Growing Tomatoes on the Palouse

By Patricia Diaz, from the February 2003 Newsletter

I was recently asked to do an article on growing tomatoes in our area - what kind(s) to buy and what the secrets are for a high yield. Our spring season is often wet and cold, making tomato growing somewhat difficult. After a very long phone journey, I finally ended up talking to Scotte Heckt, an Advanced Master Gardener from Moscow. He was a wealth of information, and I think we've solved the tomato-growing problem.

Most people buy the "early" varieties of tomatoes since the growing time is considerably less than the longer-growing varieties. Unfortunately, according to Scotte, the early varieties don't have the wonderful full tomato flavor associated with the longer-growing varieties. The tomato that we see everywhere at the nurseries in the spring, Early Girl, (and the one that I've bought for years) is a heavy producer, but has a tough skin and not quite the full flavor that is so desirable. Scotte named a few other early varieties that you can try: Oregon Spring which is very early and is a smaller tomato and one that Burpee Seed Co. developed called Fourth of July, which is early. The University of Idaho has also developed a couple of varieties, namely Latah and Bonner County, which are 60-day tomatoes and have a decent flavor. Scotte said that any tomato which has a growing time of under 50 days will probably not have much flavor.

The most important thing to remember, according to Scotte, is that if you chose an "early" variety, you are going to sacrifice flavor. There are, however, some things that you can do to have the all-around best tomato and not be locked into buying an early variety. One is to purchase tomato plants that have been started earlier in greenhouses or start seeds yourself at home. Two of the older varieties that Scotte thought are good to plant are Brandywine and Caspian Pink (which has an even better flavor than Brandywine). These are 100-day tomatoes while the early varieties are usually 60-day tomatoes (or less). If you plant these, you must get that head start by purchasing plants or creating your own so that you can take advantage of the maximum amount of outside growing time.

There are two things that you can do to ensure that your tomato plants have a high yield and aren't affected by the cold in the spring. First of all, purchase a red plastic mulch; one brand name is called Higher Yield Tomato Mulch (one roll measures 18' by 25'). This will hopefully be available at Prairie Bloom Nursery when they reopen or you can order it online at www.mrtomato.com or from a good seed company. Then purchase another product like the one that goes by the name of Walls o' Water (available locally at Tri-State), one set for each plant. There is also a new product called Kozy-Coats which is similar to Walls o' Water and comes in red.

Apparently, red reflected on plants "fools" them into believing they are overcrowded; they will then grow more vigorously. Red also promotes photosynthesis. Put the plastic mulch down in the area where you want to grow tomatoes (full sun, of course) and then cut a small hole where the tomato plant will go. Plant your tomato plant. Next, cut the bottom out of a five-gallon bucket and place it over your tomato plant. Arrange the Walls o' Water around the bucket and fill each "tube" with water. (If you're not familiar with Walls o' Water, they are an arrangement of plastic tubes with the top end of the tubes open. You fill the tubes with water, and they surround your tomato plant, creating extra warmth and protection.) Then remove the bucket and go on to the next plant and repeat. If you've ever tried to fill the Walls o' Water without the support of the bucket, you'll realize what a splendid tip that is! These two products, the mulch and the Walls o' Water, will speed production time by about two weeks and increase your production by three times, according to Scotte.

Scotte said he likes to plant a tomato variety called Super Fantastic. It has a better flavor than Early Girl and no tough skin. It will grow to about 7' tall so it will need to be staked. He takes 6' stakes and arranges them like a bean teepee. And he emphasized that two plants are enough for most families.

All of this invaluable information came from Mr. Heckt. He welcomes inquiries via email. He also encourages everyone to contact the Latah County Extension Office, 885-6639. The coordinator is Larissa Morton, and she can direct you to the person who can best help with your question/problem. There are over 60+ master gardeners in the area who want to help, and Scotte encourages us to take advantage of this great resource. Many, many thanks for all the help, Scotte!

Pat Diaz lives out by Dworshak where the snow seems to linger longer than places closer to Moscow and Pullman. She is, therefore, really excited about these tomato growing tips! Maybe she'll get more tomatoes than the number of plants she has this year.

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