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+--- Thread: Tomatoes in Puna (/showthread.php?tid=3785)
Tomatoes in Puna - JerryCarr - 04-06-2007
Has anyone had any success growing tomatoes in the lower altitudes of Puna? We are smack in the middle of HPP, and have tried several varieties with poor results overall due to fungal disease problems. (We even tried one variety advertised as fungus resistant. Ha! They should have tested those in Puna before they declared them fungus proof.)
The best result has been cherry tomatoes grown in a pot partially under the eaves of the house, and it is not exactly thriving. It does produce, though.
Any suggestions as to varieties or growing methods would be appreciated. I have been told by the neighborhood wise woman that it is hopeless.
Cheerfully hoping for homegrown tomatoes,
Jerry
RE: Tomatoes in Puna - jdirgo - 04-06-2007
I've never had any luck with tomatoes in Puna, except the cherry tomatoes you mention. For some unknown (to me at least) reason, they seem to do great in Waimea though. I've heard of people having some luck in a hothouse/greenhouse setup though.
Check out http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/fb/tomato/tomato.htm
John Dirgo, RA, ABR, e-PRO
Island Trust Properties, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.hawaiirealproperty.com
RE: Tomatoes in Puna - jade - 04-06-2007
I am in HPP too. Last year I grew roma tomatoes. They were great. I know there not much bigger than cherry tomatoes but they were really good. The only problem I had was the bugs got them at the end of the season. I didn't keep up with the insecticidal soap. I grew them in large pots and they did fine.
Cheers!
Jade
RE: Tomatoes in Puna - Keith - 04-06-2007
Would anyone like to trial a few varieties of vegetable crops. I have samples that come from all over with resistance to tropical diseases. Right now I think I have tomatoes, spinach, a few peppers, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupe. I would be able to mail this over to someone and they could give the seeds to others. I do want to hear how they do. size, resistance to disease
Keith
RE: Tomatoes in Puna - nanasohana - 04-06-2007
I planted some seeds from small tomatoes we buy at the keaau market. They have done really well in buckets and I haven't sprayed them with anything..they are now becoming quite leggy but still producing on the ends of the 5'vines. I think a bush type small tomato might do better.
RE: Tomatoes in Puna - Hotzcatz - 04-06-2007
Usually folks have the best luck with cherry tomatoes growing on "indeterminate" vines. Once you get them started, they will pretty much take care of themselves. Sometimes they will die back, but usually a fruit or two has fallen off and it will reseed.
Small fruited varieties such as cherry and pear tomatoes and thick skinned varieties such as Roma resist the fruit flies and can set and bear fruit. The indertminate vines - as opposed to determinate - keep growing crop after crop. The determinate variety of tomatoes will set one crop of fruit and then die off.
I think if you wanted the big beefsteak tomatoes, a screened in enclosure would almost be required and then you'd have to hand pollinate to get them to set fruit, too.
RE: Tomatoes in Puna - sansei - 04-08-2007
Has anyone tried the tomatoes developed by the University of Hawaii? You can find them here:
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/seed/
These varieties are supposed to be more adapted to local conditions than those from the mainland. Buying the seed won't make any significant financial impact, but I would expect that it would help show community interest when it comes time to fund programs. There are also articles on growing tomatoes in the CTAHR free publications section here:
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ctahr2001/PIO/FreePubs/FreePubs05.asp#HomeGardenVegetable
RE: Tomatoes in Puna - Kapohocat - 04-09-2007
I have the little yellow pear tomatoes growing rampant! We got one plant from Walmart and now have about 5' and plenty starts plants in a little over 2 months. And 5-10 tomatoes a day ready to eat. I just made a little puka in our falling down rock wall - put a styrofoam plate on the bottom to hold the soil up, added composted soil, coffee grounds and grass clippings on top. The coffee grounds (I was told) keep the slugs (and coquis) away and so far it seems to be working, and it is good for the plant.
I never had much luck in Honomu with the Beefsteaks, the white flies got them. We might try one down here where it is sunnier.