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Has this happened in your garden?


Wilted tomato plant
This near-dead Sungold plant still has ripening
tomatoes. (Photo courtesy Pauline
Sakai)

Tomato mystery: Sudden Sungold death



What happened to this Sungold?

Gardening issues can be a mystery; usually reliable varieties refuse to bear fruit -- or just die.
That's when friends come in handy. Through sharing experiences, together we can determine (maybe) what happened -- and how to avoid that problem in the future.

This summer, some Sacramento area gardeners have experienced early decline and death of Sungold and other cherry or small-size tomatoes. Or they've had little to no harvest from what are usually bountiful vines.

Instead of producing week after week, the plant just stops, calls it quits and dies -- as if it was November instead of July.

This happens with determinate varieties; those tomatoes are bred to have all their fruit at one time. It makes it easier to pick mechanically. But most cherry-size varieties are indeterminate; they keep growing vine and setting fruit until frost.

That includes Sungold, one of the most popular cherry tomatoes in America. Considered bulletproof by most gardeners, Sungold ranks among the sweetest tomatoes grown in Sacramento (it's won many local taste tests) and bears abundant fruit, even in heat.

But some Sungolds had an off year.

This report comes from Pauline Sakai, a longtime Placer County master gardener, who has a lifetime of tomato-growing experience:

"I thought maybe I was the only one having problems with my Sungold tomatoes, but two other gardeners told me that their plants were acting like they were done for the season," she writes. "I thought maybe my Sungold became a determinate and has decided to die after just a few months of production.

"My friend Gerrie said that her yellow pear tomatoes are doing the same thing; her plant is still green but no more fruit production. All my other tomatoes are fine, i.e. Better Boy, Early Girl and Big Beef.

"Do you know if this is a disease problem?" she adds. "It happened last year, also. My plant looks like it doesn't have enough water since the plant is almost dead, but I know that isn't the problem. I follow proper practices and let the plants dry out a bit between watering; my dad was a tomato farmer. Once I pick the Sungold tomatoes ready to harvest, that'll be it for the plant this season.

"I'm thinking this is a common problem among your readers who would like to know, 'what gives?' "

The disease possibilities, such as blight, could be devastating for many gardeners -- and California agriculture. But late blight, for example, needs super-humid conditions and mild temperatures; that's not what we experienced this summer.

It's likely not some form of wilt; Sungold is resistant (though not impervious) to those fungal diseases.

Most likely, it is weather related. Sacramento is on track for the most triple-digit days in its history. We've already had 22 days topping 100, as many as we usually have in a full year -- and we're just now heading into August.

So, here's the question to our readers: What's happening with your tomatoes? Have your Sungolds already thrown in the towel? How about other cherry varieties? Or full-size tomatoes?

Then we'll follow up with a snapshot of our overall Sacramento tomato health.

We may not be able to do anything about the weather, but at least we can better understand what caused this little mystery.

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Garden checklist for week of April 19

After this midweek storm, start getting serious about spring gardening. Flowers are blooming about three weeks ahead of schedule. That includes weeds!

* Get ready to swing into action in the vegetable garden – if you haven’t already. As nights warm up over 50 degrees, set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons,  radishes and squash; wait on pumpkins until May. Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias. Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Smell orange blossoms? Give citrus trees a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants. If leaves look yellow, your tree may need an iron boost -- apply some chelated iron fertilizer.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden needs nutrition. Give shrubs and trees a slow-release fertilizer. Mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost, which helps the soil, but keep it a few inches away from trunks and stems.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series

Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening

WINTER

Is edible gardening possible indoors?

Hints for choosing tomato seeds

Starting in seed starting

Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees

When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants

How to squeeze more food into less space

Potatoes from the garden

Plant a fruit tree now -- for later

Win the weed war by tackling them in winter

Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables

Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space

Ways to win the fight against weeds

FALL

Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden

Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it

Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come

Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying

Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?

Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden

Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden

Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers

Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air 

Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets

Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty

Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?

Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest 

SUMMER

Sept. 16: Time to shut it down? 

Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch

Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning

Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?

Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you

Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water

Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers

July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?

July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty

July 15: Does this plant need water?

July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions

July 1: How to grow summer salad greens

June 24:  Weird stuff that's perfectly normal

SPRING

June 17: Help pollinators help your garden

June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests

June 3: Make your own compost

May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?

May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days

May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can

May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success

April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?

April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)

April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers

April 8: When to plant summer vegetables

April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths

March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth