feeders and will need two to three tablespoons per plant of 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 when the fruit starts to set and every 4-6 weeks afterward.

Suckers are the new growth that forms at the axial joint. Removing the suckers encourages fewer but bigger tomatoes. It also allows more air flow between plants and discourages insect and disease populations.

Remove suckers by pinching close to the stem with your fingers or cutting with pruners. The suckers can be planted to create new plants.

Problems
If deer visit your garden, you will need a fence.

Birds will usually take one or two pecks in ripe fruit. You can eat around the wound.

Squirrels can take large bites out of ripe tomatoes.

Rabbits may nibble on small plants, but they generally don't bother larger ones.

Turtles like to eat the ripe fruit that they can reach.

Using foil when planting deters cutworms.

Check for tomato horn worms whose green coloration makes them hard to spot. They can be picked off by hand and squashed.

Diseases
Unfortunately, tomatoes are susceptible to many types of disease with very few cures.

Control methods include:

1.    Plant disease-resistant varieties.
2.    Cut off the bottom leaves if the problem starts there (Septoria leaf spot).
3.    Pull out the problem plant and dispose of it in the garbage.
4.    Plant extra plants.
5.    Rotate crops so that the same plant is not grown in the same area for 3 to 4 years. Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants are all in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, and should not follow one another in the garden.                    

Other Problems
If the plant has all leaves, but few flowers, too much nitrogen fertilizer was used.

If there are lots of flowers but few tomatoes, the air temperature is too high.

Tomatoes with black ends have blossom-end rot, indicating a lack of calcium in the soil and/or irregular soil moisture.

Cracking occurs when the fruit is almost ripe and there is a heavy rain. Try picking tomatoes just as they start to color. Ripen them indoors.

For more information on growing tomatoes go to the NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox at:
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/solanum-lycopersicum/

Also check these other NC State Extension links:
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/eastern-north-carolina-planting-calendar-for-annual-vegetables-fruits-and-herbs
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/insect-and-related-pests-of-vegetables/pests-of-tomato
https://vegetables.ces.ncsu.edu/tomatoes-diseases/