Growing Tomatoes organically on any scale. Our discussion at River Valley Horticulture in Little Rock, AR included basic production practices as well as insect and disease prevention, planting and training, and using beneficial insects to manage pests.
INDIAN GCP GUIDELINE. for Regulatory affair 1st sem CRR
Rvh tomato pres
1. River Valley Horticulture
January 21, 2016
Presented By: Josh Hardin
Laughing Stock Farm
Sheridan, AR
Growing Delicious Tomatoes
Heirloom & Organic Production
3. • Cover crops do a lot of
the work if planned and
timed
• Fall/Winter cover mixes
work best with tomatoes
• Clovers, legumes, grasses
• Need to chop well and
incorporate 2-3 weeks
before planting
Soil Preparation
4. Amending & Building Beds
• Tomatoes need ample
calcium
• Adding compost and rock
powder is sufficient
• 1 Wheelbarrel Compost
per 20’ on a 3’ wide bed =
40 tons/acre
• Soil Sampling in January
and once during growing
season
• Add lime or sulfur to
balance pH
5. Choosing Plants & Varieties
Heirloom varieties are
tricky and need extra care
and protection
Early Girl, New Girl, and
Better Boy are heavy
yielding and good tasting
hybrids
Planting both increases
success
6. Grafted Tomatoes
Consistent Heirloom
production
Minimize soil borne
diseases
A must for disease prone
areas
Increases yield 2-3 times
while decreasing water and
fertilizer
7. Planting & Training
• Ground cover/Landscape
fabric keeps plant free
from dirt splash
• Keep leaves clipped and
nothing touching the
ground
• Basket weave is the
traditional method
8.
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16. Insect & Disease Prevention
Companion planting with
marigolds (1:5)
Planting ends in perennials
or marigolds
Use bT for leaf munchers
Apply foliar fertilizer every
week
Excessive moisture and
poor drainage will kill
tomatoes
18. Aphid Life Cycle
• Aphids & Spider
Mites both
reproduce many
times during our
warm seasons.
• Allowing them to
infest will cause
significant
damage
19. Something wants it!
Mother Nature has all of
the tools, we just have to
pay attention
Releasing beneficials
requires good timing and
persistence
Order more than once and
be sure target pest is
present
Beneficial nematodes
attack soil borne pests
20. General Tips For Success
Keep area clean of debris
and weeds
Prune regularly and
sterilize pruning tools often
Even moisture is critical to
strong fruit sets
22. Fabric Grow Bags
Grow bags produce earlier
crops
Less chance of soil borne
diseases
Increase oxygen and speed
growth
Need timers and spray
stake irrigation
23.
24. Where To Find Us
Foodshed Farm
Cooperative CSA
foodshedfarms.com
Argenta Farmer’s Market,
Sat 7-12 April-
Hillcrest Farmer’s Market,
Sat 7-12 April-Aug
Baptist Health Market Wed
7-1, Parking Deck
Littlerock.locallygrown.net
Buy our organic tomato
and pepper transplants
right here at River Valley
starting Good Friday
Limited amount of grafted
plants available
Purple Cherokee,
Chocolate Stripes, Early
Girl, Black Krim, Carbon
25. Organic Grafted Varieties for 2016
Organic Grafted Tomato
plants should arrive at
River Valley by Good Friday
just in time for Spring
planting
Chocolate Stripes, Carbon,
Early Girl, Purple Cherokee,
Black Krim
26. Questions??
What challenges have you
faced growing tomatoes?
Thank you for your time and
Happy Growing in 2016!
Josh Hardin
laughingstockfarms@gmail.co
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