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.

1. River Valley Horticulture
January 21, 2016
Presented By: Josh Hardin
Laughing Stock Farm
Sheridan, AR
Growing Delicious Tomatoes
Heirloom & Organic Production

2. Growing Tomatoes 101-501
 Introduction
 Soil Preparation
 Choosing Plants &
Varieties
 Insect & Disease
Management
 Growing Environment
 Trellising
 Questions

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

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

17. Tomato
Hornworm Life
Cycle
• The key to
prevention is
identifying early
• Moths move
primarily at night

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

21. Make your own tunnel

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

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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