Master gardener Karen Peebles shows how to clone tomato plants for fun and huge profits.
Archive for October, 2009
Broccoli-tomato combo reduces prostate tumors
2009
10.31
10.31
A report published in the January 15, 2007 issue of the journal Cancer Research concluded that a diet enhanced with tomato and broccoli powder was better than one containing either nutrient alone at shrinking prostate tumors in rats.
Food science and human nutrition professor John Erdman and colleagues at the University of Illinois and Ohio State University conducted the current research on rats with implanted prostate cancer tumors. The animals were divided to receive diets containing 10 percent broccoli powder, 10 percent tomato powder, or both. Other rats received lycopene (the red pigment in tomatoes and other red fruits) or finasteride (a drug used to treat prostate enlargement), or were surgically castrated.
After 22 weeks of treatment, rats who received the combination of broccoli and tomato powder experienced greater shrinkage of their tumors as determined by tumor weight than animals in any other group. Biopsies confirmed the reduction in proliferation in this group compared to the others, with the exception of the castrated rats whose tumor shrinkage approached that of the broccoli-tomato group.
“As nutritionists, it was very exciting to compare this drastic surgery to diet and see that tumor reduction was similar,” stated research team member and report coauthor Kirstie Canene-Adams. “Older men with slow-growing prostate cancer who have chosen watchful waiting over chemotherapy and radiation should seriously consider altering their diets to include more tomatoes and broccoli.”
“When tomatoes and broccoli are eaten together, we see an additive effect, Dr Erdman explained. “We think it’s because different bioactive compounds in each food work on different anticancer pathways.”
“To get these effects, men should consume daily 1.4 cups of raw broccoli and 2.5 cups of fresh tomato, or 1 cup of tomato sauce, or ½ cup of tomato paste,” Canene-Adams suggested.
Other research conducted at the University of Illinois by Dr Erdman’s colleague Elizabeth Jeffrey discovered that sulfur compounds in broccoli enhance enzymes in the body that degrade cancer-causing substances. “For ten years, I’ve been learning how the phytochemicals in tomatoes affect the progression of prostate cancer,” Dr Erdman stated. “Meanwhile Dr Jeffery has been investigating the ways in which the healthful effects of broccoli are produced. Teaming up to see how these vegetables worked together just made sense and certainly contributes to our knowledge about dietary treatments for prostate cancer.”
Growing Tomatoes: Pruning and Staking for More Fruit
2009
10.31
10.31
Beautiful, gigantic, and perfect tomatoes do not grow by themselves! While tomatoes originated in the wild, centuries of cultivation have produced countless varieties, each needing their own special care. Some varieties of tomatoes grow in compact bushy forms, while others grow and grow, like vines, continually setting fruit. Depending on the type of tomato and desired yield, pruning and staking tomato plants will ensure a healthier, more robust harvest.
What is Pruning?
When most people think of pruning, they think of trees and shrubs. We prune trees to change the shape, increase air-flow through the canopy, reduce the size, and remove dead or diseased wood. Tomato pruning works in much the same way.
Pruning for Plant Health
Tomatoes benefit from good air circulation, as they are prone to diseases if their leaves stay wet or are encased in constant humidity. Pruning helps thin the tomato plant so that air moves freely. Tomatoes, when attacked by disease or pests, can recover; however, the injured part of the plant must be removed so that the injury does not spread to the rest of the plant.
Pruning for Increased Harvest
Every time a plant flowers, once the flower is pollinated, it will produce a fruit. Juicy tomatoes we love to eat are actually the fruits of the tomato plant. Vigorous, vine types of tomatoes will grow forever if not stopped! A plant can only produce a certain amount of sugar to “feed” the fruit; consequently, tomato plants with more fruits will produce smaller fruits. Pruning side-shoots helps lessen the amount of fruit on the plant, and allows the plant to send all of its energy to a few, select fruits.
What is Staking?
Staking is the process of providing support for a plant. Staking helps promote air flow throughout the plant, ensuring less buildup of moisture, and fewer diseases. Staking also helps support tomato plants as they grow and produce heavy fruit. Tomato stems are brittle, and will break under too much strain. Many types of staking mechanisms exist including cages, trellises, and single stakes. Consult a tomato growing reference like How To Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes for a comparison of 11 staking techniques.
The proper staking technique will depend the tomato variety and individual gardener’s harvesting goals.
Pruning and Staking are keys to successful tomato growing, as they promote overall plant health and higher fruit yield.
If you want more detailed tomato garden advice and tips from a world horticultural expert, visit www.bestjuicytomatoes.com
For A Thriving Tomato Garden
2009
10.31
10.31
Do you dream of fresh tomatoes from your own garden? Following are some general steps, tools and necessary conditions necessary to establish a thriving tomato garden.
Your Tomato Garden Materials and Tools
If you want a thriving tomato patch, you will need compost to fertilize your soil. You know of course that the top soil has nutrients that were byproducts of natural decay. These nutrients make any plant thrive and your tomatoes are no different. The compost replaces the depleted top soil.
You must also have a garden fork to rake the compost over your garden plot, you must have a tiller to loosen up the soil, you must have some material to support your tomato vines, and you must have some rope or twine to tie or affix your tomato vine to its support.
Specific Conditions
First of all, you should be careful about watering your tomato garden. Your soil must not retain too much water and it must be drained of excess moisture. The soil must also be basic with around 6 to 6.8 pH level.
Next, plant your tomatoes during seasons most conducive to their healthy growth. In countries with cold weather, it is best to plant tomatoes after the season of snow. In hot climates on the other hand, a drop in the location’s temperature after the wet season or fall will be most suitable.
Third, a healthy dose of sunlight is a definite requirement for red, sweet tomatoes. Your tomatoes need from 6 to 8 hours of sun exposure everyday to flourish. It is best to plant your tomatoes in a greenhouse where they are protected from the elements yet receive ample sunlight.
Tomato Planting Procedures
First, you must prepare the tomato vine transplants. You must expose these tomato younglings gradually to outdoor conditions. A little bit of sun everyday should suffice. Do not drown them with water.
When your tomato plants have grown enough to survive on their own, prepare the soil by mixing in the compost. The testing of the soil’s pH must then be accomplished and adjusted if need be.
To transplant, I often remove lower leaves and plant deeper. Tomatoes will root in along the stem. Give the plants some warm water to help ease integration. As the roots develop, protect the stem by improvising a collar, construct your support and firmly attach your tomato vines to their support with some twine.
The tomato fruits will be ready for harvesting six to eight weeks after planting. It is said that tomatoes harvested straight from the vines taste best. If some tomatoes are still green after the 6 to 8-week time period, you can pick them, too, so you can make some pickled or fried green tomatoes.
Tomato Pest and Diseases–preventing, Diagnosing, Treating
2009
10.31
10.31
Tomatoes are notoriously picky plants. Tomatoes are in the potato family, which makes them susceptible to tens, if not hundreds of pest and disease problems; however, that should not stop any tomato loving gardener from harvesting buckets of healthy tomatoes. The key is to learn how to prevent, diagnose and treat tomato problems.
Tomato Disease Prevention
Disease prevention in tomato plants starts with healthy growing practices. Preparing the soil, watering properly, and feeding appropriately are all keys to tomato disease prevention. Tomatoes like a well draining soil filled with lots of organic matter. Tomato roots penetrate deeply into the soil, helping to stabilize plants and take up water. With well-prepared soil, watering deeply and infrequently—every 4-6 days, will allow the tomato plant to have enough water, without putting the plant at risk of problems of overly “wet feet.” Always water in the morning, so plant leaves have time to dry during the day. Leaves are a perfect spot for disease incubation, and water ripens those conditions even more. Prune your plants to provide air flow through the leaves and branches, which will also aid drying time. Ensure that your tomato plants receive proper nutrition by conducting a soil test, and treating the soil according to the results. All of these practices will give your plants a good start fighting off diseases and pests.
Diagnosing Tomato Pests and Diseases
If all of your well-intentioned cultivation practices have not stopped your plants from succumbing to a problem, then you must diagnose the problem. Tomatoes can suffer from pest problems, nutrition problems, viral, bacterial and fungal problems.
Pest damage to tomato plants causes visible physical changes. Cutworms actually cut off the plant from its root system, causing the plant to wilt and die. Aphid damage results in sticky residue on the plant. Aside from the damage they inflict, you can often see the pest itself on the plant. Caterpillars bury into fruit and eat it, causing fruit to rot. Whiteflies and spider mites are visible on the leaves. Diagnosing pest problems is easier than other problems because most pests can be observed on the plant.
Nutrition problems in tomato plants manifest in several areas of the plant. Tomatoes absorb a wide variety of nutrients, minerals and trace elements from garden soil. Deficiencies in each nutrient result in specific symptoms in the plant. Excess nitrogen causes deep green, lush, leafy plants with little fruit. Nitrogen deficiency causes yellowing of lower leaves. Calcium deficiency causes blossom end rot, a common problem on tomato fruit characterized by yellow, leathery spots that spread into black, rotting patches on the blossom end of the fruit. (The end away from the stem.) Nutrition problems can be seasonal, or soil related. A soil test helps determine what nutrients are lacking in the soil. If all nutrients are in the soil, factors such as overly wet or cold soil can make it more difficult for plants to absorb nutrients.
Viruses, bacteria and fungus all cause tomato diseases and problems. Wilts, damping off, leaf spots, mildew, fruit rot, cankers, and leaf mosaic problems are all common tomato problems caused by a cocktail of tiny organisms. Each problem shows in the tomato in different ways. Leaf mosaic viruses show up in leaves, causing mosaic-like patterns. Cankers are growths on stems, leaves or fruit. Root rot often shows up in the leaves of the plant, as they shrivel and die from not having enough water. For a comprehensive, pictorial guide on diagnosing tomato plant pests and diseases, consult How to Grow Tasty Juicy Tomatoes (available from www.bestjuicytomatoes.com).
Treating Tomato Pest and Disease Problems
The phrase: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure definitely applies to tomato growing. As earlier related, properly caring for tomato plants and their soil prevents many problems. However, should your plants fall prey to a problem, there are many ways to treat.
First, correctly diagnose the problem. Once diagnosis is certain, follow procedures related to the particular problem. Many plant problems can be alleviated by changing gardening techniques. Plants that are stressed are more susceptible to pest and disease problems. Examine watering, mulching, and feeding practices. If those techniques are in balance, many pest and disease problems will go away. Nutrition deficiencies may be corrected by adding correct nutrients to the soil in easily accessible forms. Some nutrients are best delivered as leaf or soil drenches, while others work well in time-release granular applications. Pest problems can be corrected with beneficial insects, changes in gardening techniques, and insecticides-both synthetic and organic. Viral, bacterial and fungal problems can also be treated with a combination of gardening techniques and soil and plant drenches and sprays. Safety is an important consideration when applying any sort of pesticide. Read the label carefully and follow all directions. More is not better when pesticides are concerned.
While all of this information can seem daunting, tomato growing is a rewarding hobby. Keep a good reference on hand, and whenever your plants are under the weather, open the book and identify the problem. How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes contains over 260 colored photos of diseases, pests and common nutrition deficiencies and is a must-have for any top-notch tomato grower!