GARDENS IN TAUPO

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 196, 28 October 1955, Page 8

GARDENS IN TAUPO

Notes On Tomatoes

(By

Flora)

While Taupo's reputation for occaslonal late frosts is such that local gardeners do not regard tomatoes as a crop to be planted in great quantity, they are nevertheless grovrn by quite a number, who usually have say a dozen plants or perhaps a few more. The middle of November is quite soon enough to make your plantings, though you may put in a lew plants in a well sheltered pocsition a little earlier. For these, and also for those- planted later, you will be wise to have scriin or other covering handy for use when an odd frost seems possible. The soil tomatoes like is a well drained oue, so that Taupo soil is

suitable in that respect. It needs to be moderately rich, and if available farmyard manure and compost may be worked in before planting. A mixture that may be worked in before planting is one made in the proportions of four parts superphosphate, two parts blood and bone and two parts sulphate of potash. Plants should be 18 inches apart, and if you have more than oue row the rows should be four feet apart, to enable cultivation and tyiug up and -so on to be done. AVheu the plants are say a foot to 18 inches high spray with Cuprox and later about every four weeks. The tall types of tomato should. do staked, while this is desirable aiso with dwarf varicties. For large truits Beefstead or Ponderosa may be planted. For medium sized fruit Potentate, Best of All or Russian Red ea n be tried. Russian R(»d is said to be free from "liard back," tbe aniioying green back that it hard although tbe rest; af the tomato is red and soft. The use of some form of potash is considered to reduce the risk of this trouble, by the way. Russian I Red also seems more resistant to 1 frost. Dwarf varieties are likely to ripen earlier than tall types. Tatura, Tatinta and South Australian Dwarf Red are varieties with ribbed fruit,

which some gardeners prefer because it; does seem to have more flavour than the smootli. Those who long for the "good old days" should try the "good old" varieties, one of which is Market Favourite, which has large and somewhat ribbed fruit. With regard to the use of farmyard iiianurr or compost. already mentioned, ti io mixed fertiliser nieutioned can, in Taupo, be used in addition to the farmyard or compost n ra terial. In Taupo it is possible, even when you delay planting out your tomato plants to mid-November, in some years, to have an odd frost cause trouble and necessitate another planting. While this chance is the reason against planting a large number, it • makes the successful growing of a small number seem very satisfactory. Any fruit not ripe when frost s start should be picked and put in a sunny roorn, near a window, to ripen.