Tomatoes and Crop Rotation
 

According to the book "Reader's Digest Organic Gardening for the 21st
Century," tomatoes should not be part of your crop rotation scheme and
should be left in the same bed year after year: "Tomatoes are
narcissistic and do not like to rotate." That hit me as strange, as I
thought tomatoes were fairly prone to soil-borne diseases and would
definitely benefit from regular crop rotation. Any comments from the
tomato gurus in the group?

-Fleemo

wrote in message
oups.com...
According to the book "Reader's Digest Organic Gardening for the 21st
Century," tomatoes should not be part of your crop rotation scheme and
should be left in the same bed year after year: "Tomatoes are
narcissistic and do not like to rotate." That hit me as strange, as I
thought tomatoes were fairly prone to soil-borne diseases and would
definitely benefit from regular crop rotation. Any comments from the
tomato gurus in the group?

-Fleemo


Mine lived in the same part of the garden bed for 10 years. No problems.

The advise not to rotate is completely opposite of most knowledge bases. My
personal experience is that if you have the space to rotate then your garden
will benefit. I too have grown tomatoes in the same soil for years but I do
have a serious blight problem.

Have Fun

Jim
wrote in message
oups.com...
According to the book "Reader's Digest Organic Gardening for the 21st
Century," tomatoes should not be part of your crop rotation scheme and
should be left in the same bed year after year: "Tomatoes are
narcissistic and do not like to rotate." That hit me as strange, as I
thought tomatoes were fairly prone to soil-borne diseases and would
definitely benefit from regular crop rotation. Any comments from the
tomato gurus in the group?

-Fleemo

On 17 Feb 2005 11:05:44 -0800, wrote:

According to the book "Reader's Digest Organic Gardening for the 21st
Century," tomatoes should not be part of your crop rotation scheme and
should be left in the same bed year after year: "Tomatoes are
narcissistic and do not like to rotate." That hit me as strange, as I
thought tomatoes were fairly prone to soil-borne diseases and would
definitely benefit from regular crop rotation. Any comments from the
tomato gurus in the group?

-Fleemo

I rotate just about everything in the vegetable garden. Old tomato
vines should be placed in the trash, never composted. In Ohio,
tomatoes grow like weeds--anywhere and everywhere with little care. I
recall tomatoes growing out of sidewalk cracks in the spring!

That doesn't pass the common sense test, in my opinion; especially
considering that tomatoes are an annual, it makes sense that Nature and
humans rotate.

wrote in message
oups.com...
According to the book "Reader's Digest Organic Gardening for the 21st
Century," tomatoes should not be part of your crop rotation scheme and
should be left in the same bed year after year: "Tomatoes are
narcissistic and do not like to rotate." That hit me as strange, as I
thought tomatoes were fairly prone to soil-borne diseases and would
definitely benefit from regular crop rotation. Any comments from the
tomato gurus in the group?

-Fleemo

"newsgroup" wrote in news:cv8mgr$4a1
@news.icubed.com:

That doesn't pass the common sense test, in my opinion; especially
considering that tomatoes are an annual, it makes sense that Nature and
humans rotate.

wrote in message
oups.com...
According to the book "Reader's Digest Organic Gardening for the 21st
Century," tomatoes should not be part of your crop rotation scheme and
should be left in the same bed year after year: "Tomatoes are
narcissistic and do not like to rotate." That hit me as strange, as I
thought tomatoes were fairly prone to soil-borne diseases and would
definitely benefit from regular crop rotation. Any comments from the
tomato gurus in the group?

-Fleemo


I am speculating, but it is possible that tomatoes, which aren't
aboriginally annual, make persistent modifications to their rhizosphere
in the form of complex root exudates which supercede any nutrient
replenishment benefit due to rotation. It could be that the persistence
is enough to provide an annual basal level of support (or protection)
which is not renewed if a different crop is planted or perhaps the effect
is compounded with each successive generation.

Perhaps someone in sci.bio.botany knows.

"newsgroup" wrote:
That doesn't pass the common sense test, in my opinion; especially
considering that tomatoes are an annual, it makes sense that Nature and
humans rotate.


I have four tomato plants growing in one pot. One fruited last month
and the tomato is doing getting nice and bigger. It looks like it might
have another 30 or 45 days left before it's ready to be pulled. The
pot is a rather small pot, but I haven't had this much success with
tomatoes planted in the sand/ground... g I do have a couple
other tomatoes growing but they are nowhere as nice as the four
that sit together in one small pot.

While one fruited and has ONE fairly good size tomato, the other
plants flowered and some really small fruits set up. They seem to
like the colder weather, versus hot weather. The vines seem to
droop if they are placed in the direct sun during the day. I guess
the temps are about 40 to 45 at night and 65 to 75 during the
day right now. I had the small pot indoors in a windowed sun
room for the longest time, before the plants became too big.
They are growing like vines! And there are quite a few very
small fruits set now. I'm guessing it takes about 2 to 3 months
for a tomato to grow to full ripeness... does that sound right?

And if they are annual I shouldn't expect any more tomatoes
until next year, right?

--
Jim Carlock
Post replies to newsgroup.

"Salty Thumb" wrote:

wrote:
According to the book "Reader's Digest Organic Gardening for the 21st
Century," tomatoes should not be part of your crop rotation scheme and
should be left in the same bed year after year: "Tomatoes are
narcissistic and do not like to rotate." That hit me as strange, as I
thought tomatoes were fairly prone to soil-borne diseases and would
definitely benefit from regular crop rotation. Any comments from the
tomato gurus in the group?

-Fleemo

I am speculating, but it is possible that tomatoes, which aren't
aboriginally annual, make persistent modifications to their rhizosphere
in the form of complex root exudates which supercede any nutrient
replenishment benefit due to rotation. It could be that the persistence
is enough to provide an annual basal level of support (or protection)
which is not renewed if a different crop is planted or perhaps the effect
is compounded with each successive generation.

Perhaps someone in sci.bio.botany knows.

No rotation, diseases and pests will eat your next tomato plant more
efficiently. Of course if you use large quantities of fungicides and
pesticides you'll manage to defeat that all, but what you will get is
chemical cocktail in red ball. Of course any monoculture isn't recomended
cause of soil exhaustion of specific nutrients in soil. Different species
use different nutrients, or in diferent forms, quantities, depth in soil.
And many more...
wrote in message
oups.com...
According to the book "Reader's Digest Organic Gardening for the 21st
Century," tomatoes should not be part of your crop rotation scheme and
should be left in the same bed year after year: "Tomatoes are
narcissistic and do not like to rotate." That hit me as strange, as I
thought tomatoes were fairly prone to soil-borne diseases and would
definitely benefit from regular crop rotation. Any comments from the
tomato gurus in the group?

-Fleemo

I was wondering about rooting a tomato... I've had this stem
in a cup of water for about a week now and I don't see any
roots growing yet, so I decided it's time to look this up.

And I found the following...
This looks like some very interesting information...
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/p...vertomato.html

--
Jim Carlock
Post replies to newsgroup.

In article says...
The advise not to rotate is completely opposite of most knowledge bases. My
personal experience is that if you have the space to rotate then your garden
will benefit. I too have grown tomatoes in the same soil for years but I do
have a serious blight problem.

The advise not to rotate defies common sense. What harm could come from
rotating if you could? My parents grew in the same patch for over a
decade and for the last few years suffered serious blight which kept
getting worse. This year I got them several wildflower mixes and they
did a fall planting of wildflower seeds in that spot. They moved the
tomatoes to another area albeit smaller and will be cutting back
production. I don't expect to get as many tomatoes from them later this
year. I suggested they run the wildflowers for a couple of years before
returning to that spot. I think the wildflowers will look spectacular
too. Jpegs of that spot will be offered up in a few months. :-)

In article ,
Jim Carlock wrote:
I was wondering about rooting a tomato... I've had this stem
in a cup of water for about a week now and I don't see any
roots growing yet, so I decided it's time to look this up.

Be patient. IME, tomatoes are as easy to root as geraniums or coleus
(i.e. dead easy). If you're keeping that cup of water on your
windowsill, note that this time of year it may be too cold there
for tropical plants like tomatoes to grow much, so it will take longer
than if you can keep the cuttings at summer temps.

And I found the following...
This looks like some very interesting information...
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/p...vertomato.html

This is an extremely cool document. (How to Grow the Tomato and 115 Ways
to Prepare it for the Table by George Washington Carver, 2nd edition 1936)

wrote:



So there's a vegetable crop that thrives in clay soil? I should find
out what it is!

fava beans. cabbage prefers it heavier than normal. some of the water
thirsty veggies, like cardoon or fennel (possibly celery, though I
don't know). radicchio and other chicories, as well as dandelion. peas
prefer it heavier. potatoes may come out misshapen, but they will do
well in clay soil. herbs won't mind the clay unless it is waterlogged.
I think there are more veggies that prefer heavy soil than there are
that prefer sandy soil.