Planting Drought Resistant Deciduous (Broadleaf) Trees

We see far too many trees damaged or dying because of drought.  As tree lovers, this pains us greatly. Not only will these trees need to be removed and another planted, but several more years will be required for the tree to become large enough to provide significant shade or wildlife value.

When planting a tree in an area where drought is possible (most of the continental U.S. has experienced drought  over the last 5 years), two things are important.  First, the tree being planted must be carefully chosen.  Trees that are not well suited to an area are unlikely to survive.  Secondly, the tree needs to be planted correctly.

First, we have listed several trees that are well suited to drought conditions.  Trees are also sensitive to minimum temperatures, so USDA zones (see map here) are also included   Below our tree recommendations we discuss how to plant trees for maximum drought tolerance.

Drought Resistant Trees

The Thornless Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is an amazing tree.  This tree is drought tolerant, salt tolerant, pollution tolerant, and fast growing.  You may have seen this tree without knowing, as it produces long, curved, leathery seed pods (that can be slightly annoying).  This tree grows essentially in the entire continental U.S., and grows well in parking lots and along streets (even if salt is sometimes used there).  Honeylocust is of value to wildlife, but also lets grass grow beneath.  For commercial properties owners in dry areas, these trees will survive drought, significant salt as well as pollution.  As these trees have deep taproots, they will grow very well with the Waterboxx and also will be less likely to buckle surrounding asphalt and concrete. The tree grows from zones 3-9, can grow 30-70 feet tall, and 50 feet wide.

Thornless Honeylocust is an excellent all around tree.  It is drought tolerant, has deep roots which don't buckle sidewalks or even brick streets (as seen here), and is easily established with the Waterboxx. 

The seed pod of the Thornless Honeylocust, just before maturity.  These can help you recognize these common trees.  The pods can be eaten by cattle.

The Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) is another ornamental tree that grows throughout most of the continental U.S.  The trees are stated to need a minimum of 14 inches of rain annually, but the deep roots established with the Waterboxx may lessen that somewhat. The Hackberry produces small berries which attract many bird species (be forewarned if parking cars beneath it), and are also eaten by many mammals.  The Hackberry can reach 60 feet in height and spread and is well suited to urban conditions as well.  It grows in zones 3-9.

The Japanese Zelkova (Zelkova serrata) is a a beautiful street tree with excellent fall foliage.  It is resistant to Dutch elm disease, has excellent timber, and is pollution tolerant.  Although not native to the United States, it grows well here in zones 5-8.  It is drought tolerant once established and reaches 80 feet in height and spread.   The roots do tend to be shallow but this will be somewhat corrected with the Waterboxx.  Of note, the bark naturally peels and reveals a beautiful orange coloration beneath.

A beautiful, full sized Japanese zelkova tree, growing in the Orto Botanico in Florence, Italy.  

The Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) grows well in the far south of the United States, and is best known for producing firewood using in barbecue.  It is extremely drought tolerant, but does have thorns so it is not a great sidewalk tree.  These trees grow about 35 feet high, and are very difficult to establish without watering.  Luckily, the Waterboxx will take care of that.

A long lived broad leaf option is the bur oak (Quercus marcocarpa).  This tree can survive for several centuries but is somewhat slow growing.  Its acorns and wide canopy are of course of significant value to wildlife.  The bur oak has a strong and deep tap root.  Tap roots have been measured 4.5 feet deep after only one growing season, even without the Waterboxx.   This tap root is likely the reason for the bur oak's drought tolerance.  This tree is a pioneer tree, meaning it is the first tree species to become established on the Great Plains prairie.  This tree can grow in zones 3-8.  It is very important if planting this tree to find a bare root specimen with an intact taproot.  Of note, if planting this tree from seed (a satisfying experience as oaks grow ~1 foot their first spring) be sure to follow the advice here to avoid planting a hollowed out seed.  You can buy this tree here.

Burr oak, Quercus marcocarpa, in the Indiana University Arboretum.  This tree, although slow growing provides excellent shade while being drought tolerant.

Another tree that is renowned for its beautiful canopy, the maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba), is also very long lived.  It grows 50 to 80 feet tall with a 30-40 foot spread.  This tree is dioecious (meaning the tree is either male or female, not both like most trees) and the female tree produces seeds which can smell rancid, so it is very important to only plant male specimens.   This tree is a living fossil, imported from China and having no living relatives.  This tree is also remarkably hardy, some even surviving the Hiroshima atomic blast.  It is also, of course, moderately drought tolerant once established (and luckily you will have the Groasis Waterboxx to establish the tree).  This tree grows in Zones 3-8.  These trees are a little pricier than most of the other trees mentioned here, but can be bought here.

A very well established Ginkgo tree in Bloomington, IN.  

How To Increase Drought Resistance Through Proper Planting

The manner in which trees are usually bought and planted tends to encourage drought sensitivity, not resistance, and makes the tree more likely to die during drought.  For the best drought resistance, trees should be bought bare root, not potted.  Potted trees (usually purchased from big box stores) have very poorly formed roots, and usually after planting these roots spread sideways.  This means that during drought (when the upper few inches of soil dries out) these roots will as well.

The most drought tolerant trees are bare root (never potted) when planted.  The best place to buy these trees is from the Arbor Day Foundation, which ships only bare root trees (very affordably too, usually one tenth the price of potted trees).  These trees may not look impressive at first, but bare root trees have much faster growth when established and soon surpass almost all store bought potted trees.  They also don't need staking as the root structure keeps them upright.

Secondly, we recommend a device called the Groasis Waterboxx PlantCocoon.  This device, available here, both stores and collects dew and rainwater.  It slowly releases this water to the roots of a growing tree.  This allows (and actually causes) the tree to grow deeper roots, making it more resistant to drought.  The Waterboxx never needs to be refilled after planting, and can be reused up to ten times.

Regardless of what tree you plant and how you plant it, remember the old proverb:  "The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago.  The second best time is today."

Planting Drought Resistant Evergreen Trees with the Groasis Waterboxx

The Groasis Waterboxx is the best tool for establishing trees in dry environments.  The Waterboxx funnels water collected as dew and rain to the roots of a growing plant.  When this plant is a tree, the roots can grow for up to two years straight down with the Waterboxx.  Once the roots reach underground moisture in the capillary structure of the soil, the Waterboxx can be removed and reused.  Because the trees roots have reached deeper capillary water, they will be able to utilize water from the rare but heavy rains that happen in the desert or other arid areas (like the Great Plains).  This is how already established trees are able to survive in deserts.  Also, because the Waterboxx only needs to be filled with water at planting, it is an excellent way to conserve water.

The Waterboxx can boast of incredible results with establishing trees, but the selection of tree species is also very important.  It would not be wise to plant a mangrove or willow in the desert, for example.  So what trees are drought tolerant and will grow well in dry environments?  Due to the large number of drought resistant trees in the U.S, only conifers will be covered in this post.  See drought resistant deciduous trees here.

Among conifers, pinyon pine is popular as a drought tolerant tree.  It is native to the Southwest, has edible nuts, and has a pleasant smell when burned.  It can grow well in areas of 9-15 inches of rain yearly, and of course will quickly become established with the Waterboxx.  To bear nuts, two or more pinyon pines will need to be planted near one another.  There is a pest called the Pinyon Ips beetle which will sometimes attack weak trees, so it is important that the tree become well established.  Of note, wildlife may be attracted to this tree.  The tree grows 20-40 feet at maturity.

If looking for a drought resistant windbreak, the Arizona Cypress is a wise and attractive choice.  Grown in zones 7-9, it grows 40-50 feet at maturity and with fast growth (3 feet per year) with good water conditions, like those established by the Waterboxx.    The Arizona Cypress generally needs 10-12 inches of rain yearly after establishment.  This tree can be vulnerable to fire and has a 30 foot spread, so proper spacing is vital, and hedges planted for windbreaks should be planted in a offset (or Z formation) double hedge with dead brush removed from the base. See how to plant trees to avoid wildfire here.

For slightly wetter areas or for those seeking a challenge in drier climates, the Loblolly pine is an extremely valuable tree grown in zones 6-9 from the Carolinas to East Texas.  If well established with deep roots and capillary water access with the Waterboxx, this tree may be able to survive and indeed prosper farther west, but no Waterboxx trials have yet been done there.  This tree is fast growing, has 35 foot spread, and can reach up to 100 feet in height.  This is one of the most important trees for timber in the United States.  This tree does begin life with a taproot which will develop much better with the Waterboxx.

As with all trees planted with the Waterboxx, it is imperative to plant young, small, bare root trees.   Not only are these trees inexpensive, but they also do not have malformed root systems seen with larger trees, nor do they have poor canopy to root ratios that cause transplant stress.  You will be amazed how much faster bare root trees grow than larger, potted, nursery bought trees.  Two trees can be planted per Waterboxx and the weaker removed after one year. Be the first in your area to begin planting trees with the Groasis Waterboxx. The Waterboxx is available for purchase from Dew Harvest in the United States. We would love to hear your comments below - to leave one, please click on "Comments".

Sources not linked above:

http://blog.arborday.org/drought-tolerant-trees-in-hot-summer-months/

http://www.treeutah.org/articles_droughttolerant.htm

The best tomato plant fertilizer

Providing the right type of fertilizer for your tomatoes helps your plants sustain healthy growth and ensures a productive growing season. The best method for fertilizing your tomatoes provides fertilizer before and during the growing season. Knowing the right type of fertilizer for your garden tomatoes ensures that they have enough phosphorous and potassium to maintain healthy fruit production without flooding the soil with nitrogen.

Tomatoes are heavy feeding plants. They don't take a lot of maintenance other than the occasional watering and feeding from some form of fertilizer, whether a liquid, granule or just your own compost.

Using fertilizer
Performing a soil test in your garden before you plant provides an accurate measurement of the existing soil nutrients that you can use to determine the type and amount of fertilizer your garden needs. Soils that are lacking in phosphorous or potassium can benefit from adding a complete fertilizer when you till your garden prior to planting. Soil that already has the right nutrients benefits from periodic applications of fertilizer with a nutrient ratio of 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 at a rate of two pounds for every 100 square feet of soil. This helps to maintain the fertility of your garden soil throughout the year as your tomatoes draw nutrients from the soil.

Nitrogen
The best fertilizers for tomato plants have a relatively low concentration of nitrogen. Applying fertilizers with a high nitrogen content promotes the growth of stems and leaves instead of fruit and flowers. Tomatoes that receive too much nitrogen grow excessively long stems and produce less fruit. High levels of nitrogen can also cause flowers to wither and drop off from their stems, preventing your tomato plants from producing fruit.

Phosphorous and Potassium
Tomato plants use phosphorous and potassium in significant amounts to produce fruit. Fertilizer that contains nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in a ratio of 8-32-16 or 6-24-24 is an effective source of phosphorous and potassium for tomatoes in soils with low concentrations of these nutrients. The best time to apply this type of fertilizer is before you plant your tomatoes. Once you have established the desired level of fertility in your garden you can apply subsequent doses of fertilizer as side dressing at a lower concentration to maintain a fertile growing bed for your tomatoes.

Compost
Composting provides one of the best and least expensive ways to fertilize your tomatoes; use yard clippings, eggshells, overripe fruit and anything biodegradable. Avoid using things like meat and grease. Before putting your compost with your tomatoes, check the pH level. A good level of pH ranges between 6.0 and 7.0. Composting keeps the moisture level even at the roots.

Liquid tomato fertilizer
Once you have an established tomato plant, use a liquid fertilizer, which has a fast release and quickly replenishes the lost nutrients. Blended with fish kelp, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, this type of fertilizer is ideal for tomato plants. Buy liquid fertilizer at any major lawn-care provider. The only drawback to using liquid fertilizer lies in the fact that you need to reapply the fertilizer often during rains or prolonged dry spells.

Tomatoes alive
Tomatoes Alive is specifically designed to give tomatoes what they need. It releases some nutrients quickly to start the plant and keep it healthy when it is young and becoming established; it releases other nutrients slowly to avoid root damage. (Also, as the plant matures, it does not need nutrients as quickly.) Home Improvement Time studies proved that tomatoes grown with Tomatoes Alive produced 150 percent more tomatoes than plants with no fertilizer.

Tomato Tone
Tomato Tone is an all-natural product made from plants and other natural products. Use this type of fertilizer on transplanted or mature plants. You only need a handful of fertilizer sprinkled around the plant. Tomato Tone has a special formula with more than three million microbes that benefit to the roots, keeping them strong and healthy. Tomatoes grown with Tomato Tone grew bigger and faster than those without, and they produced more tomatoes than did plants with no fertilizer. This blend contains 3 percent nitrogen, 4 percent phosphorus and 6 percent potassium; all of which are essential to growing good healthy tomatoes.

Considerations
The roots of tomato plants are mainly found within the upper six inches of the soil. Tilling your fertilizer into the soil at this depth ensures that you do not waste fertilizer on soil where your tomatoes do not grow. Fertilizer applied at the beginning of the growing season does not provide enough nutrients to meet the full growth potential of your tomato plants throughout the year. The best time to apply subsequent doses of fertilizer is when the first crop of tomatoes reaches one-third of the fruits' full size and is still green. Applying a subsequent dose of fertilizer roughly two weeks after you harvest the first fruits and a third dose a month later ensures that your tomatoes can continue producing abundant fruit.

How the Waterboxx Reduces Stress on the Plant

Land and home demand (and therefore price) on the coasts of the United States is generally higher than prices in the interior of the country. Partly this is due to the desire to be near the ocean for recreation, but mostly this is due to the more temperate climate on the coast.  Since water warms and cools much slower than air, coastal areas have much less variation in their temperature and humidity in their air.  This is desirable to people.

For example, Seattle, Washington at 47 degrees North latitude has a record low temperature of 11 degrees Fahrenheit and a record high of 96 degrees Fahrenheit.  Great Falls, Montana is also at 47 degrees North latitude but far away from the moderating influence of the ocean.  The record low temperature for Great Falls is -49 degrees Fahrenheit, while the record high is 107 degrees.  The recorded possible range for Seattle's temperature is 85 degrees Fahrenheit, while for Great Falls it is nearly twice that at 154 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is all due to the amazing ability of water to resist changes in temperature.  Due to its stable climate Seattle is known as a gardener's paradise, while Montana is famously harsh and difficult for agriculture.

Wouldn't it be wonderful for gardeners and tree planters if this ocean effect of moderating temperature could be captured on a much smaller scale when growing plants?  Then, plants wouldn't have to endure the huge stresses associated with rapid and severe swings in temperature.  Luckily, such a technology has been invented - and it is called the Groasis Waterboxx.

The Groasis Waterboxx is a self refilling water battery, storing water gathered from rain and dew in a reservoir, a type of doughnut with a central opening.  In this central opening the plant (tree or fruit or vegetable plant) is planted.  The plants roots slowly receive this water and it is replenished.  While the plant grows inside the Waterboxx, it is protected from rapid swings in temperature that would affect all plants outside the Waterboxx.  The results of temperature measurements both within and outside the Waterboxx are recorded in the video from Groasis below.

This decrease in temperature swings and decrease in overall temperature is also evident in the infrared images below.  Warmer areas are evident in brighter colors, while cooler are darker.  The Waterboxx does an excellent job cooling the soil immediately beneath it, decreasing stress of the plant.

From Groasis and Thermolab Investigation: Read Full Report Here

As you can see, the Waterboxx will lead to less temperature stress on the plant.  Also noted is the decreased change in humidity.  This, in combination with the consistent delivery of water to the roots of the plant, allows the plant to grow significantly faster.  In fact, the Waterboxx has allowed the author to establish two Sequoias in Indiana when all Sequoias previously planted had died due to winter cold or summer drought and heat.

The Groasis Waterboxx is literally a world changing invention, used all around the world.  It is now available in the United States from Dew Harvest.  Be the first in your area to begin growing plants with the Groasis Waterboxx.  Buy the Waterboxx here. We would love to hear your comments below - to leave one, please click on "Comments".

Conserving Water with the Groasis Waterboxx

Fresh potable water is becoming increasingly scare in the United States, prompting many to find ways to conserve water.  The reasons for this scarcity are many, but chief among them are depletion of aquifers, growth in the number and physical size of houses and yards, drought, and waste.

Depletion of aquifers is a profoundly under reported and unrecognized threat to our future well being.  The Ogallala Aquifer, the giant water table underlying much of the Great Plains, has decreased 300 feet in some areas, and gone completely dry in others.  Once empty, it is estimated that it will take 100,000 years for rainfall to refill.  Water pumped from this aquifer is used in central pivot irrigation over large swaths of the western and southern Great Plains, like the area seen here outside Garden City, Kansas.

Central Pivot Irrigation (when viewed from space)- From Wikipedia/NASA

Drought is increasingly making the news as well.  Drought is part of human history, with seven fat years followed by seven lean known even in ancient Egypt.  But as we now have more competing uses for water than just agriculture and human use (water is released in California for aquatic wildlife preservation to much controversy).

The growth is the number of houses, especially in dry climates, is also contributing to water shortages.  The desert Southwest was one of the fasting growing housing markets before the recession, and homeowners there frequently wanted to replicate their green lawns and landscapes from their previous home.  This is the reason that up to 60% of all water used by households is used on the lawn and garden.

Water waste is also an issue, with ~15% of our indoor use being lost to leaks alone.  Outdoor water usage is notorious for waste, with some water being lost at hose to faucet attachment, to each hose attachment, at spray nozzle or sprinkler attachment, and then of course to evaporation and runoff.

Some have advocated draconian restrictions on water usage.  There are other ways to conserve water from ground sources than top down solutions.  We can access new sources of water, specifically the water in the air.  Even the driest air has some water, and places we think of as the desert frequently have high humidity, especially in urban areas.  At the time of this writing, the relative humidity in Los Angeles is 78%.

What technology allows the water in the air to be harvested?  The Groasis Waterboxx 

The Groasis Waterboxx is a self recharging water battery, collecting daily dew and occasional rainwater and channeling it into a reservoir using its lotus leaf inspired lid.  This reservoir, which will never become depleted so long as the Waterboxx is left outside and intact, releases about 50 mL of water each day to the roots of a growing plant.  These plants can be annuals (like vegetables or vine fruits) or perennials like trees.  For trees, the Waterboxx is removed after the first 1-2 years, and reused.  The tree's roots will orient downward to capillary water during their time under the Waterboxx, and the tree will be permanently drought resistant.  The principles of the Waterboxx are explained in the video below (from Groasis.com).

Because the Waterboxx does not need to be refilled after set up, waste from hose or watering can is eliminated.  Since the Waterboxx only releases water in a column immediately beneath itself, waste from runoff is erased.  As a result of the Waterboxx being a self contained water battery which acts as its own mulch, waste from evaporation is erased.  And finally, because the Waterboxx collects dew almost daily, water from a new source is harnessed and made useful to living things.  As a result of all these mechanism, water is conserved and money is saved.

The Groasis Waterboxx cannot be used to water all outdoor plants (for example it doesn't work with ground cover like grass or creeping phlox), but it will work with almost all vegetables and all trees.  We document its use to successfully grow red oak, Giant Sequoia, pear trees, and pumpkins (among other garden plants) elsewhere on this site.   The Waterboxx is available for purchase from Dew Harvest.  The Waterboxx can dramatically assist in your efforts to conserve water and save money, in addition to establishing long lived healthy trees and growing succulent fruits and vegetables.

How much water can be saved using the Waterboxx?  For large scale commercial applications like vineyards, Mr. Hoff believes 175,000 can be saved per acre every year by switching from drip irrigation.  In terms of relative reduction in water use, experiments in Ecuador suggest 99% of water use can be conserved with the Waterboxx.  We would love to hear your comments below - to leave one, please click on "Comments".

Excess nitrogen in tomato plants

Nitrogen is a key player in producing chlorophyll; this pigment absorbs sunlight for basic photosynthesis needs. Gardeners must make sure that nitrogen, one of the three macronutrients in soil, is available for root uptake by choosing the right fertilizer. Saturating a garden with high nitrogen levels, however, does not improve plant growth. In fact, it can actually harm a garden more than leaving it to its natural elemental state. Too much nitrogen in plants is apparent both above and below the topsoil.

Excess foliage growth
One of the main actions of nitrogen is increasing chlorophyll production; this process is done by creating bigger leaf structures with larger surface areas for the photosynthesizing pigment. Excess nitrogen fuels fast foliage growth so that your garden has an appearance of a jungle gone wild, but other plant growth suffers as a consequence. Energy for flower growth is redirected to foliage proliferation, so plants may not even produce their necessary reproductive organs during the growing season.

Burning and salt concentration
If you use a high-nitrogen fertilizer mixture, you also increase the soil's mineral salts; excessive elemental nitrogen takes water away from the plant while leaving the salts behind. As a result, the leaves take on a burnt look from dehydration. Leaf edges become yellow or brown and wilt. Flushing the area with water to remove the excess nitrogen is the best course of action to revive the plant. Although the nitrogen produces desired large foliage, you may find that the rapid growth becomes decimated with leaf burn if nitrogen stays at high levels.

Root growth stunting
Energy used for large leaf growth stifles the root system below with high nitrogen soil levels. Roots slow their naturally spreading habit since they do not have the necessary nutrients to use as energy as the elements are redirected upward. As a result, the plant may be destabilized in its soil position; if it is tall enough, it may blow over in heavy winds. Additionally, stressed roots invite disease through soil pathogens as well. In the end, both leaves and roots succumb to nitrogen-induced stresses that damage the plant throughout its length.

Groundwater pollution
Plants cannot absorb all the excess nitrogen in the soil. Those extra nitrogen levels slowly leach out of the soil through water runoff; the nitrogen is effectively in the form of nitrates due to microbial conversion when it leaches from the soil. As a result, groundwater and drinking water become contaminated from the nitrate levels. Between harming the plants and the surrounding water supplies, high nitrogen levels around plants need to be closely monitored and amended for natural harmony.

Excess nitrogen
Excessive nitrogen may burn plants, which causes a condition called nitrate toxicity. When plants take up too much nitrogen too quickly, stems and leaves become scorched. In turf grass, nitrogen causes lush growth; however, when you exceed recommended amounts, it can promote the fungal disease that is commonly called brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani). By attempting to correct what you incorrectly perceive as brown grass that needs more nitrogen, you can exacerbate the problem by applying more fertilizer.

How to fix an overfeeding of nitrogen in plants?

Since nitrogen promotes leaf growth, it constitutes the main ingredient in many fertilizers including lawn fertilizer. When eager gardeners overfeed their plants with nitrogen, the plants appear wonderfully lush, vigorous and green, but flower, fruit and vegetable production wanes. Nitrogen is far easier to apply than to remove; it will not wash off nor wear off. The best way to get rid of excess nitrogen in garden soil is to plant vegetables that utilize impressive amounts of the element to grow.

• Plant squash, cabbage, broccoli and spinach in your overfed garden in the fall and sweet corn the following spring; all these vegetables feed heavily on nitrogen; squash in particular sucks it up like a sponge. Accept the fact that plants that require less nitrogen in your current garden will produce a miserly crop this year, and that your mop-crop of nitrogen-eaters may not be fit for the table either; the main purpose in your garden at this time is to remove excess nitrogen from the soil.
• Mulch with wood chips or sawdust. Choose freshly shredded wood chips instead of those from several years back, as newly cut wood mulches deplete the nitrogen in the soil as it decomposes.
• Push a sharp spade into the ground within a flowering plant's root area. Repeat several times per plant. This can shock plants suffering from nitrogen overdose into blooming. Since root pruning can also have deleterious effects on the plants, only use it as a last resort.

Signs of too much nitrogen in soil for tomatoes

Since tomatoes hate imbalances in soil nutrients, they are prime indicators in the garden when any deficiencies or excesses exist. Adding an overabundance of nitrogen fertilizer can cause abiotic disorders in your tomato crop. These problems, such as low fruit set, result from environmental factors rather than disease or insect pests. Even with all the advancements made in the development of disease-resistant varieties, tomato production can fail because of improper feeding or watering.

Absence of fruit
Perhaps the best indication that a tomato bed contains too much nitrogen occurs when the plants produce lush foliage but little or no fruit. Sometimes blossoms also fall off in the presence of excess nitrogen. Early fertilization of tomato seedlings may simply delay flowering and fruiting until some of the nitrogen is washed away. Besides fostering heavy leaf coverage, extra nitrogen causes vines to grow to great lengths with few tomatoes to support.

Problems with fruit
When fruit does form on tomato plants, too much nitrogen in the surrounding soil may contribute to some physiological disorders in the tomatoes. Excess nitrogen has been named as a possible secondary factor in the development of blossom end rot. An imbalance of calcium and other soil nutrients leads to this common problem, characterized by a sunken, leathery, dark spot at the blossom end of the fruit. More rarely, a tomato may puff up like a green pepper, with a hollow inside. This can result from applying too much nitrogen fertilizer.

Other effects of overfertilizing
Feeding healthy tomato transplants before flowering and fruit set are well underway can lead to serious consequences. According to the University of California, the full vegetative growth and low fruit set stemming from fertilizer with high-nitrogen content makes tomato plants more attractive to garden pests, like aphids and hornworms. Another hazard of overfertilization is excess nitrogen leaching past the plants' root zone and causing contamination of the groundwater supply far below the surface.

Neutralizing excess nitrogen
If your tomato crop shows any of the aforementioned signs, add a little bonemeal or colloidal phosphate to the soil to balance the nitrogen content. With the proper care, each tomato plant should yield 10 to 15 pounds of fruit over the season. To avoid nitrogen problems from the start, wait to apply fertilizer until after fruit set. Then, following package label instructions, place nitrogen fertilizer in shallow grooves dug around the plants once every four to six weeks, and water well afterward. If you used manure in preparing the planting site, reduce the amount of the fertilizer application by half.

Will too much nitrogen affect tomato plants?

Tomato plants need well-drained soil, rich in nitrogen and other nutrients, to thrive. A healthy dose of compost or other organic matter is helpful along with a fertilizer with low to moderate nitrogen content. On the surface, it seems that fertilizing tomatoes makes the plants stronger and healthier. But too much nitrogen fertilizer can have undesirable consequences.

Importance of Nitrogen
Nitrogen is necessary for tomato plants to make energy and grow. Plants use nitrogen in the form of nitrates or ammonium ions. Nitrates are quickly released to the plant, while ammonium ions are available for longer periods.

Tomato plants that don't get enough nitrogen do not grow well. They are small and thin with yellowing leaves. Some nitrogen is necessary for healthy tomato growth, but too much can also be damaging to your tomato crop.

Poor Fruiting
If your tomato crop was poor this year, too much nitrogen may be to blame. Tomato plants that receive too much nitrogen are prone to lush green growth and look very healthy. The problem is that the plant grows too much greenery and produces fewer flowers and fruit. Flowers that do form sometimes drop before forming fruit. Excess nitrogen also builds up in the leaves and fruit and affects the taste of the tomatoes that are formed.

Disease and Insects
Blossom end rot is a physical problem caused by a calcium deficiency. There is evidence that excessive nitrogen encourages blossom end rot by throwing the nutrients out of balance. Excess nitrogen weakens the plant, making it more susceptible to other diseases and insect problems as well.

Excess Nitrogen Runoff
Excess nitrogen in the nitrate form is a serious problem for our rivers, lakes and ground water supply. Excess nitrates are water soluble and quickly flushed out of the soil and into the water supply. There they cause excessive plant and algae growth that removes needed oxygen from the water. Nitrates in the water is harmful to fish and other aquatic life as well as polluting our drinking water supplies.

Protect your tomatoes and our environment by giving tomatoes only the nitrogen that they need for healthy growth.

Remedy for nitrogen overdose in tomato plants

While there are nearly more varieties of tomatoes than you can count -- from large, beefsteak tomatoes to small, cherry tomatoes -- all of them are susceptible to nitrogen overdose. This happens when the alkalinity of your soil is off and the plant has too much nitrogen to feed from. You can remedy this with soil treatment and monitoring as well as appropriate fertilizer and care techniques.

Soil pH
Soil pH is a measure of the alkalinity or acidity of your soil. Specifically, soil pH indicates the amount of hydrogen in your soil, which affects the availability of important soil nutrients, like nitrogen, to your plants. All plants have different needs as to how acidic or alkaline a soil they need to thrive. The lower the pH, the less nitrogen -- and other macronutrients including phosphorus and potassium -- is available for the plant to take up. According to Seeds of Change, at a pH of 5.0, only half the amount of nitrogen and potassium is available to a plant as at 6.0. The tomato plant likes a fairly neutral soil, meaning it's soil requirements are a pH of 6 to 6.8 -- the middle of the scale. You can have your soil tested by a soil laboratory if you are unsure what its pH level is. The test will also show soil nutrient levels.

Symptoms
The main symptom of nitrogen overdose in tomatoes is that the plants grow big and strong with large, leafy branches, but produce few, if any tomatoes. This is because the excess nitrogen prevents the plant from fruiting.

Treatment
One treatment for nitrogen overdose is to put only a small amount of fertilizer around the plant shortly after you've planted it. The fertilizer should have a 0 reading in the first number of its N-P-K ratio. This indicates there isn't nitrogen in that fertilizer. In addition, you can try putting softwood mulch, like pine bark, down around your tomato plants. The wood increases soil acidity, decreasing available nitrogen in the soil as it decomposes.

Considerations
The best way to treat nitrogen overdose is to avoid it all together. Once you know the pH and nutrient levels of the soil you are starting with, you can treat it accordingly before you plant your vegetables. If you know you have too much nitrogen in your soil, you can try planting vegetables that use more nitrogen, like squash and cabbage, in that area and plant your tomatoes, or other vegetables susceptible to nitrogen overdose, in a portion of the garden with lower nitrogen levels.

How to lower nitrogen in soil?

Plants require nitrogen to grow leaves. However, too much nitrogen in garden soil can cause an excess of leaves with little to no fruit, vegetable or flower production. Monitoring soil nitrogen levels is especially important if you reside by a body of water. Excess nitrogen can eventually run off into the water, changing the ecosystem drastically. Water tainted with high levels of nitrogen causes vegetation buildup that leads to clogged waterways, increased algae production, and danger to fish and wildlife. Homeowners can reduce nitrogen in their property's soil to a healthy level for home gardening and environmental health.

Planting Nitrogen-Using Plants

1. Plant broccoli and cabbage starts in February through April. Clear the soil surface of rocks, debris and weeds. Till the soil to a depth of 6 inches to break up the soil for planting.
2. Draw horizontal lines in the soil with a stick to mark the rows for planting. Space the lines two feet apart. Dig a 4-inch hole every 18-to-24-inches along each line. Place one broccoli or cabbage start in each hole. Backfill the holes, pressing the soil firmly around the root ball of each plant. Water the plants thoroughly with a garden hose.
3. Keep the soil evenly moist around the plants as they grow. Water when the top 2 inches of soil becomes dry. Do not fertilize the plants, forcing them to extract the needed nitrogen from the soil. Expect the plants to have yellowish leaves.
4. Harvest the plants after three months. Dig around their root balls with a trowel. Place the discarded plants on a compost pile for decomposing. Test the soil with a soil test kit or take a sample into a local county extension service to determine the new nitrogen level.
5. Plant corn or squash starts May through July if nitrogen levels are still too high. Till the soil to break up any large clumps. Plant corn starts 12 inches apart in rows spaced 30 inches apart. Plant squash starts four inches apart in rows spaced 24 inches apart. Water the starts thoroughly.
6. Water the plants when the top few inches of soil begins to dry. Do not apply any fertilizer. Do not expect large vegetable yields from these plants. Dig up the plants in late September through October. Test the soil again in the spring.

Mulching

1. Mulch the soil in late September through early November. Add a 1- to-2-inch layer of sawdust or wood-chip mulch over the surface of the soil. Spread the mulch evenly over the soil with a rake.
2. Leave the mulch on the soil throughout the winter, allowing it to use the excess nitrogen in the soil as it decomposes. Till the soil in the spring once the soil temperatures have warmed to above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Gather soil samples from the tilled area. Test the samples to determine if enough nitrogen was removed. Plant nitrogen-using crops in the area if the nitrogen level is still too high.

How to reverse nitrogen burn on tomato plants

Nitrogen burn occurs when there is too much nitrogen in the soil, and your plants overdose on the chemical, causing problems with growth. This is often seen when liquid fertilizer or manure are applied around the tomato plant without regard to what is already in the soil. Excess nitrogen can be countered so that your tomato plants may start to produce more fruit as their nitrogen levels decrease. Symptoms of excess nitrogen include scarring on the blossom end of the tomato, large bushy plants with very little fruit and brown, dried foliage. Testing soil before planting or fertilizing can help prevent the problems caused by excess nitrogen.

1. Mulch around tomato plants with woods chips or sawdust. Spread a 1 or 2 inch layer in a 1-foot radius around the plant stem, but do not allow the mulch to come in contact with the plant. The wood mulch will draw nitrogen out of the soil over time.
2. Water the plants with 5 to 10 inches of water to flush nitrogen out of the soil for three to five days, then resume normal watering. This will remove some of the nitrogen from the soil, but it will also flush out other nutrients. Do a soil test after a week and resume weekly fertilization with a low-nitrogen fertilizer.
3. Plant nitrogen-sucking plants near the tomatoes to consume the excess nitrogen. Squash, cabbage or broccoli will draw in a large amount of nitrogen, reducing the amount of overall nitrogen in the soil.

Using plastic mulch on tomato plants

Plastic mulches provide many positive advantages for the user, such as increased yields, earlier maturing crops, crops of higher quality, enhanced insect management, and weed control.

Plastic mulches have been used commercially for the production of vegetables since the early 1960's, and their usage is still increasing throughout the world. Plastic mulches provide many positive advantages for the user, such as increased yields, earlier maturing crops, crops of higher quality, enhanced insect management, and weed control. They also allow other components, such as drip irrigation, to achieve maximum efficiency. Although a variety of vegetables can be grown successfully using plastic mulches, muskmelons, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, watermelons, and okra have shown the most significant responses. The production of strawberries and cut flowers, like vegetables is greatly improved by the use of plasticulture. The selection of which mulch type to use will depend on factors such as the crop to be grown, season of the year, whether double or triple cropping is contemplated, and if insect management is desired.

Much of the early work on the use of plastic mulches for vegetable production was to define the impact that differently colored mulches had on soil and air temperatures, moisture retention, and vegetable yields. Based on this work three main colors of black, clear, and white predominate commercial vegetable production today, although white has been replaced largely by a co-extruded white-on-black. Plastic mulches directly impact the microclimate around the plant by modifying the radiation budget (absorbitivity vs. reflectivity) of the surface and decreasing the soil water loss. The color of a mulch largely determines its energy-radiating behavior and its influence on the microclimate around a vegetable plant. Color affects the surface temperature of the mulch and the underlying soil temperature.

Another important factor is the degree of contact between the mulch and soil or by not being taut, often quantified as a thermal contact resistance, will greatly influence the performance of a mulch. If an air space is created between the plastic mulch and the soil by a rough soil surface, soil warming can be less effective than would be expected from a particular mulch. The soil temperature under a plastic mulch depends on the thermal properties (reflectivity, absorbitivity, or transmittancy) of a particular material in relation to incoming solar radiation. Black plastic mulch, the predominate color used in vegetable production is an opaque blackbody absorber and radiator. Black mulch absorbs most ultra-violet (UV), visible, and infrared wavelengths (IR) of incoming solar radiation and re-radiates absorbed energy in the form of thermal radiation or long-wavelength infrared radiation. Much of the solar energy absorbed by black plastic mulch is lost to the atmosphere through radiation and forced convection. The efficiency with which black mulch increases soil temperature can be improved by optimizing conditions for transferring heat from the mulch to the soil. Because thermal conductivity of the soil is high relative to that of air, much of the energy absorbed by black plastic can be transferred to the soil by conduction if contact is good between the plastic mulch and the soil surface. Soil temperatures under black plastic mulch during the daytime are generally 5° F higher at a 2-inch depth and 3° F higher at a 4-inch depth compared to those that of bare soil.

In contrast, clear plastic mulch absorbs little solar radiation but transmits 85% to 95%, with relative transmission depending on the thickness and degree of opacity of the polyethylene. The under surface of clear plastic mulch usually is covered with condensed water droplets. This water is transparent to incoming shortwave radiation but is opaque to outgoing longwave infrared radiation, so much of the heat lost to the atmosphere from a bare soil by infrared radiation is retained by clear plastic mulch. Thus, daytime soil temperatures under clear plastic mulch are generally 8 to 14° F higher at a 2-inch depth and 6 to 9° F higher at a 4-inch depth compared to those of bare soil. Clear plastic mulches generally are used in the cooler regions of the United States, such as the New England states. Using clear plastic mulch will require the use of a herbicide, soil fumigant, or solarization to control weeds.

White, coextruded white-on-black or silver reflecting mulches can result in a slight decrease in soil temperature -2° F at 1-inch depth or -0.7° F at a 4-inch depth compared to bare soil, because they reflect back into the plant canopy most of the incoming solar radiation. These mulches can be used to establish a crop when soil temperatures are high and any reduction in soil temperatures is beneficial. Depending on the degree of opacity of the white mulch, it may require the use of a fumigant or herbicide because of the potential weed growth. Another family of mulches includes the wave-length-selective or photoselective mulches, which selectively transmit radiation in some regions of the electromagnetic spectrum but not in the photosynthetic region. These mulches absorb protosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and transmit solar infrared radiation (IR), providing a compromise intermediate between black and clear mulch in terms of increasing soil temperature. The color of these mulches can be blue-green (IRT-76, AEP Industries Inc., Moonachie, N.J., or Climagro, Leco Industries, Inc., Quebec, Canada) or brown (Polyon-Barkai, Poly West, Encinitas, Calif.) These mulches warm up the soil like clear mulch but without the accompanying weed problem. An above-ground spectral response exists in addition to the response t o elevated soil temperatures, and may be physio-chemical (e.g. phytochrome regulation) or radiative (e.g., increasing or decreasing the heat load on the foliage). For example, in a pepper canopy, twice as much reflected photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was measured above clear plastic mulch than above black plastic or bare soil. Although both red and black plastics raised soil temperatures similarly, higher early yields and less foliage were observed in plants grown on red plastic. Both red and black mulches reflected about the same amount of PAR, but red plastic increased the ratio of red:far-red wavelenghts (R:FR) in the reflected light. The R:FR ratio and the amount of blue light reflected toward the canopy apparently are critical. In turnips, blue and green mulches induced longer leaves and higher shoot:root ratios than white mulch. The R:FR ratio reflected from white plastic is lower than that of sunlight.

Additional colors that are being investigated currently are red, blue, yellow, gray, and orange, which have distinct optical characteristics and thus reflect different radiation patterns into the canopy of a crop, thereby affecting plant growth and development. This light reflectivity can affect not only crop growth but also insect response to the plants grown on the mulch. Yellow, red, and blue mulches increased green peach aphid populations, and the yellow mulch, which attracted increased numbers of striped and spotted cucumber beetles and Colorado potato beetles. Yellow has long been used in greenhouses to monitor the population of insects. Mulches with a printed silver surface color have been shown to repel certain aphid species and reduce or delay the incidence of aphid-borne viruses in summer squash. Similar to a white mulch, the degree of opacity of a gray mulch may require a herbicide or fumigant to be used to prevent weed growth. Some of these colored mulches (blue and red) had a dramatic impact on the soil temperatures, raising soil temperatures to 167 and 168° F, respectively, at the 2-inch depth when the ambient air temperature was 104° F.

Using red plastic mulch

Red plastic mulch was actually not introduced as mulch. Rather, its developers (USDA’s plant physiologist Michael J. Kasperbauer and Clemson University nematologist Bruce Fornum) found that it increased yields up to 20%. It was first recommended to commercial farmers, rather than home gardeners, who could benefit from higher production on a larger scale.

Along the way, gardeners began referring to red plastic tomato mulch as a mulching option.

While the product is not technically mulch, it’s increasingly used as one. Red plastic mulch (also known as Selective Reflecting Mulch, or SRM for short) is similar to black plastic mulch in that it warms the soil, prevents erosion, and retains moisture. It’s thinner than most garden plastic, allowing more light (and sometimes weeds) through.

But red plastic mulch’s touted strength is in its ability to reflect certain red shades of light back into the plant, accelerating fruit production and increasing yield.

How red plastic mulch works

Proteins: Their job is to regulate plant growth and development.

Phytochromes react differently to different spectra of light. Specifically, when far-red light wavelengths from the plastic bounce back up to tomato plants, the phytochromes tell the tomato fruit to grow more and faster.

That’s why gardeners say setting out red plastic mulch around their tomato plants makes their tomatoes ripen faster and produce bigger fruit.

Naturally, the amount of light reflected depends on growing conditions. Also, the plastic color must be specific. In other words, just any color of red plastic may not give good results, but rather those which have been developed and tested for this purpose. Recent studies suggest that other colors of plastic may offer greater yields than black, too, particularly blue plastic.

Bonus benefit: red tomato mulch deters nematodes
Additional studies have documented that red plastic mulch also reduces nematode damage. Nematodes (specifically, root knot nematodes) are worms that feed on a tomato’s root system. They are a particular problem in areas where the ground does not freeze, because they continue to live in the soil all year long.

A study by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service found that red plastic mulch suppresses root nematode damage to tomatoes because the light reflection keeps more of the plant’s growth above ground. The plant’s energy goes into developing fruit and foliage, rather than roots. Nematodes feed on roots. The far-red light reflection to the above-ground plant draws away nutrients from the roots – and nutrients away from the nematodes. Fewer roots mean less food for nematodes. Less food = fewer nematodes.

Red tomato mulch options
Red plastic is available to home gardeners in squares and in rolls. Squares are well suited for container tomatoes or for gardens with just a few tomato plants. If you have a larger number of tomatoes, rolls are the more economical choice.

Advantages of red plastic mulch

• Bigger tomatoes
• More tomatoes
• Warms the soil
• Manageable for the home gardener, especially where smaller coverage needed
• Retains moisture in pots, a perennial problem

For best results …

• Allow several feet of the red showing on either side of the plant or row.
• Use determinate tomato plants -- their finite size means they may maximize the amount of light reflected from the plastic.
• Run a drip hose underneath plastic, because the plastic forms a strong barrier. Water tends to pool on plastic surface even though it eventually penetrates.

When it comes to red plastic, be aware of this
More than four out of five gardeners who use red tomato mulch would recommend it to a friend. Even so, there are some cautions.

• Plan a watering method. The red tomato mulch offered by Gardener’s Supply has extra holes (“micro-perforations”) to allow water and air easily into the soil, but they’re tiny. Water can pool on the plastic in dips and valleys and stagnate. Some gardeners run drip hoses beneath the plastic to make sure plants get adequate water. (Gardeners who use black plastic do this too.)
• Handle carefully. Red plastic is thin and can tear easily. On average, it lasts two or three seasons. But there have been gardeners who handle it carefully and have used it up to 7 years.
• Replace it. When the plants get so big that no direct light hits the red plastic, switch it out and put down another type of mulch for the remainder of the season. You’ll save wear and tear on the red plastic for next season.

Does red plastic mulch help to ripen tomatoes faster?

If you’re a die-hard tomato grower, you’ve probably heard about using red plastic mulch to improve your yield and get your tomatoes to ripen earlier. Some early testing did show a considerable benefit from mulching with a specific shade of red plastic. But like all things scientific in the garden, there are still a lot of variables that prevent the results from being conclusive.

How does red mulch work?

The idea behind using red mulch is that it reflects and bounces far-red light wavelengths back up into your tomato plants. These red light wavelengths stimulate the growth of tomato plants through a reaction with a specific pigment in the tomato plants (phytochrome). This seems to be true, but it also seems to be dependent on the amount of sunlight and maybe even temperature - something very much out of our control.

Whether red mulch means the end of late season green tomatoes remains to be seen. However, colored mulches in general appear to do a better job of warming the soil than black plastic, which at least gives your plants a head start.

Montana State University did a 2 year study that found silver and red mulches did speed ripening in tomatoes and that black mulch was not much better than no mulch at all. At Penn State, they found that blue mulch did an even better job of increasing tomato yields. However none of the colored mulches was as good as black plastic for suppressing weeds.

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What Does This Mean to You, as a Tomato Grower?

It means that you can do your own experiments with colored mulches and see if it makes a difference in your garden. Red mulch is just beginning to be readily available on the market. You might even find it in your local garden center. If you’re determined to grow the more and better tasting tomatoes each year, red mulch is worth a try.

Please click here to view the report of Penn State Extension on coloured plastic mulch.