Getting ready to start growing tomatoes for next season

By Rennie Phillips

Last week we looked at getting onion seeds planted this month. This will give them time to germinate and then grow large enough to transplant in March or April. Onions plants are pretty tough when it comes to frost, so they are OK to plant early. One other plant that I start early is early tomatoes.

Last year I started my first tomato plants in the middle of January. They worked out OK, but they were a little root bound when I got them planted. So my plan this year is to plant them the third week in January. My favorite early tomato is stupice. There are a number of early tomatoes, but I don't believe any of them hold a candle when compared to stupice.

Stupice is an open-pollinated tomato, so you can save your own seed from tomatoes you grow. Stupice is one of four varieties that came from Czechoslovakia. Milan Sodomka was credited for sending them here to the U.S. The plants don't get real tall, so you can stake them or allow them to grow up a tomato planter. The tallest ones I grew last summer were maybe 4 feet.

The leafs on the plants resemble those of potato plants. Since stupice is an indeterminate, it will put on tomatoes throughout the summer. I picked my first stupice tomato in my outside garden May 11, and those same plants were still producing tomatoes when they frosted near the end of October. We picked the first stupice tomato from one of the high tunnels May 4. The plant produces tomatoes from about 55 to 65 days after being transplanted, which is really quick. The tomatoes are not real big, most being from about 1 to 2 inches. The flavor is outstanding for an early tomato. All one needs to do is take one bite of these little red jewels to fall in love with them.

I start my tomatoes in seed-starter mix or a mix of seed starter and potting soil in 5 x 5-inch plastic trays. I mix the two at about a 50-50 ratio. It's easier to dampen the starter before placing in the tray. I then scatter 25 to 40 seeds, then cover them with a thin layer of seed-starter mix. I take an empty water bottle and burn pin-size holes in the lid to make a waterer. I use this to dampen the thin layer of seed-starter mix. The starter trays then go into a bigger tray, and then I cover it all with plastic to raise the humidity. As long as the starter is damp you are good to go. Don't get the starter too wet.

Once the plants emerge, I put them under fluorescent lights, which I keep no more than an inch above the plants, even as they grow. When there are several leaves on the plants and the stems are bigger then the lead in a pencil, I transplant them into individual 3-inch planters. They will remain in these planters till they go out into the garden.

The key to early tomatoes is Wall O' Waters, or season extenders. You can purchased them online. They normally come three in a pack and cost $10 to $20. I have some that are at least 15 years old and still going strong. You can order three or as many as you want. By using these Wall O' Waters, you can plant your tomato plants outside up to six weeks before the normal last frost-free date. In Southeast Missouri, the last frost usually occurs around April 15, so I can plant my tomatoes outside around March 1.

Wall O' Waters sort of remind me of a teepee filled with water. During the daytime the water warms up, which keeps the plant from freezing at night. If you plant your stupice tomatoes by March 1, you should expect your first tomato around May 1 -- 55 days later.

The season extender should stay around the tomato plant until there is no danger of frost or freezing. I take my Walls O' Waters off the first couple weeks in April, depending on the forecast. Last summer we had about 80 stupice plants outside and 25 in my high tunnels.

I don't think you will be able to buy stupice tomato seeds locally. I order mine from one of the mail-order companies. If you would like a half-dozen seeds, or even a few more, drop me an email. I'll send back my address, and you can send a stamped self addressed envelope with the cost of the seeds. It'll cost you the price of the seed, plus the two stamps.

This takes some time and dedication, but it is totally worth it. Not only do the fresh tomatoes taste good, but it gives you the right to brag: "I picked my first tomato May ?."

Happy gardening.