Tomato Dirt Newsletter
Volume 9, Number 22

Dear Tomato Dirt reader,

Welcome back to Tomato Dirt! A couple times a month, we’ll send you this newsletter packed with tips about growing tomatoes and using them.

Special for Tomato Dirt-ers: Gardener’s Supply End-of-Summer Clearance

Browse their clearance marketplace (updated each week) for great deals.

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FEATURE: Fall Garden Clean Up, Part 1: Clear Out Tomato Plants

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You have to face the hard fact: the inevitable (winter) is coming.

But you can get a head start on next season now. Take just a few simple steps at season’s end and you can save a lot of time in the spring and help ensure a healthier tomato crop next year!

• Make sure your growing season is over. Know your local frost date and follow the weather to know when your tomato plants are done producing.
• Mark rows. Use a stake, post, rock or other marker to notate your tomato plants’ home in the garden this year. By marking your tomato growing spots, you will avoid planting them in the same row or area next year.
• Pick up fallen fruit. Dropped, “mummified,” or rotten tomatoes on the ground can breed tomato diseases. Prevent that by collecting them and destroying them.
• Remove tomato plants. Pull up spent tomato plants, including roots (as well as bean, squash, pea, cucumber, pepper, other vegetable plants, and weeds that surround tomatoes) that are finished producing or have been killed by frost.If they’re disease-free, compost them. If any are diseased, either burn them or discard them separately.

Look for more garden clean up tips in our next issue.

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Tomato Growing Tip: Pick Up Fallen Tomatoes to Prevent Diseases

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Get more tips for growing tomatoes on our Tomato Growing Tips Pinterest board.

What You Need to Clean Up the Garden

Garden pruners and shears to clip back plants and weeds	Sloggers and other garden boots to keep your feet dry	Compost tumblers for your garden debris

More Tips for Garden Clean Up