I once heard that you shouldn't plant tomato plants in the same spot more than 3 years in a row to avoid problems in the soil. I have a raised bed and this will be my 6th year planting tomatos and I've never had a problem until 2008 (several plants shriveled up and died)I use soaker hoses on a timer and my soil is tested with a Ph of 7.0.
Any Thoughts?
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lonemadman
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- Location: Maryland
Most home gardeners do not rotate their tomatoes unless there is a serious problem, and few of us ever have serious problems because we clean up the remains of old diseased plants through out the year pull out reall sick plants etc. The problem is for comercial growers where dead infected leaf material is plowed under so spores builds up year after year and the spores then can infect enough plants to really hurt production.
As for nutrients, tomatoes do not pull out nutrients as badly as some other crops, and we tend to fertilize them enough to over compennsate. again, if you are growing comercially, and optimal production/money is the bottom line then rotating crops could save some on fertilizer.
I had a brand new isolated garden area last year and some plants were hit pretty hard with fungal disease even though the soil was "virgin". The other areas where tomatoes have been grown for twenty years were no better or worse.
As for nutrients, tomatoes do not pull out nutrients as badly as some other crops, and we tend to fertilize them enough to over compennsate. again, if you are growing comercially, and optimal production/money is the bottom line then rotating crops could save some on fertilizer.
I had a brand new isolated garden area last year and some plants were hit pretty hard with fungal disease even though the soil was "virgin". The other areas where tomatoes have been grown for twenty years were no better or worse.
Well, I can only speak from my experience (in Maryland as well) -- last year, I planted tomatoes in the same spot as the year before (and the year before) and I believe they got a wilt disease, probably fusarium. In 2007, the plants did okay, but mid season, they got spots and wilting at the bottom, with bottom leaves falling off. I diagnosed it as a blight (air borne) and so in 2008, I planted tomatoes in the same spot, having cleaned out all the old dead plants. Turns out that whatever it was lived in the soil, and most of the plants were dead by Auugst. The Cooperative Extension people advise me to move the tomatoes and all nightshades to another area
I also use drip hoses, mine are on top of landscape fabric. Other plants, like cucumber and basil, did fine. It may be that you can luck out year after year... but I think I'll move my tomatoes to the old wheatfield... just in case.
I also use drip hoses, mine are on top of landscape fabric. Other plants, like cucumber and basil, did fine. It may be that you can luck out year after year... but I think I'll move my tomatoes to the old wheatfield... just in case.