GROWING ORGANIC TOMATOES

Most people know that organic gardening is growing food without chemicals, but it is in fact more than that. It is having a respect for the planet that we live on, encouraging biodiversity. As diversity narrows, plants can become endangered. As we lose plant diversity, we also lose plant resistance to natural predators. With a wide variety of one type of vegetable, there is always another to take the place of the one that becomes extinct. As plants are bred over and over again, they may become weaker. Growing heirloom tomatoes increases the likelihood of disease and pest resistance in the future.

If you decide to grow heirloom tomatoes in your own garden, you are not only benefiting the health and well-being of yourself and your family, but increasing plant diversity, preserving an important aspect of our national culture and saving the very vegetable that you are growing from extinction.

Tomatoes like a nice warm area preferably in full sun, but they do need at least hours of sunlight a day, without this they are spindly and will not develop mature fruit.

They like soil that has a pH of 5.5 - 6.8, fertile, rich in organic matter, deep, and well-drained.

You want soil that will hold water as evenly as possible because uneven uptake of water makes the flowerd drop off, the fruit splits, and the blossoms rot.

To help give your tomatoes the best environment you can, add compost or organic matter. A general guide would be 3 inches (7.6 cm) of organic matter into the top 6 inches (15.2 cm) of soil.

You can also grow a cover crop to help build the soil. Plant a grain or legume crop, sometimes called green manure, for the purpose of chopping it down and adding it to the soil. One way is to plant hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), a nitrogen-fixing legume, in your garden bed in the fall. In the spring, cut it down and till the residue into the soil. This provides both nitrogen and an instant mulch that preserves moisture.

Lastly, many tomato diseases reside in the soil and affect peppers, eggplants, potatoes, and other crops in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. To break the disease cycle, and to help get rid of the disease-causing organisms, rotate tomatoes with unrelated crops, such as corn, beans or lettuce.

An heirloom vegetable is like an heirloom in a family, it is something to be cherished, looked after and handed down as something precious to future generations. However in recent years heirloom tomatoes have become the in thing and not everyone has a strict definition of an heirloom tomato. Four charecteristics should be present to make an heirloom tomato a heirloom.

• Commercial Heirlooms

These are Open-pollinated varieties introduced over fifty years ago

• Family Heirlooms

Seeds that have been passed down for several generations through a family.

• Created Heirlooms

Crossing two known parents of heirlooms or by crossing an heirloom with a hybrid. If a hybrid cross is used it takes at least eight years to eliminate the undesirable characteristics and stabilize the desired characteristics, of the new heirloom tomato.

• Mystery Heirlooms

Varieties that are a product of natural cross-pollination of other heirloom varieties.

(Note: All heirloom varieties are open-pollinated but not all open-pollinated varieties are heirloom varieties.)

Where did the term "Heirloom" plants begin?
The term "Heirloom" applied to plants was apparently first used by Kent Whealy of Seed Savers Exchange, who first used "heirloom" in relation to plants in a speech he gave in Tucson in 1981. He had asked permission to use the term "heirloom" from John Withee, who had used the term on the cover of his bean catalog. John said sure, that he had taken it from Prof. William Hepler at the University of New Hampshire, who first used the term "heirloom" to describe some beans that friends had given him back in the 1940s.

The Importance of "Heirloom" Tomatoes.
In the past 40 years, we've lost many of our heirloom varieties, along with the many smaller family farms that supported heirlooms. The multitude of heirlooms that had adapted to survive well for hundreds of years were lost or replaced by fewer hybrid tomatoes, bred for their commercially attractive characteristics.

In the process we have also lost much of the ownership of foods typically grown by family gardeners and small farms, and we are loosing the genetic diversity at an accelerating and alarming rate.

Every heirloom variety is genetically unique and inherent in this uniqueness is an evolved resistance to pests and diseases and an adaptation to specific growing conditions and climates. With the reduction in genetic diversity, food production is drastically at risk from plant epidemics and infestation by pests. Call this genetic erosion.

The late Jack Harlan, world-renowned plant collector who wrote the classic Crops and Man while Professor of Plant Genetics at University of Illinois at Urbana, wrote, "These resources stand between us and catastrophic starvation on a scale we cannot imagine. In a very real sense, the future of the human race rides on these materials. The line between abundance and disaster is becoming thinner and thinner, and the public is unaware and unconcerned. Must we wait for disaster to be real before we are heard? Will people listen only after it is too late."

It is up to us as gardeners and responsible stewards of the earth to assure that we sustain the diversity afforded us through heirloom varieties.

A specialist tomato catalogue will illustrate how different types of tomatoes are they come in a variety of colors and will grow outdoors or under glass.

There are two varieties of tomato plants.
Determinant varieties
Determinant varieties stop growing new vines when flowering begins, leading to a large, single crop.The determinate tomatoes technically don't technically need a support, but a piece of stick helps to support new tomato growth.



Indeterminant varieties
Indeterminant varieties continue to add new growth throughout the growing season, producing fruit from mid-summer until the first frost.The indeterminate tomatoes need a support and the side shoots need to be removed regularly to channel production into fruiting. Once the plant has reached the top of the support which is about four or when the trusses of fruit have set, the main growing point is pinched out.

Dwarf varieties

The dwarf varieties never grow beyond eight inches and therefore they are great for a small pots in the kitchen especially if you have a sunny window. They are bush types tomatoes, but in miniature they are low yielding, but still do better with a little trellis support.

Tomatoes are prone to a number of common garden maladies, including verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt and nematodes, but popular disease resistant hybrid varieties are available to avert these potential problems. Disease resistances should be indicated on the seed packet or plant tag.

Tomatoes are further classified by their harvest time, early, mid or late season, as well as by the type of fruit they produce. Planting a mix of tomato types can extend your harvest season and provide the perfect tomato for every use. Slicing tomatoes tend to be large and meaty, with pockets of seeds. Sauce tomatoes are more solid and fleshy, with fewer seeds. Cherry and grape varieties produce small fruit perfect for snacking or salads.

Tomatoes are warm weather plants, and must be started indoors in most U.S. and European climates. Starting tomatoes from seed requires carefully controlled growing conditions to ensure strong, healthy seedlings, but doing so can allow the home gardener to select from a much wider selection of varieties than are available to purchase as seedlings. Tomato seedlings take 6 to 8 weeks to reach transplant size, and should not be moved to the garden until 2 weeks after the last frost date for the area. Sow seeds ¼" deep in a high quality seed starting mixture, and maintain temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees for proper germination and growth. When choosing nursery grown seedlings, look for plants with straight, solid stems about the thickness of a pencil. Seedlings should have 4 to 6 young leaves, but no blossoms or fruit. Tomatoes are easy to plant, because they are not prone to transplant shock. Like most fruits and vegetables, they need full sun, so be sure to choose a garden location that gets at least 8 hours of sun each day. They will develop roots from the stem, so if your homegrown seedlings are a bit tall and spindly, simply plant them so that the first set of leaves are near the soil surface.

Organic tomato producers have a new study to market with that shows organically produced tomatos have higher antioxidant levels than those produced conventionally. University of California-Davis researchers found that organically grown tomatoes were significantly higher in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant, and that the differences between the two agricultural systems increased over time.

The results found, over time, that the organic tomatoes had increasingly higher amounts of the three flavonoids studied: quercetin, naringenin, and kaempferol, whereas the levels of flavonoids did not vary significantly in conventional tomatoes. Mean values for quercetin and kaempferol in organic tomatoes were 79% and 97% higher than those in conventional tomatoes, respectively.

Conventional farming uses mineralized nitrogen fertilizers, while organic crops receive nitrogen through manure application. The researchers suggest that the organic crops contained higher flavonoids due to the type of nitrogen available to the tomato plants. There was no significant difference in the crop yields between the two agricultural systems, but the organic plot had less year-to-year variation in crop yield than the conventional plots.

"The results of our study are intriguing, and warrant a closer look at the agricultural systems used across the United States," says lead researcher, Alyson Mitchell, Ph.D., professor and food chemist in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California-Davis. "Additional well-controlled studies like ours will provide a much deeper understanding of the differences between organic and conventional crops."

Tomatoes are one of the most common vegetables consumed in the U.S. diet. In 2003, Americans ate nearly 86 pounds of tomatoes and tomato products per person, making tomatoes one of the major contributors of several nutrients, such as vitamin C, lycopene, and flavonoids in the U.S. diet.

How to Grow Big Juicy Tasty Tomatoes is probably the best available resource for information about how to grow organic tomatoes.

This easy to read 88 page book was written by two tomato lovers. One of the authors holds a Master's Degree in Plant Pathology, Lucia Grimmer is a plant nutrition technician and a world authority on plant disease. Every day she provides technical advice to professional tomato growers all over the world.Now she shares her professional secrets with home gardeners

The book is over eighty pages and it has nearly three hundred photographs, it covers all aspects of growing organic tomatoes, from preparing the soil, to collecting seeds, choosing the correct varieties to grow. It explains how to prepare the beds and pots, planting, stalking and nutrition, as well as controlling pests and diseases.

The facts contained in How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes are the result of years of research. This book is a valuable reference guide which is used around the world by professional horticulturists and novice gardeners alike.

The book was written by a highly qualified and well respected plant expert. It was not written by an "author for hire" and it is not based on amateur's anecdotes.Divided into two parts, the first section contains a quick start guide with step by step instructions to get started right away. The second section offers all the details needed for growing healthy flavorful tomatoes. Four bonuses are offered with the purchase of the book. Plus, it is available in a hard copy or e-book version.

Beefsteak - A type of tomato rather than a variety (although there really is a particular variety named 'Beefsteak.') Usually considered a large, irregular shaped tomato with solid flesh.

Cotyledons - The first leaves formed from the seed.

Crack Resistant - A tomato that inherently resistant to cracking, a problem usually caused where rain falls sporadically, or where there is excessive rain.

Cultivar - The variety of a plant. However, technically there is a difference between cultivar and variety. Cultivar is considered to be a product of intentional breeding whereas Variety is the product of accidental crossing. The terms are commonly used interchangeably.

Determinate - When terminal buds set fruit plant growth stops. Plant needs little or no staking. Harvest is only about a week to ten days.

Globe - A round shaped tomato.

Heirloom - An heirloom is generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down, through several generations of a family because of it's valued characteristics.

Hybrid pollination - Cross pollination accomplished by removing anthers of parent x before the release of pollen. Y parent's anther tube is opened and pollen removed to deposit on stigma of parent x.

Indeterminate - Plants that will keep growing and producing new blossoms even after fruit set. Harvest may last for several months.

Locules - Chambers within the tomato's fruit that hold the seeds within a jelly-like substance. Most fruits have 2 or more chambers and large fruited varieties have as many as 10.

Lycopersicon esculentum - The genus and species name for Tomato. All plants have a genus and species name, which are indicated in italics.

Maturity - The number of days from transplanting seedling to the first mature fruit. Early-Season varieties generally mature between 55 to 68 days; Midseason varieties- 69 to 79 days; Late season varieties from 80 days and beyond.

Oblate - A slightly flattened round shape of a tomato.

Open-pollinated - Seeds from open-pollinated varieties produce plants and fruit that are identical to their parent. (Note: All heirloom varieties are open-pollinated but not all open-pollinated varieties are heirloom varieties.)

Personal favorite - A variety that has been a favorite through years of growing.

Pollination - Pollen grains released by anther and fall to the stigma, usually of the same flower.

Potato-leaf - Foliage without indentations on leaf margins. Looks similar to leaves of potato plant.

Regular-leaf - Foliage with indentations on the leaf margins.

Semi-Determinate - tomato plants are larger than determinate (bush types) but smaller than Indeterminate plants. These plants usually require staking.

Widely adapted - A variety adapted to growing well in several growing zones.

Organic Gardening Magic, is a great ebook that teaches you how to organic food for yourself and for profit.
Here's what you'll soon learn by reading "Organic Gardening Magic":
What Organic Gardening is and how to get started!
The Do's (and Don'ts!) of Making your Own Compost!
What you should never add to your compost or risk poisoning yourself and your family!
The Secrets of Crop Rotation and Companion Planting!
A Simple Yet Hardly Used Trick to Bring Your Fall Tomato Plants Indoors!
Why You Should Consider Raising Your Own Transplants
How To Build Healthy Soil (Even If You Are Working With Very Unhealthy Soil To Begin With)
Why soil pH is important, and how to correct it!
How to Recognize Your Friends and Your Enemies When It Comes To Insects!
Grow More Vegetables in Less Space Than You Thought Possible
Why Pesticide Use Became Prevalent In The First Place!
Simple Steps to Grow Your Own Organic Lettuce for mouthwatering healthy salads!
What is Green Manure and Should You Use It?
Are There Any Benefits Of Using Pesticides At All?
The Magic Mulch That Kills Diseases and Stops Weeds!
The Four Important Aspects Of Organic Gardening According to the USDA
Grow Organically Indoors!

At the moment the e-book Organic Gardening Magic is incredible value because the author offers two free full e-books. The first is about Organic food in general, but it is not dry it is about labeling and why it is so much safer for you and the family to eat organically. Certainly once you have made the change you will never want to go back, and it is prohibitively expensive to buy organic food for the family it makes sense to grow your own.

Ingredients
6kg/13lb ripe heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped(mixed varieties is fine)
8 medium red onions, peeled, halved and sliced
3 -4 large red peppers, seeds and white filament removed, chopped
2 carrots grated
150g/5oz soft brown sugar
500ml/17fl oz cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
½ large piece of cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon of whole allspice
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon ground mace
1 tablespoon of celery seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised
kosher salt
paprika, to taste or chilli flakes

Method
Combine the tomatoes, onion and peppers in a large heavy pan over a medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Push through a coarse-mesh sieve and return to the pot with the sugar, vinegar and mustard. Tie the cinnamon, allspice, cloves, mace, celery seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaves and garlic in a square of muslin and drop it into the stew. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Continue to cook, allowing it to bubble gently, stirring often and carefully, for at least 10-20 minutes, until thoroughly blended and quite thick.

Leave to cool, remove the muslin bag of spices, then pour the mixture through a funnel into suitable bottles. Stored in the fridge this ketchup will keep for a month. If you follow the prescribed procedure for preserves and bottle in properly sterilised jars, it should keep for a year.

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In recent months, there has been a tremendous interest worldwide in what has been dubbed the "Ugly Tomato", brought on largely by extensive coverage in the press. In many ways, this was brought on by the recent action of the Florida Tomato Committee who chose to block the sale of the trademarked tomato variety "Ugly Ripe", a tomato derived from the old French heirloom tomato variety Marmande. The Ugly Ripe Tomato is solely produced by Santa Sweets Incorporated, who are the same company who introduced the grape tomato variety "Santa" or "Santa Sweet".

"UglyRipe" is a registered brand name for the Santa Sweets beefsteak style tomato and is probably responsible for the coining of the term "ugly tomato". Due to the variety's irregular appearance, which is contrary to the standard round tomatoes regularly produced by Florida tomato growers, The Florida Tomato Committee, which consists of twelve of Santa Sweet's competitors charged that the Ugly Ripe was ruining the reputation of Florida produced tomatoes and promptly blocked all transit of the variety from Florida into other states. The Santa Sweets Company has reportedly lost over 2.8 million dollars worth of revenues as a result of this action. In light of this violation of free trade, the politically motivated are encouraged to visit Santa Sweet's "Ugly Ripe Protest Campaign" page for information on what you can do to help.

Companion planting is planting two things next to each other to deter bugs or help one or both plants. Carrots are a good example, carrots share space well with any crop. However other plants such as marigolds deter pests and planting basil with tomatoes makes both crops stronger

Chives, Onions, and Garlic
Members of the onion family help to deter pest because they have such a pungent smell.

Borage

Borage helps deter tomato hornworm.

Asparagus
Asparagus does not actually help tomatoes, but tomatoes help asparagus because they repel the asparagus beetle a common asparagus pest. Asparagus spurts very early in the season, and the tomato plants fill out after asparagus has been harvested.

Marigold

Marigolds help deter harmful nematodes from attacking tomatoes. The pungent odor can also help confuse other insect pests. To deter nematodes, the best practice is to grow the marigolds, then chop and till them into the soil at the end of the season.

Nasturtium

Nasturtiums help deter whitefly and aphids.

Basil

Growing tomatoes and basil together increases the strength and flavour of both crops.

Spinach, Lettuce, and rocket
They stay fairly small, and they will grow better in the heat of summer when shaded by the expanding tomato plants.

What Not to Plant with Tomatoes

The following crops should not be planted with tomatoes:

Brassicas
Tomatoes and all members of the brassicas family repel each other and will exhibit poor growth when planted together. That means all the cabbages and broccoli.

Corn

Tomato fruit worm and corn ear worm are nearly identical, and planting these two crops together increases the possibility that you will attract both of these pests.

Fennel
Fennel inhibits the growth of tomatoes.

Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi inhibits the growth of tomatoes.

Potatoes
Planting tomatoes and potatoes together makes potatoes more susceptible to potato blight.

How To Start Your Tomatoes From Seed

Although tomatoes are often regarded by many backyard gardeners to be difficult to start from seed with positive results, the process is really not as difficult or demanding as many would believe.

Firstly, we need a good grade of tomato seed to work with. The seed should originate through a reputable grower or dealer and be clean of dirt, debris and other foreign materials. It is very important that we choose the best seeds we have available if we would like to glean the most favorable results. In this sense, we want to select those seeds which are the most perfect in their condition and shape. The seeds should not exhibit any irregular deformities (although such deformed seeds are often useful to experiment with for genetic reasons). In addition, the seeds should not display any signs of prior germination, let alone any damage from shipping. These types of seeds are not suitable for growing and should be discarded.

Secondly, we need a container in which to grow our seedlings. There are a wide range of assorted pots and seed starting kits on the market today. My preference leans towards a tray of small 2 inch pots in a series with a clear cover that is only wide enough to provide easy placement on a window sill, greenhouse bench or other place where you choose to place the container. Any number of the dozens of brands on the market are suitable. Otherwise, using 2 inch pot Pony Packs from your last nursery purchase is completely adequate.

About Soil & Soil Additives:

Place into the pots, a good grade of soil. The type of soil you use is dependent on your situation. If you have good rich soil on your property, your own soil is completely adequate and likely best. If you use soil from your own property, be sure to sift it free of rocks, old roots and other foreign materials before placing it into the pots. This small amount of extra work will save you some headache and extra work in the future. Do NOT use composted soil to start your plants. Although compost is beneficial to maturing seedlings and adult plants, compost will generally contain a quantity of seed, be it grass seed, or even other tomato seeds depending upon what sort of materials are being composted. If you lack quality soil on your property, commercial potting soil is adequate. If you are interested in growing your tomatoes strictly organically, be sure to avoid commercial potting soils that are treated with chemicals or that feature chemical fertilizers or additives.

It is always necessary to dress up your soil. Seedlings require a tremendous amount of nutrients and simple dirt or simple plain potting soil is not adequate for optimum results.

One of the best things to add to our starting soil is a good grade of manure, my personal preference leaning towards the manure of pigeons which is superior to any other you can find AND superior to any commercial fertilizer, followed by the manure of Chickens or other Domestic Fowl and finally that of Rabbits. Do NOT buy commercially packaged manure if you are growing organic plants. Commercially packaged manure is a by-product of commercial stock or poultry growers and 99% of all commercial Poultry, Beef and Pork farmers feed their stock commercial feeds that contain growth hormones and various chemicals. I have spent YEARS as a domestic animal specialist, so believe me when I say do NOT use commercially packaged manure if you want to grow your garden the organic way. Those of you who are health conscious about your meat you should be equally conscious about what the animal by-products you feed to your garden. For the best results, find a small backyard breeder of pigeons, chickens, rabbits or whatever you choose and obtain your manure from them. Most backyard breeders will be glad to have someone take this manure off their hands for a very small price simply because there is so much of it produced that it can be overwhelming to them. In addition, in working with the backyard breeder for your manure needs, you can easily question your source about the types of feed (as well as feed and water additives) he gives to his stock. Ideally, manure from grain fed stock who are kept in health with natural products (such as vinegar, garlic and mint teas) is the best choice. In regards to the state of the manure, let me just say that all manure is not alike. So called "Green Manure" (that has not dried) is especially high in natural ammonia and is not safe for your plants. Pigeon manure and that of other fowl, has in the past, gained a lack luster reputation for killing young seedlings. Many gardeners believe that this is due to an extraordinary high nitrogen content that is safe only in small amounts, which they believe will burn up their plants. This is simply a false idea. Pigeon manure for example has a relatively low nitrogen content that is nearly incapable of burning roots of any plant unless heaped on in tremendous amounts. The problem some gardeners have had with it is actually in that fresh bird manure is extremely high in ammonia and this level of ammonia is dangerous to plants. Therefore, any type of bird manure should always be cured to the extent that it is dry. Ideally, the best pigeon manure will form in small, thin pieces (once scraped from perches and nestboxes) and be of a whitish-gray coloration that is flaky to the touch. In addition, it will be absolutely scentless and thoroughly dried. Bird manure in this state is at it's absolute best for use as a fertilizer and should be crushed to a fine powder and a reasonable quantity of it mixed into the starting soil.

Another useful additive to your soil is crushed eggshells. Blossom End Rot is a tremendous problem for many tomato growers. This malady is due to a calcium deficiency which results in the blossoms of your plants falling off the vine. Naturally, this malady destroys the production of tomatoes. Adding crushed shells in a good quantity to your soil is a good organic method of adding extra calcium and other minerals to your soil. If you are short on eggshells, a good grade of natural bone meal will also help, as well as provide other nutrients for your plants. Another potential substitute is crushed oyster shell (available from any feed dealer for Poultry) which can be added in a small quantity to your soil, although it is a bit large.

Next, place your soil into your pots until it is level with the top. Then water the soil and let it stand overnight. This watering will not only dampen the soil but slightly compact it to disallow movement of the seed after the first watering.

Germination:

The following day, sow your seed into the pots to a depth of about 1/2 an inch and cover the seed gently. A toothpick is an ideal instrument to poke a small crevice into the soil for the seed. Be sure to mark your pots in such a way to identify each variety if you are sowing more than one variety. In addition, it is also wise to keep records of your seeds and plants by assigning each seed an ID number (ie. #001-Armenia). Record the date of sowing,germination, transplant, flowering and production, as well as any notes on each and every plant. If you are serious about your tomatoes, these types of records will be of a great aid to you in the future.

After 5 to 9 days (depending upon the variety) germination should yield in small seedlings breaking through the surface. The seedlings will grow very rapidly with proper care. As time passes, be sure to cull any undesireable plants out of your containers such as those which are stunted or display any irregularities.

Transplanting:

Provided the weather and season permits, you should prepare to transplant your seedlings when they reach about six inches in height. Your garden area should be completely prepared ahead of time and be evenly tilled and free of debris and roots.

The seedlings should be spaced approximately one and a half foot apart in a straight line. If you are planting multiple varieties, try to space the varieties away from one another to avoid cross pollenation. Place other types of vegetables (such as peppers or eggplant) between them. Although this will not neccessarily prevent cross pollenation 100% of the time, it does help. If you have the space, by all means plant your varieties in seperate groups at a distance from one another. Using obstructions such as buildings on your property to seperate varieties is also advised.

If the plants are somewhat lanky opposed to bushy, clip the lower branches away from the main stem with a pair of scissors and bury the plant to the point where the lowest remaining branches are 2 inches above the ground. This will not only encourage a more bush like growth, but will also yield a stronger root system as the plant will develop roots all the way along the buried main stem portion. This will insure that your plants have a strong start. My preference is to also sidedress each plant with a 2 inch by 4 inch sheet of dried pigeon manure placed about 2 inches from the plants roots. As this strip of manure will break down over time, it will provide extra nutrients for the plant as it matures. Waste products (such as fish organs) or compost may also be used. As a child, my great grandmother (who was a great gardner for over 80 years) used to tell me stories of how the Native Americans sidedressed their crops with small fish or fish organs. That is also reccommended if you choose.

Lastly, place a good cage around the tomato. You can make your own from a wide range of materials or purchase some commercially constructed ones, whichever you choose. Although many people like to stake their tomatoes, I have never found this better than just satisfactory and always reccommend using cages to protect and support plants.

Taken from seedfest

Symptoms

Elliptical disks can be seen stuck onto the underside of leaves especially along the main veins. They look like nasty yellow-brown waxy ovals. They are often accompanied by a black soot on the upper surfaces of the leaves.
Cause

Scale are insects which suck sap from plants. The part that you can see is the outer shell of mature insects. Small scale (nymphs) are minute and they run around the plant looking for a good place to stop. When they do find a spot, they down tools, grow an impenetrable shell and feed and reproduce with voracity. Scale feed by tapping straight into the plants' flow of sap (so they don't even need to bother to suck) which means that quite a lot of excess sap oozes out. It is this excess which attracts the black sooty mould you often notice first.
Harm

Scale in itself is unlikely to kill a plant, but it will leave it very weak and prone to other pests and disease. It also looks very unsightly.
Treatment

Organically
Mature scale can be picked off or wiped off with cotton wool or tissues. The young nymphs are too small to see, but as they mature and settle down they too can be picked off. You will have to be patient because you will have to clean off the visible scale, and wait for more to mature and then cleaning it off again, before the plant is clean.Be aware that they are alwayts on the underside of the plant and therefore the leaf has to be turned over to treat

There is a chemical treatment but it is not very effective. The mature scale's outer shell is impenetrable and it is only the young that can be killed by spraying with chemicals.The plant has to be sprayed weekly but the chemical tratment ofr whittefly is extremely toxic and should never be used when the fruit is growing.

Ingredients
24 plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon Sugar
175g plain flour
pinch of Salt
115g Butter
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 red Onions, finely sliced
1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
black pepper
115g Goats cheese, finely sliced
55g Cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon

Preheat the oven to 110°C/gas quarter.

Method
Place the tomatoes in a roasting tin and sprinkle with sugar. Roast the tomatoes for 4 hours. Set aside to cool.

While the tomatoes are roasting make the pastry. In a food processor blend together the flour, salt and butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. On a floured surface, knead lightly to a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small, heavy-based frying pan. Fry the red onion gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onions are lightly caramalised. Mix in the balsamic vinegar.Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas 7. Roll out the pastry to a 25cm round.

Line a buttered 23cm tarte tatin tin or heavy-based shallow cake tin with the roast tomatoes, placing the tomatoes cut side down. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Top with the caramalised onions goat's cheese, Cheddar and tarragon.

Lay the pastry round over the filling, pressing the pastry edges down into the tin. Prick the pastry with a fork. Bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown. Remove from the oven, rest for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate. Serve.

For me living in Malaga Spain, I can sun dry my organic tomatoes, but for most mortals a homemade drying box, or the oven with the dor open is the method of choice, unless of course you want to go the whole hog and buy a dehumidifier.

Fully Dried Tomatoes
Drying times will vary according to the size and type of tomato, but 15 hours in a low oven or 30 in a drying box is about right. However, tomatoes will not dry at exactly the same rate, so you need to remove them individually as they become firm but no longer juicy.

Whichever method you use, you have two main choices. The first is to cut the tomatoes in half and lay them face up on a fine-meshed rack, sprinkling a few grains of sea salt or kosher salt on each face. The second is to dry them intact on the vine. This involves laying the tomatoes on a similar rack, vine stalk down, before cutting a small cross on the top of each and filling it with a pinch of salt.

Before use, they will need to be rehydrated by soaking in warm water for half an hour. Dried tomatoes should always be cooked before they are eaten.

Semi Dried Tomatoes

Semi dried tomatoes are removed from the source of heat part way through the drying process. They are then packed into sterilized containers that are filled with olive oil. These will keep in the fridge for up to six months. They are moist and more than good enough to incorporate in stews, sandwiches, and sauces as they are.