8.3.22

Around The Farm

Tomato Trellising at the UW Farm

by Althea Ericksen, UW Farm Urban Farm and Food Systems Intern, Environmental Studies major

Tomato Pruning

Pruning is essential in growing tomatoes to allow the plant to mature and focus its energy on fruit production. Depending on how developed your tomato plant is, it will affect your pruning. Our tomatoes were transplanted about two months ago and are now about the height of a toddler. They have grown tons and with that they’ve picked up a lot of weight, and this ties into the main importance of tomato trellising, but also why pruning and focusing on certain stems to develop is key to getting a successful harvest. When we prune at the UW Farm, we focus on taking off the suckers  – which generally come out between two stems at a 45 degree angle. This is the plant's attempt at new stems. By letting all of those "suckers" grow, the plant uses some of the energy that can, instead, be spent growing and producing fruit from the main stems that we keep on the plant. This is also important to prevent snapping of stems when the plant fruits, if the stems aren't developed enough and begin fruiting the stem likely couldn’t hold the weight.
 

Tomato Trellising

At the UW Farm we have used two different types of tomato trellising which is dependent on the variety of tomato, either being determinate or indeterminate. For an indeterminate variety we have been doing a vertical hanging trellis. This method is great for indeterminates as tomatoes that fall in this category continue growing upwards through their fruiting. With this method you will set up stakes on either end of your tomatoes and string a wire along the top, once you have a wire to hang string from you will begin trellising! This is where choosing the most developed stems will be important and you will wrap your string multiple times up the plant and tie a slip knot attached to the wire. Below are sketches to get a visual of how this will look.

For determinate tomatoes, we have used a horizontal weaving method. This works for determinate tomatoes as they have a determined height they will hit and continue fruiting staying at that size. For this method we will put stakes in the soil – bamboo sticks can work – and place them between each plant.
                                                           Photo Credit: Althea Ericksen
After that we will attach string on one end of the stakes and begin weaving from side to side of the stakes, this weaving pattern will support the plant on either side. You will weave starting at both ends so that both sides of the tomato are between the string. Depending on the size of the plant you may repeat this further up the stake to keep the plant supported.

Because determinants grow wider compared to taller, having support from the sides rather than above will help the plant not collapse under its weight. Another method for determinate tomatoes would be using a tomato cage. These cages are meant for determination as we know the plant won’t keep growing upwards, thus it receives the side support it needs and will not grow much beyond the cage. While these methods are common, there are many more!

                                             
Click here for a video demonstrating what I just discussed

Good luck on trellising your own tomatoes in the coming seasons

Image credit, top left: Cornell Cooperative Extension

This Week's Recipe:

From: The Farmer's Almanac

Rhubarb Bread
 

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2/3 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups chopped raw rhubarb, depending on the juiciness of the variety
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts, divided
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a loaf pan.

Combine brown sugar, oil, egg, milk, and soda. Sift together flour and salt and add to liquid mixture. Fold in rhubarb and 1/2 cup of nuts. Pour into prepared pan.

Combine granulated sugar, butter, and cinnamon until crumbly. Add remaining 1/4 cup of nuts and sprinkle topping over batter in pan. Smooth the top, lightly pushing in the topping. Bake for about 1 hour or until done.

News and Noteworthy:

GrowNYC Youth WFD Workshops: Food Justice and Countermarketing

When: September 20th, 5pm – 6:30 pm PDT
Where: Virtual
 Hosted by: GrowNYC

GrowNYC’s Youth Workforce Development program continues to provide meaningful work experience and wraparound professional development for young people. In this program, young adults (16-19 yrs) will gain a deeper understanding of how food, health and environment intersect – and their ability to affect positive change.

This event is limited to ANY youth between the ages of 16-19, GrowNYC staff and our external partners.

Are there healthy food options available in your community? What is the connection between healthy food access and the health of our communities? GrowNYC leads an eye-opening discussion of the inequities in our food system and engages young people in understanding the food industry’s profit motivations. Youth staff will be introduced to the concepts of targeted advertising, racial / ethnic analyses of food environments, and food marketing. Unlike traditional health education, which often tells you what not to do, food countermarketing urges the public not to be deceived by junk food marketers who relentlessly market unhealthful products.

Register for this event here.

Do-It-Yourself Soil Health Workshop

When: Saturday, August 6th , 10:00 am
Where: CitySoil Farm, South Treatment Plant,1300 SW Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057
Hosted By: CitySoil Farm x WTD Education and Outreach
 

Join Dr. Sally Brown, a University of Washington soil scientist, and avid practical gardener to learn about easy ways to improve the health of your garden’s soil. This workshop will take place at CitySoil Farm in Renton, one of the only farms at a wastewater treatment plant! You will learn how to evaluate the health of your soil, cheap and easy ways to improve it and get to take home a small bag of compost. Learn more and sign up about the event here.

Agriculture and Food Systems Employment Opportunities:

• Seasonal Farm Program Assistant, Pike Place Market 
• Red Dog Farms – Field Crew
• Oxbow Farm – Multiple
• WSDA Organic Programs – Inspectors
• 21 Acres – Multiple
• Tonnemaker – Field and Farm Stand Crew
• Cascade Markets – Market Manager
• Carnation Farms – Director of Sustainable Agriculture
• Common Ground Farms – Assistant Camp Director
• Kirsop Farm – Veggie Crew
• Pacific Coast Harvest – Food Aggregator and Driver
• Seattle Neighborhoods Farmers Market – Farmers Market Manager

Food Access Resources

The UW Farm donates regularly to the UW Food Pantry. During peak season we also donate to nearby food banks. The links below are resources to help you or someone you know with food access.  

• UW Food Pantry: The UW Food Pantry | Any Hungry Husky (washington.edu)
• Northwest Harvest Food Donation sites: Public Drop Sites – Northwest Harvest
• University District Food Bank: Donate Food and Items – University District Food Bank (udistrictfoodbank.org)
• Food Lifeline: Volunteer – Food Lifeline

Help The Farm Grow!

Every year, we have the capacity to grow more food and increase our educational and research program at the UW, but not without your support. Every contribution goes to work immediately, helping us better serve students. Your support can sustain our momentum and help seed new opportunities for student internships, academic work, and future growth. Please consider making a gift to the Farm online

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The UW Farm
3501 NE 41st St, 
Seattle, WA 98105

On campus mailbox
Box 354115

NEW email address:
uwfarm@uw.edu