Bragging rights and prizes are up for grabs in Bloemfontein’s Giant Tomato Competition.
Seedlings are now available at R45 each at Greenside Nursery. Participants plant their tomatoes, choose the top growers and pick them when they are ready to be weighed in at Greenside.
This is the second year that Bloemfontein gardening guru Thabo Olivier is presenting this fun activity in the growing season, which starts in the summer holiday.
The aim is to grow the biggest tomato from these seedlings and also to harvest the seeds for future plants.
Only tomatoes that are grown from the seedlings bought at Greenside from 1 December onwards are eligible for the prizes for the three biggest tomatoes. The competition closes on 31 March, and the winners will be announced in April.
Olivier gives a few tips on how to grow the biggest tamatoes:
Best time to plant
The best time to transplant your seedlings is late afternoon, after the heat of the day has subsided. You can plant the seedling directly into your garden, but be mindful of ensuring that it is in an area with good drainage – tomato plants do not thrive in waterlogged soil.
If you are planting into a garden pot or container, use a mix of potting soil and garden compost. Once the seedling has been transplanted, ensure that it is well watered and that the soil remains damp (not wet). The best way to achieve this is to put mulch on top of the soil to prevent the sun and wind from dehydrating the soil.
How much sun?
Tomatoes thrive in sun, but Olivier suggests that for best growth results the plant should receive morning sun until midday and for the rest of the day be shielded from the heat and wind experienced from December to February in Bloemfontein.
A 40% shade covering will enhance the growth of your plants and protect them from devastating hail damage.
The Mortgage Lifter tomato plant can grow up to 2 m high, so remember this when using a shade net covering. A tomato plant should have up to eight hours of sunlight a day.
Building a trellis
Because you are growing giants, the tomato fruit will become big and heavy.
Olivier suggests that you build a trellis or support structure to suspend the branches and fruit and protect the plant from sagging or breaking, especially during rain and wind. While growing your tomato plant, you may notice the leaves turning yellow. When this happens, begin by removing the leaves, a little at a time. You will have to remove whole branches if all is slowly dying off. The plant does this to conserve water. If the leaves are curling, in addition to turning yellowing, it could be that the plant is becoming oxygen-starved and has too much water. And having too much water could also lead to root rot, which will kill your plant. Make sure to trim low-hanging leaves and branches that could be affected by soil splatter from rain and watering. Although pruning is good, is it only good up until a certain point. Only do so when necessary.
When tomatoes fail to produce flowers
It could be that your plant has greatly grown in size without producing flowers, and therefore fruit. There are three main reasons for this situation: It could be a late-blooming tomato plant, there could be too much nitrogen or fertiliser in the soil or it does not receive enough sunlight. Take this into account when you plant your seedling.
- Remember to take your biggest tomatoes to Greenside Nursery so they can be weighed. Then take a selfie with your tomoto and send your name and surname, age (only in the case of learners) and weight of the tomato to Bloem News at 083-709-0809.
