Thirty thousand tomato plants. That's how many Peggy Kass and Helen Krayenhoff have grown this season, and they've still got a couple more months to go. Owners of the decade-old Kassenhoff Growers, an organic wholesale nursery based in Oakland, they'll grow 80 varieties this year.

These women know tomato plants. They talk about them with the fluency and passion of the finest sommelier. And, with tomato-planting season in full swing, who better to ask for growing tips?

Bury Me Deep

First, Krayenhoff points out that tomato plants are able to easily grow roots all along their stems. Take advantage of this rooting ability to give your tomato plants a sturdy foundation that will support the weight of a presumably bountiful harvest by carefully snipping off the lower branches of your young plants and planting them deeply. Once in the ground, roots will sprout along the stem, greatly increasing the tomato plants' root systems and the plants' stability.

Plant your tomato-plant seedlings so that only two to four branches are showing above the soil, assuming they are tall enough to have produced at least that many. To get a broader root base, some gardeners go so far as to dig a trench and lay plants horizontally, with the top leaves above the soil. This method works well, but you've got to be careful not to break the stems.

Another word of warning, though: You've got to remove the branches and not simply bury them, still attached. Branches left on plants will rot underground, causing disease.

It's All About The Watering

Tomato plants like consistency. They need to be watered regularly and deeply to avoid tasting mealy, bland and store bought. Deep watering encourages your roots to grow deeper, getting them further away from the soil's surface, where they're vulnerable to daily fluctuations in moisture and temperature.

To get your water flowing deeply, Krayenhoff suggests burying an empty 1-gallon plastic nursery pot -- the 7-inch-tall one plants are typically sold in -- about 1 foot away from your tomato plants. Leave it empty, and keep the rim about 1 inch above soil level.

When you water your tomato plants, don't douse them. Rather, fill the empty pot twice and let the water drain slowly into the soil from the holes at the bottom each time. This strategy allows the soil to be deeply watered -- you've got a 7-inch head start -- and it avoids soil splashing onto the leaves. (Krayenhoff points out that many of the leaf diseases tomato plants are susceptible to are spread when that happens.)

Depending on your soil and the local weather conditions, you may need to water anywhere from daily to every two to three days. The key is to make your soil moist, not wet.

Finally, when the fruits start to ripen, cut back slightly on your watering. Your tomatoes won't split as easily, and the flavor will be intensified.

Pot Life

Tomato plants have very large roots and do much better in the ground, but Krayenhoff says it's better to have them in a pot than to not have them at all, and, the bigger the container, the better. She recommends growing determinate (bush) varieties, as they can be smaller than the indeterminate, or vining, varieties. Water your potted plants deeply until the water runs out the drainage holes, as opposed to giving them daily sips. Krayenhoff suggests making your own potting soil by mixing one third organic compost to two thirds potting soil to help with water retention and provide the plants with all the food they need.

Meet Krayenhoff and Kass and their tomato plants at the Lakeshore Farmer's Market, across from Oakland's Grand Lake Theatre, Saturdays, 9-2 pm.

Organic gardening news, views and tips every other Wednesday.


Lisa Van Cleef
