Non Rotation Tomato Growing Strategy?

budfaux · March 15, 2015

Thanks to this forum, I'll be growing more tomato plants and new (to me) varieties than ever this year.
My question: I don't recall ever planting tomatoes, peppers or eggplant in the same space as the previous year. If space runs short on me and I need to plant tomatoes where I did last year, can anyone offer some prudent tips on a successful second year? Ammendmants, etc?
My fertilizing last year consisted of fish emulsion mixed with Grandma's Molasses, and an occasional molasses epsom salt foliar spray. Young plants in cells were bottled on the Bonnie liquid fertilizer until transplant. Mulched with wheat straw. I don't believe there's a buildup of too much gunk in my soil and I had a pretty darn productive year by my standards.
Any advice or insight will be appreciated.

PaulF · March 15, 2015

A good mulching program and a fall clean-up really helps. Mine are always planted in the same general area and no problems so far in the ten years in this garden space. I use CRW cages and disinfect with chlorine bleach solution.

creister · March 16, 2015

Work on building your soil, and like Paul said use lots of mulch

Worth1 · March 16, 2015

Crop rotation started out as a way to keep open wheat fields from blowing away from what I can remember.
And also a way to add nutrients back into the soil by planting legumes.

Also if you were planting potatoes and were infested with potato bugs it would be advantageous to plant something other than potatoes.
This has for some reason worked its way into the small home garden where we can have control of our soil on a much smaller scale.

Keeping you soil amended and adding to it instead of taking away every year and keeping the area cleaned and free of old tomato plants is the thing to do.

I dont practice what I preach half the time but I should and am trying to be better at it.
At least where i live we should start our garden in the fall getting it ready for next spring.
There have been fields planted with tomatoes for years in Italy.

Worth

AlittleSalt · March 16, 2015

I agree with everyone so far. Feed your soil and good things happen. Good soil will grow healthy plants. Another example for crop rotation is peanuts and cotton. I see that a lot where I live. This link can explain why a lot better than I can: http://www.caes.uga.edu/applications...ory&pk_id=4992

My son has been moving dirt with our tractor to a new raised garden. Where he is getting the soil from has had oak leaves decomposing over many years. There are many oak trees in that area. The soil is darker than it is in open areas without trees.

b54red · March 16, 2015

Since I mostly grow tomatoes during the summer in my small garden I don't really have the room to rotate crops. I add a healthy dose of cottonseed meal and alfalfa pellets each season a week or two before planting out along with whatever compost I can make. For my tomatoes I give them a weekly dose of Texas Tomato Food which is the best balanced tomato fertilizer I have found. If my raised beds get low then I will add manure or cotton gin waste that has been composted to raise the level of my beds. I heavily mulch with cypress mulch to maintain a healthy soil moisture level and keep the soil cooler during the hot weather.

The lack of crop rotation does make soil borne problems like fusarium wilt and nematodes more of a challenge. I counter that by using very resistant rootstock and grafting all my tomatoes before they go into the garden. The grafting has made a huge difference in the long term production and life of my tomatoes.

Bill

Misfit · March 17, 2015

Try using companion plants such as basil, carrots, marigolds, etc, (all around your tomato plants).

That will be my strategy this year along with plenty of leaf mulch, and compost.

-Jimmy

decherdt · March 17, 2015

Couple of years it shouldn't matter. After 4 years of OP tomatoes in the same place we started to see some RKN root problems. More so in the Fall than the Spring. The last two years I "rotate" a Fall/Winter/Spring cereal rye with vetch cover to trap/lessen netmatodes and serve as organic matter, mulch, and a little Nitrogen. Works well to reduce the RKN and for mulch, still working out maximizing the roots for organic matter. Round here, tomatoes stop setting in the heat so I might add Summer blackeye peas for more roots and cover and trap RKN this July through September, then sow the rye/vetch cover again in Oct/Nov. Still have issues with early blight, probably in part due to lack of adequate rotation.

budfaux · March 17, 2015

Thanks for all the replies. Where I planted last season gets the best hourly sun in my garden, so now I won't hesitate to put tomatoes in the same ground again. I've got a cover crop of winter rye on the beds now.
I believe I'll invest in some shade cloth and try that cyprus mulch too. I was able to use collected rainwater on this patch until mid July. Wish my soaker hoses had been put in these beds... had to use the hose and nozzle instead and that got old pretty quick.

Gardeneer · March 17, 2015

If you have a well amended, established garden, there is no need to rotate. I just work in a little more manure compost every year, add some fertilizer (granular) before planting and fertilizes during the course of season as needed. Soil is just a MEDIUM. Plants get moisture and nutrients from the medium. A good example is hydroponic.
JMO.

budfaux · March 17, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by budfaux

Thanks for all the replies. Where I planted last season gets the best hourly sun in my garden, so now I won't hesitate to put tomatoes in the same ground again. I've got a cover crop of winter rye on the beds now.
I believe I'll invest in some shade cloth and try that cyprus mulch too. I was able to use collected rainwater on this patch until mid July. Wish my soaker hoses had been put in these beds... had to use the hose and nozzle instead and that got old pretty quick.

Edited to add that I did not mean I'd try mulching my plants with a Mediterranian island...

Worth1 · March 17, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by budfaux

Edited to add that I did not mean I'd try mulching my plants with a Mediterranian island...

I saw that and laughed.

Their selling the island off.
Cyprus/Cypress, whats in a name?

Worth

b54red · March 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by budfaux

Thanks for all the replies. Where I planted last season gets the best hourly sun in my garden, so now I won't hesitate to put tomatoes in the same ground again. I've got a cover crop of winter rye on the beds now.
I believe I'll invest in some shade cloth and try that cyprus mulch too. I was able to use collected rainwater on this patch until mid July. Wish my soaker hoses had been put in these beds... had to use the hose and nozzle instead and that got old pretty quick.

Nematodes may not be as much of a problem in the northern part of the state as they are down here near the Florida line but they will probably eventually show up and start giving you some problems. I found the easiest solution to just graft using a rootstock that is highly resistant to nematodes. Working in some fresh horse manure will also lessen nematodes but it needs to be done a little while before you plant.

If you invest in a heavy layer of cypress mulch then you won't need the soaker hoses. As a matter of fact you will regret using them the day one of them bursts and ruins a section of your garden bed by shooting a stream of water until you have a nice big muddy hole. I used to use soaker hoses on all my beds but because of the problems I had with uneven watering and bursting hoses I quit using them and have been very happy with the results of the cypress mulch. It might help you when it gets really dry to invest in one of those nice fireman's nozzles which don't restrict water flow so you can put out a lot more water quickly. I got some at Sam's Club for around 8 or 9 dollars and love them.

I have been growing tomatoes in the same beds for over 35 years and growing tomatoes in them without rotating for all that time. The last two years were my most productive ever. I have to give the credit to cottonseed meal, alfalfa, compost, Texas Tomato Food, cypress mulch, and grafting.

Bill

drew51 · March 18, 2015

I rotate mine, I have a system and enough beds, so it's not a problem. I like to keep the beds diverse.

Labradors2 · March 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by budfaux

Edited to add that I did not mean I'd try mulching my plants with a Mediterranian island...

Actually, that sounds like a fabulous idea! You could grow lots of good Italian varieties.

Linda

March 15, 2015	#1
budfaux Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Birmingham, ALABAMA Posts: 68	Non Rotation Tomato Growing Strategy? Thanks to this forum, I'll be growing more tomato plants and new (to me) varieties than ever this year. My question: I don't recall ever planting tomatoes, peppers or eggplant in the same space as the previous year. If space runs short on me and I need to plant tomatoes where I did last year, can anyone offer some prudent tips on a successful second year? Ammendmants, etc? My fertilizing last year consisted of fish emulsion mixed with Grandma's Molasses, and an occasional molasses epsom salt foliar spray. Young plants in cells were bottled on the Bonnie liquid fertilizer until transplant. Mulched with wheat straw. I don't believe there's a buildup of too much gunk in my soil and I had a pretty darn productive year by my standards. Any advice or insight will be appreciated.

March 15, 2015	#2
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,295	A good mulching program and a fall clean-up really helps. Mine are always planted in the same general area and no problems so far in the ten years in this garden space. I use CRW cages and disinfect with chlorine bleach solution. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

March 17, 2015	#8
decherdt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 329	Couple of years it shouldn't matter. After 4 years of OP tomatoes in the same place we started to see some RKN root problems. More so in the Fall than the Spring. The last two years I "rotate" a Fall/Winter/Spring cereal rye with vetch cover to trap/lessen netmatodes and serve as organic matter, mulch, and a little Nitrogen. Works well to reduce the RKN and for mulch, still working out maximizing the roots for organic matter. Round here, tomatoes stop setting in the heat so I might add Summer blackeye peas for more roots and cover and trap RKN this July through September, then sow the rye/vetch cover again in Oct/Nov. Still have issues with early blight, probably in part due to lack of adequate rotation. __________________ 500 sq ft of raised rows zone 8a

March 16, 2015	#3
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Work on building your soil, and like Paul said use lots of mulch

March 16, 2015	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Crop rotation started out as a way to keep open wheat fields from blowing away from what I can remember. And also a way to add nutrients back into the soil by planting legumes. Also if you were planting potatoes and were infested with potato bugs it would be advantageous to plant something other than potatoes. This has for some reason worked its way into the small home garden where we can have control of our soil on a much smaller scale. Keeping you soil amended and adding to it instead of taking away every year and keeping the area cleaned and free of old tomato plants is the thing to do. I dont practice what I preach half the time but I should and am trying to be better at it. At least where i live we should start our garden in the fall getting it ready for next spring. There have been fields planted with tomatoes for years in Italy. Worth

March 16, 2015	#5
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I agree with everyone so far. Feed your soil and good things happen. Good soil will grow healthy plants. Another example for crop rotation is peanuts and cotton. I see that a lot where I live. This link can explain why a lot better than I can: http://www.caes.uga.edu/applications...ory&pk_id=4992 My son has been moving dirt with our tractor to a new raised garden. Where he is getting the soil from has had oak leaves decomposing over many years. There are many oak trees in that area. The soil is darker than it is in open areas without trees.

March 16, 2015	#6
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Since I mostly grow tomatoes during the summer in my small garden I don't really have the room to rotate crops. I add a healthy dose of cottonseed meal and alfalfa pellets each season a week or two before planting out along with whatever compost I can make. For my tomatoes I give them a weekly dose of Texas Tomato Food which is the best balanced tomato fertilizer I have found. If my raised beds get low then I will add manure or cotton gin waste that has been composted to raise the level of my beds. I heavily mulch with cypress mulch to maintain a healthy soil moisture level and keep the soil cooler during the hot weather. The lack of crop rotation does make soil borne problems like fusarium wilt and nematodes more of a challenge. I counter that by using very resistant rootstock and grafting all my tomatoes before they go into the garden. The grafting has made a huge difference in the long term production and life of my tomatoes. Bill

March 17, 2015	#7
Misfit Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Baltimore Posts: 165	Try using companion plants such as basil, carrots, marigolds, etc, (all around your tomato plants). That will be my strategy this year along with plenty of leaf mulch, and compost. -Jimmy

March 17, 2015	#10
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,916	If you have a well amended, established garden, there is no need to rotate. I just work in a little more manure compost every year, add some fertilizer (granular) before planting and fertilizes during the course of season as needed. Soil is just a MEDIUM. Plants get moisture and nutrients from the medium. A good example is hydroponic. JMO.

March 18, 2015	#14
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	I rotate mine, I have a system and enough beds, so it's not a problem. I like to keep the beds diverse.