Tomato Growing Tips for Zone 9 Hot and Dry Climates
Key Tips
- Plant in 3 inch plastic cups
- Wait until 55 degrees outside to being to harden and plant outside
- Take lower leaves off if planting in hotter sunnier micro climate so that roots are deeper
- Leave 2 to 3 feet in spacing between tomatoes
- Daily electric toothbrush vibration of the flower stalk can increase pollination rates
- End of season in November when plant begins to die off, pick tomatoes with some stem that have started turning orange and place them all in a paper bag in windowsill so they keep turning red. Make tomato soup with the batch and freeze for winter
Choosing Tomato Varieties:
- Heat tolerance: Select heat-tolerant varieties that are known to perform well in hot and dry conditions. Look for varieties labeled as "heat-set" or "heat-resistant." Some good options include:
- Early Girl - matures quickly and offers good yields.
- Celebrity - reliable producer with disease resistance.
- Arkansas Traveler - excellent heat and drought tolerance.
- Beefmaster - large, meaty fruits for slicing (needs extra support for the vines).
- Disease resistance: Opt for varieties with some resistance to common tomato diseases, such as Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt. This can help reduce maintenance and improve your chances of a successful harvest.
Planting:
- Timing: The ideal planting time for tomatoes in zone 9 depends on whether you have spring or fall frosts. In areas with mild winters and little to no frost, tomatoes can be planted in the fall or early spring. If you have spring frosts, wait until the danger of frost has passed (typically around late April or early May) before transplanting seedlings outdoors.
- Sun exposure: Choose a location in your garden that receives at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day.
- Soil preparation: Amend your planting area with plenty of organic matter, such as compost or aged manure, to improve drainage and water retention. This will be crucial in hot and dry climates.
- Planting depth: Plant your tomato seedlings at the same depth they were growing in their pots. Avoid burying the stem too deeply.
Watering:
- Deep watering: Water your tomato plants deeply and infrequently, rather than shallow watering frequently. This encourages the roots to grow deep down into the soil where they can access moisture more readily. Aim to water when the top 1-2 inches of soil feel dry to the touch.
- Mulching: Apply a layer of organic mulch around your tomato plants to help retain moisture in the soil, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature. Straw, shredded bark, or composted wood chips are all good options.
Other care tips:
- Staking or support: Most indeterminate tomato varieties (which are a popular choice for zone 9 due to their long growing season) require staking or support cages to keep the vines upright and manage the weight of the fruits.
- Fertilization: Fertilize your tomato plants regularly throughout the growing season with a balanced fertilizer formulated for vegetables. However, avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen, as this can promote excessive foliage growth at the expense of fruit production.
- Harvesting: Harvest your tomatoes when they reach full size and have developed their full color. The flavor will be best when tomatoes are allowed to ripen on the vine.
Additional tips for hot and dry climates:
- Shade during the hottest part of the day: Consider providing some afternoon shade for your tomato plants, especially during the hottest part of the day. This can help to prevent sunburn on the leaves and fruit. Shade cloth or shade sails are good options for creating temporary shade.
- Row covers: You can use row covers early in the season to protect young tomato plants from pests and unexpected cold snaps.
- Container gardening: Tomatoes can also be successfully grown in containers in zone 9. Choose a large pot (at least 5 gallons) with good drainage holes and use a high-quality potting mix.
Beefmaster tomatoes are a popular choice for home gardeners due to their impressive size, delicious flavor, and high yield. Here's a breakdown of their key characteristics:
- Plant type: Indeterminate. Beefmaster tomato plants have a sprawling vine that continuously grows throughout the season, reaching heights of 6 feet or more. Staking or using cages is essential to provide support for the heavy fruits [1].
- Fruit size and color: This variety is known for its impressive size. Beefmaster tomatoes can grow quite large, with fruits typically ranging from 1 to 2 pounds each, with some reaching even bigger [1, 2, 3]. They boast a deep red color and a smooth, round shape.
- Flavor: While not the most intensely flavored tomato, Beefmaster offers a good balance of sweetness and acidity with a satisfyingly meaty texture [2, 3]. This makes them perfect for sandwiches, burgers, and salads where you want a substantial tomato slice.
- Disease resistance: A significant advantage of Beefmaster tomatoes is their strong resistance to various tomato diseases, including Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, and some viruses [2, 3]. This translates to less maintenance and a higher chance of a successful harvest.
- Heat and drought tolerance: Beefmaster tomatoes show good tolerance to heat, making them a suitable choice for warmer climates [2]. However, consistent watering is recommended for optimal fruit development, especially for such large tomatoes.
- Ripening season: Beefmaster is a mid-season to late-season variety. Depending on the source, fruits can mature 80 to 85 days after transplanting [2, 3, 4].
Key benefits of Beefmaster tomatoes:
- High yield: Produces a large quantity of fruits throughout the growing season.
- Large size: Perfect for slicing and using in sandwiches, burgers, or salads.
- Disease resistance: Requires less maintenance due to its resistance to common tomato diseases.
- Heat tolerance: Well-suited for warmer climates.
- Good flavor: Offers a balanced and satisfying taste.
If you're looking for a high-yielding tomato variety that produces giant fruits perfect for slicing and sandwiches, and you have the space for a sprawling vine, then Beefmaster tomatoes are a great choice for your garden. Remember to provide proper support for the vines and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
The Celebrity tomato is a beloved variety amongst home gardeners, known for its reliability, disease resistance, and delicious fruits. Here's a closer look at its characteristics:
- Plant type: Determinate or Semi-determinate. This is a key feature of Celebrity tomatoes. Unlike many heirloom varieties, Celebrity is typically determinate, meaning its growth is bushier and more compact. It reaches a predictable height of 3-4 feet and stops growing after producing a set number of flowers and fruits. However, some gardeners describe it as semi-determinate because it can occasionally continue producing fruits throughout the season until frost arrives [1, 2, 3].
- Fruit size and color: Celebrity produces an abundance of medium-sized, round tomatoes. Each fruit typically weighs around 7-8 ounces and boasts a bright red, blemish-free appearance [1, 2, 3].
- Flavor: This variety is known for its well-balanced and pleasing flavor profile. It offers a good mix of sweetness and acidity, making it versatile for various uses [2, 3].
- Disease resistance: A major advantage of Celebrity tomatoes is their exceptional resistance to a wide range of tomato diseases. This includes Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt races 1 and 2, nematodes, and Tobacco Mosaic Virus [1, 2, 3]. This disease resistance makes them a low-maintenance choice for gardeners.
- Heat and drought tolerance: Celebrity tomatoes show moderate tolerance to heat and drought [2]. While they can handle warmer climates, consistent watering is still recommended for optimal fruit production.
- Ripening season: This is a mid-season variety, with fruits maturing around 80 days after transplanting [1, 2, 3].
Key benefits of Celebrity tomatoes:
- Compact growth: Ideal for smaller gardens or container planting due to its determinate or semi-determinate habit.
- High yield: Produces a good amount of fruits throughout the growing season.
- Disease resistance: Requires less maintenance due to its resistance to common tomato diseases.
- Flavorful: Offers a balanced and versatile taste.
- Wide adaptation: Does well in various climates with proper care.
If you're a home gardener seeking a reliable, disease-resistant tomato with good flavor and manageable size, the Celebrity tomato is an excellent choice. It's a popular variety for a reason, offering a good balance of all the desirable characteristics in a tomato.
The Arkansas Traveler is an open-pollinated heirloom tomato variety bred by the University of Arkansas and released in 1971. It's a favorite amongst gardeners due to its ability to thrive in various climates.
Here's a description of the Arkansas Traveler tomato:
- Plant type: Indeterminate. Indeterminate tomato plants grow continuously throughout the season and require staking or support cages to keep the vines upright.
- Fruit size and color: Medium-sized, round fruits that weigh around 6-8 ounces at maturity. The fruits have a beautiful pink coloration.
- Flavor: The Arkansas Traveler tomato has a mild, well-balanced sweet and tart flavor, described as "good" but not necessarily "wow."
- Disease resistance: Moderately resistant to diseases.
- Heat and drought tolerance: Excellent heat and drought tolerance, making it a great choice for gardeners in hot, humid climates.
- Ripening season: Late-season variety with fruits maturing around 85 days after transplanting.
Overall, the Arkansas Traveler is a reliable and productive tomato variety that's well-suited for both beginners and experienced gardeners. It's a good choice for those looking for a tomato that can handle hot weather and produce a good amount of fruit.
The Early Girl tomato is a superstar among home gardeners, prized for its speed and reliability. Here's a breakdown of its key features:
- Plant type: Indeterminate. This means the Early Girl tomato plant has a sprawling vine that continuously grows throughout the season. It can reach up to 6 feet tall and requires staking or support structures to keep the vines upright and manage the weight of the fruits [1, 2].
- Fruit size and color: Early Girl produces medium-sized, round tomatoes that are just the right size for many uses. Each fruit typically weighs between 4 and 8 ounces and boasts a classic, bright red color at maturity [2, 3].
- Flavor: This variety is known for its well-balanced and refreshing flavor profile. It offers a good mix of sweetness and a slight tang, making it perfect for enjoying fresh in salads or sandwiches [2, 3].
- Disease resistance: Early Girl tomatoes have some resistance to Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt Race 1, but they may still be susceptible to other tomato diseases [2].
- Heat and drought tolerance: Early Girl shows good tolerance to both heat and drought conditions [2]. This makes it a versatile choice for gardeners in various climates.
- Ripening season: Here's where Early Girl truly shines. It's an early-season variety, famous for its fast maturity. Fruits can be ready to harvest in as little as 50-62 days after transplanting, depending on the source [1, 2, 3]. This allows gardeners in cooler climates to enjoy homegrown tomatoes even with a shorter growing season.
Key benefits of Early Girl tomatoes:
- Early harvest: Enjoy homegrown tomatoes sooner than most other varieties.
- Reliable producer: Produces a good amount of fruits throughout the growing season.
- Adaptable: Does well in various climates, including hot and dry conditions.
- Flavorful: Offers a balanced and refreshing taste.
- Medium-sized fruits: Perfect for fresh eating and salads.
If you're looking for a tomato that delivers a fast and reliable harvest, tolerates heat and some drought, and offers a delicious taste, the Early Girl tomato is a fantastic choice for your garden. Just remember to provide proper support for the indeterminate vines and enjoy the taste of victory with your early bounty!
The Sweet 100 tomato is a popular and productive hybrid variety known for its abundance of small, sweet fruits. Here's a breakdown of its key characteristics:
- Plant type: Indeterminate. This means the Sweet 100 tomato plant has a sprawling vine that continuously grows throughout the season. It can reach up to 10 feet tall and requires staking or support cages to keep the vines upright and manage the weight of the numerous fruits [1, 2].
- Fruit size and color: The Sweet 100 is famous for its cherry tomatoes. These bite-sized fruits are typically round, bright scarlet red in color, and only about 1 inch in diameter [1, 2, 3].
- Flavor: This variety lives up to its name! The Sweet 100 is known for its exceptional sweetness, making them a delightful treat for snacking or adding a burst of flavor to salads [1, 2, 3].
- Disease resistance: Sweet 100 tomatoes have some resistance to diseases like Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt, but they may still be susceptible to others [2].
- Heat and drought tolerance: This variety shows moderate tolerance to heat and drought [2]. While they can handle warmer climates, consistent watering is recommended for optimal fruit production, especially with so many fruits on the vine.
- Ripening season: Sweet 100 is a mid-season variety, with fruits maturing around 70-75 days after transplanting, depending on the source [2, 3]. However, due to the indeterminate growth habit, these plants tend to produce fruits continuously throughout the season until frost arrives.
Key benefits of Sweet 100 tomatoes:
- High yield: Produces a massive amount of delicious cherry tomatoes throughout the season.
- Sweet flavor: Perfect for snacking or adding sweetness to salads.
- Adaptable: Does well in various climates with proper care.
- Early and continuous harvest: You can start enjoying fruits relatively early, and the plant keeps producing until frost.
Interesting fact: The name "Sweet 100" might be a bit of a misnomer. While incredibly productive, the plant typically yields far more than 100 fruits per plant during a season!
If you're looking for a prolific tomato plant that produces a constant stream of sweet, bite-sized tomatoes throughout the season, the Sweet 100 is a fantastic choice for your garden. Just remember to provide proper support for the sprawling vines and enjoy the abundance of delicious cherry tomatoes!
Brandywine OTV, also referred to as Brandywine off the vine, is a delicious and productive tomato variety resulting from a spontaneous cross between Yellow Brandywine and an unknown red beefsteak tomato. Developed and stabilized by Carolyn Male for over five years, it was introduced in 1996 [1]. It is considered one of the tastiest tomato varieties available, often included on lists of the top 100 heirloom tomatoes.
Here's a breakdown of the Brandywine OTV tomato:
- Plant type: Indeterminate. Like most Brandywine varieties, Brandywine OTV is an indeterminate plant, continuously growing throughout the season and requiring staking or support for the vines.
- Fruit size and color: Brandywine OTV produces large, red fruits with orange shoulders. The tomatoes are typically round or slightly flattened with some ribbing near the stem, averaging between 12-16 ounces each, with some reaching up to 1 pound [2, 3].
- Flavor: This variety is prized for its exceptional flavor, described as a rich, old-fashioned tomato taste with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity [2, 3]. The flesh is meaty and juicy with a smooth, almost buttery texture.
- Disease resistance: Moderately resistant to diseases.
- Heat and drought tolerance: Brandywine OTV boasts good heat tolerance, making it a better choice for warmer climates compared to other Brandywine varieties [2]. However, it is not particularly drought tolerant and will benefit from consistent watering.
- Ripening season: Mid-season to late-season variety, with fruits maturing around 72-85 days after transplanting, depending on the source [2, 3].
Overall, Brandywine OTV is a fantastic choice for gardeners seeking a delicious and productive heirloom tomato. While it requires staking and consistent watering, it rewards you with large, flavorful tomatoes that are perfect for sandwiches, salads, or simply enjoying on their own.
The Burbank Slicing tomato, named after the famed Luther Burbank, is a reliable and delicious heirloom variety prized for its versatility. Here's a breakdown of its characteristics:
- Plant type: Determinate. Unlike many heirloom varieties, Burbank Slicing is a determinate tomato. This means it has a compact, bushy growth habit with a predictable growth cycle. It typically reaches a height of 3 feet and doesn't require staking, making it ideal for smaller gardens or container planting.
- Fruit size and color: The Burbank Slicing produces medium-sized, round tomatoes ranging from 3-4 inches in diameter and weighing around 3-6 ounces each. The fruits boast a classic deep red color.
- Flavor: This variety is known for its well-rounded, complex flavor profile. It offers a good balance of sweetness and acidity with a noticeable presence of amino acids, contributing to its rich taste.
- Disease resistance: The Burbank Slicing tomato demonstrates good tolerance to various diseases, making it a relatively low-maintenance choice for gardeners.
- Heat and drought tolerance: This tomato thrives in drier climates and shows good heat tolerance, making it a good option for warmer regions.
- Ripening season: Burbank Slicing is considered a mid-season variety, with fruits maturing around 70-72 days after transplanting.
Key benefits of Burbank Slicing tomato:
- Compact and manageable plant: Ideal for smaller gardens or containers.
- Versatility: Excellent for slicing on sandwiches, salads, or canning whole.
- Disease resistance: Requires less maintenance compared to some tomato varieties.
- Heat and drought tolerance: Well-suited for warmer climates.
- Flavorful fruits: Offers a delicious and well-balanced taste.
If you're looking for a reliable, easy-to-care-for tomato that produces tasty fruits throughout the mid-season, the Burbank Slicing tomato is an excellent choice for your garden.
The Costoluto Genovese is a delightful Italian heirloom tomato boasting a unique appearance and rich flavor profile. Here's a closer look at its characteristics:
- Plant type: Indeterminate. Just like many other heirloom varieties, Costoluto Genovese is an indeterminate plant. This means it has a sprawling vine that continuously grows throughout the season. Staking or using cages is necessary to provide support for the branches and fruits [1].
- Fruit size and color: This variety produces large, distinctively shaped tomatoes. Imagine a flattened globe with deep ribs and lobes running across the surface. The fruits are a vibrant red color, sometimes with a slightly darker blush on the shoulders [2, 3]. They can reach a size of around 7 ounces each.
- Flavor: The Costoluto Genovese is known for its intense and tangy flavor, with a good balance of sweetness and acidity. The flesh is juicy and meaty, offering a rich taste experience [2, 3].
- Disease resistance: Moderately resistant to diseases.
- Heat and drought tolerance: Costoluto Genovese shows some tolerance to heat, but consistent watering is recommended for optimal fruit production [2].
- Ripening season: This is a mid-season to late-season variety. Expect fruits to mature 75-80 days after transplanting, depending on the source [2, 3].
Interesting facts about Costoluto Genovese:
- Origin: This tomato is a historic Italian heirloom variety dating back to the 19th century [1].
- Versatility: While some recommend Costoluto Genovese for sauces and pastes due to its irregular shape, its rich flavor also makes it suitable for slicing and enjoying fresh [2].
- Popularity: This unique tomato is a favorite among chefs and home gardeners alike for its delicious taste and conversation-starting appearance.
If you're looking for a flavorful and visually interesting heirloom tomato to add to your garden, the Costoluto Genovese is a great choice. Just remember to provide proper support for the indeterminate vines and enjoy the taste of a historic Italian tomato variety.
The Eva Purple Ball tomato is an alluring heirloom variety originating from Germany's Black Forest region sometime in the late 1800s. Here's a breakdown of its characteristics:
- Plant type: Indeterminate. Similar to most heirloom tomatoes, Eva Purple Ball has an indeterminate growth habit. This means the vines will continuously grow throughout the season and require staking or support structures to keep them upright.
- Fruit size and color: The Eva Purple Ball produces beautiful, blemish-free tomatoes with a unique color. Imagine a vibrant fuchsia pink or a rich pink-purple hue [1, 2]. The fruits are typically round and smooth, reaching a size of 2 to 3 inches in diameter and weighing around 4-7 ounces each [2, 3].
- Flavor: This variety boasts a deliciously sweet and luscious flavor with a juicy texture [1, 2]. Some describe it as having a hint of fruitiness, making it a delightful treat for fresh eating.
- Disease resistance: The Eva Purple Ball is generally resistant to diseases and blemishes, making it a relatively low-maintenance choice for gardeners [2, 4].
- Heat and drought tolerance: This tomato thrives in hot and humid environments, making it a good option for gardeners in warmer regions [2, 4].
- Ripening season: Eva Purple Ball is considered a mid-season variety, with fruits maturing around 70-75 days after transplanting [2, 4]. Some sources claim it can ripen even faster at 65 days [3].
Key benefits of Eva Purple Ball tomato:
- Disease resistance: Requires less maintenance due to its resilience to diseases.
- Heat and drought tolerance: Well-suited for warmer climates.
- Eye-catching color: Adds a unique and vibrant touch to your garden and salads.
- Delicious flavor: Offers a sweet and juicy taste experience.
- Versatility: Enjoy it fresh in salads or sandwiches, or use it for canning whole due to its coreless flesh and blemish-free appearance [1].
If you're looking for a beautiful, low-maintenance heirloom tomato with a delightful flavor that thrives in hot weather, the Eva Purple Ball is a great choice for your garden.
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