How to get the best harvest from your tomato plants

There is nothing quite like a tomato picked from the vine and appearing at the dinner table the same day. Slice it, sprinkle it with little salt and pepper, some fresh basil, mozzarella and a little balsamic and that's all I need for lunch.

If you only want to eat fresh tomatoes, generally two plants per person should give you enough. If you are also planning to can or freeze them, four plants per person should give you enough for sauces and cooking in the winter. Remember that the determinate types produce early in the season and then die. The indeterminate types produce fruit later but will last until frost.

But what can you do to make sure you get the best harvest, don't have trouble with blossom end rot, and don't have to share your tomatoes with birds, insects or ground squirrels? When choosing plants, look for healthy, dark green leaves. Yellow or dried foliage could be a sign of problems.

Try to choose plants that haven't gotten too tall. You want good solid stems. Tall lanky tomato plants may have trouble supporting their fruit. If you are getting to the garden center late this year and the plants have already started to flower, remove the flowers before planting.

Fusarium and verticillium wilt will kill tomatoes and are very difficult to eliminate. The way to avoid these is to get disease resistant varieties. VFNT or any combination of these letters after the cultivar name indicates resistance to Verticillium, Fusarium, Nematodes (another menace) and/or Tobacco virus.

Like humans, tomatoes need calcium to grow. Amending the soil with a calcium supplement like Fertilome's Yield Booster when planting is one way to accomplish this.

Tomatoes need about an inch of water a week. Water deeply twice a week versus light sprinkles every day. Deep watering makes their roots go deep. Uneven moisture can cause a calcium deficiency resulting in blossom end rot. Bonide's Rot Stop can be sprayed directly onto the plant if blossom end rot occurs.

Another preventive technique is to use an Earth Box. These have several advantages - warmer soil earlier (it's like a raised garden); even moisture - you water through a tube and the water reservoir keeps the soil evenly moist; a black plastic cap holds moisture in and keeps weeds out; and for those with only decks or patios, a great alternative to pots.

Cracking of the skin is another common problem. Most times this is a result of heavy rain or watering and then a hot, dry spell. So far the dry spell hasn't been an issue this year but the rain certainly has. Another plus for the Earth Box with that black plastic cap keeping unneeded water out.

Tomatoes need to be staked. You can buy wire cages at most garden centers. You can also do a more natural look with wood stakes that are at least an inch in diameter.

Fertilize with a 5-10-5 fertilizer once established and again a month later. Earth boxes have timed release fertilizer and calcium included. (Have I mentioned how much I like Earth Boxes?)

Bird and critter problems? Bird netting is just about the only solution for keeping them out, and you will have to wrestle with it to harvest your tomatoes. Most of the time they are going for the moisture from the tomato vs. the vitamin C content so keeping a bird bath handy will give them an alternate source. As for insects, if they become a problem, an insecticidal soap is a good choice and if any of the larger pests enter your garden, hand picking is usually sufficient to eliminate them.

Pick tomatoes when they are at their ripest for immediate eating. Green tomatoes can be stored but should be kept out of light. If you are preserving tomatoes, freezing is generally safer than canning. We often think of tomatoes as having a high acidity. However, for canning purposes it is recommended by the USDA to add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per quart of tomatoes and to use a pressure canner to minimize the possibility of any food borne illness.

Whether it's with salt and pepper, cinnamon and sugar, or your favorite recipe it will soon be the season to enjoy those delectable fruits of summer.

•Diana Stoll is a horticulturalist and the retail manager at The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield, IL 60190. Call (630) 293-1040 or visit planters palette.com.