Tomato Issues

Blossom End Rot – Photo by A13ean Use licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution

Last year when we planted our tomatoes we had high hopes of having sufficient fruit to make a ton of spaghetti sauce to get us through the year. What we didn’t know is that the soil we had was not good enough. Our plants grew tall, almost 6 feet. They were full and bushy with tons of small fruit and flowers. But before the fruit could grow full size and ripen…the bottom end, the blossom end furthest from the stem developed a black, sunken, leathery patch!

Upon research I learned that the condition is known as Blossom End Rot. This is most commonly caused by soil lacking in calcium and lack of consistent watering. It can also be triggered in the earliest set fruits if the soil is too cold or the plant is not sufficiently hardened off.

There are all kinds of chemical fertilizers to handle this issue, and if that is the route you want to take then please ask questions of the people at your local nursery or plant store. They should be able to direct you. But for me personally, I do not eat anything I cannot pronounce (meaning applied to the plant, absorbed by the plant, then consumed by me) or known to be chemical (man made).

What I have done is to dig the hole for the plant slightly deeper than is normal. At the bottom of the hole I added powdered milk, lime, and crushed eggshells. About ½ inch of dirt was then placed above that, and then the plant. Around the base of the plant I sprinkled crushed eggshells to slowly leach additional calcium into the soil with each additional rainfall. The crushed eggshells also have the added benefit of stopping slugs from approaching the stem of the tomato plant, as they do not like the feeling of slithering over the sharp edges of the shells.  Through the season I can add powdered milk to the surface of the soil if it looks like even more calcium is needed.

To help combat the water end of the issue we have installed a sprinkler system (not perfected yet) and deeply mulched all the tomato plants to help protect the moisture from evaporating. As I write this we are in a heat spell with temps over 95 degrees Farenheit. The plants are looking great, the mulch and watering system seem to be working well. Our fruits are nearing full size and not one sign of the blossom end rot is here so far!

Check out my previous post on Tomatoes – Solanum lycopersicum

Carolina Nightshade – Solanum carolinense var. carolinense

Carolina Nightshade fruit

This native of the southeast North America has spread to cover most of the United States. It is known to be weedy and invasive spreading through seeds and its underground rhizomes. It is extremely deep rooted, and if the entire root is not removed it will regrow being a perennial. Of the 44 states in which it grows, 7 of them have listed it as a Noxious weed…Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Iowa and Nevada. Even though this plant is list as a noxious weed it cannot be listed as invasive, since it is native of this land.

 

Another reason for the aversion to this plant is that all green parts, but especially the unripe berries carry an alkaloid (solanine) that is very toxic. It has been shown toxic to horses, cattle, sheep, and humans. The symptomology of poisoning is abdominal pain and may potentially cause circulatory and respiratory depression. If sufficient quantity of the plant is consumed it can be deadly.  Although the unripe berries are toxic, the ripe berries are consumed safely by pheasants, quail, prairie chickens and wild turkeys.

 

The fruits have also been consumed by humans safely although it is not recommended. In times past the ripe berries (after turning yellow) have been used in herbal medicine to treat epilepsy, and to work as a sedative and an anti-spasmodic. In fact the Genus name (Solanum) is taken from the Latin, meaning quieting! According to Foster & Duke (A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants Eastern and Central North America Volume 40: Peterson Field Guides) the berries have been use to treat epilepsy and pain, as a diuretic, antispasmodic, and aphrodisiac.

 

The Cherokee Indians used it in their Herbal medicine. Often referred to as the bull nettle, the ripe, yellow berries were used to treat nervous stress and as a mild sedative. It was also used for treating asthma, and all sorts of bronchial conditions. The Cherokee also used the crushed leaves mixed with sweet milk as a fly poison. In another use the root would be strung on a thread or piece of leather latigo and hung around a teething babies neck to easy the pain!

Tomato – Solanum lycopersicum

Roma Tomatoes

Tomato so juicy
so firm and so round
I can hardly believe
you came from the ground

Filled with vitamins
light and Love
my palate delights again
in my mouth you I shove…..

By Betty O’Neil

Xitomatl (pronounced shi-to-ma-tlh, meaning “plump thing with a navel”) is the  name given it by the Aztec people. They were the ones to introduce it to the Spaniards so long ago. That original tomato was a small, yellow fruit believed to be first domesticated by the Aztec, but having its origins in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.

Today the tomato is a common garden addition, even though it was first feared in Europe as poisonous. This long ago belief was due to it being a close family member of some poisonous plants. It is a member of the Solanaceae – Nightshade or Potato family. It has some very famous relatives…potatoes, peppers, eggplants, and tobacco. As a garden plant it plays a role in companion planting being good neighbors with beans, nasturtium, garlic, cabbage, lettuce, leeks, corn, carrots, parsley, radishes, beets, celery, spinach, and chicory. It doesn’t do nearly as well with peas, fennel, rue, or potatoes (being in the same family they attract many of the same pests and diseases). Planting it with basil helps in growth and flavor, while planting it with borage helps repel tomato worms!

The ever popular tomato is used in Italian, Middle Eastern, and Mexican cuisines extensively, but also in many others only on a smaller scale. The can be eat fresh, out of hand, sliced on sandwiches, chopped into salads, and to garnish almost anything. They are made into sauces, added to soups, stew and casseroles…in fact your imagination is your only limit! They are included in such diverse things as pesto, pico de gallo, taco sauce, gazpacho, juice, salsas, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, burritos, fajitas, tostadas, pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, guacamole, chutney, and relishes.

In medicine the tomato is proving of great benefit. It is high in Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, which has been found to be very useful in the treatment of prostate cancer. It has also been proven beneficial in the treatment of high blood pressure and helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays which will cause skin cancers. Because they are also high in Vitamin C, Potassium and citric acid they make a good addition to a healthy diet for maintaining overall health, aiding digestion, eliminating environmental toxins, and rehydration after exercise.

Knowing all these benefits from food to medicine it is strange to think that it took 150 years after European discovery for them to begin using the tomato on a regular basis. Even then the tomato was not considered fit for anything but sauce!

Irish White Potato – Solanum tuberosum

Red skin Potatoes

Here’s cucumbers spinnage and French beans

Come buy my nice sallery

Here’s parsnips and fine leeks

Come buy my potatoes too.

 

– c. 1700, an old English ballad

 

Baked, mashed, fried in strips, shreds, or slices, boiled, made into soup, au gratin, tater tots, and more. Potatoes are ohhhhh so delicious just about any way you want to make them. They have saved people’s lives during time of famine; they have delighted a small child as they make their own mushy piles; and they have been as simple as everyday fast food fare or as elegant as a 5-star restaurant can imagine! That is the spud, or tater, not always potato.

 

Many folks can recall that there was a devastating famine in Ireland; it was called the Potato Famine. Many folks I know thought for a long time that the famine was staved off by eating the potato, but in this instance in 1845-1852 it was due to the failure of the potato crop due to blight. The famine caused 1 million people in Ireland to die, and another 1 million to leave the country altogether! The people of Ireland had been forced off their grazing lands by the English onto smaller plots of stony land, not suitable to growing their cattle or grain crops any longer. They then resorted to growing the potato that had been imported from South America for survival. This worked well enough until the blight hit!

 

The potato, or rather the lack of the potato caused great starvation issues in Ireland and Scotland, but in poor third world countries the potato offers a cheap, tasty food source for the masses of people who would otherwise starve. In Africa when potatoes were introduced it took a long time for the farmers to agree to grow them, as they believed them poisonous! Indeed the potatoes that are green in the flesh or skin, and the green leaves and stems do contain an alkaloid named solanine, like most members of the Solanaceae family. If toxicity occurs the symptoms are nausea, vomiting, salivation, and drowsiness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weakness, and respiratory depression.

 

Potatoes contain large amounts of starch so although they are wonderful to eat, they may be the wrong choice if you have Type II diabetes as the starch gives them a high glycemic index! But if you are not diabetic then they are a good choice as they are high in Vitamin A, B1, B2, C and K, they also have a good amount of minerals, such as potassium and are relatively low in calories!

 

As a folk remedy potatoes have their uses:

            Juice: used in the treatment of peptic ulcers

            Poultice: used to treat rheumatic joints, swellings, skin rashes, and hemorrhoids

            Plaster: (cold raw flesh) soothing to burns and scalds

            Skins: to treat swollen gums and heal burns (in India)

 

Bell Pepper – Capsicum annuum

Bell Pepper still growing

Crimson bell peppers
Gold bell peppers
Orange bell peppers
Kelly Green bell peppers
Each with belltowers inside
in which Spirit bells of immortality
hang… ready for the sun’s light
them into life to ignite

 

By O. Anna Niemus

 

All peppers are considered native to Mexico, Central and South America. This scientific name also refers to wax peppers, cayenne pepper, chili peppers, and jalapeno peppers, as well as the mild, sweet bell pepper. Bell peppers are grown from seed; they need warm days and slightly cooler nights to set fruit. They can be harvested at any size and eaten green and unripe or allowed to ripen to yellow, orange or red before consumption. The bright colored peppers are sweeter and have a mellower flavor that the unripe green ones.

 

Bell peppers have been under cultivation for over 9000 years in South and Central Americas. The pepper seeds were taken to Spain in 1493.

 

In herbal medicine use all peppers are considered excellent sources of Vitamins A & C (red peppers are especially high), and therefore are good sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radicals, so the use of food high in them may help prevent such diseases as arthritis, heart disease and cancer.

 

As food they are an integral part of Creole, Cajun, Italian and Mediterranean cooking. They may be consumed raw or cooked, added to salads, stir fries, stews, soups….anything you can imagine. An easy summer dish is to take shrimp, grape tomatoes, pepper chunks, mushrooms and pearl onions and slide them alternating onto a skewer, Place this on the grill, turn so that it does not burn. Eat when the shrimp turns all white! Yum!

Tomatillo – Physalis philadelphica

Tomatillos

This cousin of the domestic tomato was first cultivated by the Aztecs back as far as 800 BC. Although it is popular in Mexican and Central American cooking, it never became popular in Europe. As the Hispanic population has grown in North America the popularity of the tomatillo has also grown. It can now be found in large chain grocery stores, as well as Mexican markets, and many roadside stands through the summer.

 

In Mexico the flower calyces are used to treat diabetes, the fruits are used to treat fever, and the juice from the fruit is used for an eyewash.

 

Its main use though is in cooking. It is often found in recipes for salsa, stews, sauces, jams and jellies. Even though it is most often eaten cooked, it can be eaten out of hand, raw. 100 g of edible portion contains only 32 calories, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 4 g sugar, and 2 g dietary fiber. Tomatillos are a source for Vitamin A and C, Niacin, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Folate, and Phosphorus.

 

Salsa!

 

2 small red peppers

10 tomatillos

10 roma tomatoes

3 large cloves of garlic

 

Sprinkle with olive oil and roast till tender.

 

Peel the peppers, add the other roasted vegetables and place all in a blender or food processor. Add the zest of a lemon, the juice of a lemon, parsley, cilantro, chervil, 2 hot chilies, ground black pepper, and salt to taste…now chop in the blender or processor Add 3 oz of olive oil and taste, adjusting for your desired flavor. Allow to stand, for the flavors to blend at least one hour before serving! Enjoy!

Cayenne Pepper – Capsicum frutescens

Cayenne Peppers

This native of the Amazon is cultivated throughout the world. Wild varieties are still found varying in degree of heat and size throughout Mexico, Central and South America. In the Scoville Heat Units the Cayenne measures between 30, 000 and 50,000 units.

 

The active ingredient in hot peppers such as the Cayenne is Capsicum which makes it a useful salve for sore muscles and arthritic joints as it encourages circulation in the specific area applied. Cayenne has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiseptic, diuretic, analgesic, expectorant, and diaphoretic properties. It is an alternative and stimulated circulation, the thyroid, pineal and pituitary glands.

 

One easy way to use cayenne is to mix it with your foot powder and in the winter sprinkle it into your socks before you put them on. This will increase your circulation in the feet and reduce the cold damage you might otherwise feel!

 

Cayenne is used in food preparation. It can be used in hot sauces, condiments, alcoholic beverages, meat products, and sweets such as candy, baked goods, puddings, and (reportedly) frozen dairy desserts.

 

In magic use all peppers are used for basic protection, and in love powders to enflame your love! To break a curse, scatter red pepper around your house.

 

If capsicum in a large enough dose hits your mucous membranes it may produce vomiting, or stomach pain. It may irritate the mouth, throat, eyes, and open wounds. Drinking a glass of milk may relieve the burn in your mouth, throat and stomach. The protein in milk counteracts the capsicum. But warning DO NOT use water….it only spreads the pain!

Tomato – Solanum lycopersicum

Roma Tomatoes

How do I love thee, tomato? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and might
My palate can reach, when remembering out of sight
Your peak month of August, when you bear fruits of juicy Grace.

Unknown

The first tomato under cultivation was in Mexico by the Aztecs; tomatoes reached Europe with Columbus after his trip to the mouth of the Orinoco River where he first found them. In Europe the tomato became a bit of a fascination since it was believed to be an aphrodisiac!

 

But in North America the tomato was believed to be poisonous. It was a member of the Nightshade family and as such a member it was poisonous! This belief held true until 1820 when Col. Robert G. Johnson ate one on the steps of the Boston courthouse. Hundreds had turned out to watch him die after consuming it. But to their surprise he lived!

 

Today we know that tomatoes are a great source for Vitamins A, C, and E and also a source beta-carotene, as well as the carotenoid lycopene. Lycopene is the reason the fruit is red, recent research has shown the lycopene in tomatoes and other foods may help fight certain types of cancer. Lycopene is one of the most powerful, natural anti-oxidants which has been found to be helpful in the prevention of prostate cancer. This benefit seems to increase with the cooking of the tomatoes.

 

“Rich in vital nutrients, tomatoes are valuable in a heart-healthy and cancer-preventing diet. These are also high in potassium and low in sodium, which helps combat high BP and fluid retention. Eating tomatoes with avocados, nuts or olive oil is a healthy habit as lycopene is liposoluble (i.e., it is absorbed into the body only along with fats). Also, tomatoes are a low calorie weight loss food,” quoting Garima Sancheti’s post on Facebook on 6-18-11.

Tomatoes also aid in liver function, cleanse the body of toxins, aids the digestion of fatty foods, increases health of the circulatory system, increases the skins ability to protect itself from UV rays, and is being promoted for the treatment of high blood pressure.

 

The myth of toxicity wasn’t all wrong though…alkaloids are present in all the green parts of the plant and consumption can cause lethargy, vomiting, difficult breathing, prostration, and either constipation or diarrhea! Grazing animals should never be allowed near them. The smell of the leaves should be a signal to warn you of the toxicity…they stink!

 

You might want to try a simple little recipe for tomatoes and string beans I invented

 

Italian Beans

 

String beans, snapped, destringed, cleaned and in the amount you need for your family

 (I use 2 cups fresh string beans)

Olive oil

Tomato, deseeded, cleaned, and diced

Italian seasoning (to taste)

Bacon, diced up and fried crisp (set aside)

Grated parmesan

 

Sautee your string beans in olive oil until they are the tenderness you like

Add the tomatoes, seasonings and bacon

Toss all about two- five minutes allowing the tomatoes to heat

Sprinkle with the grated cheese and serve hot. Enjoy!

Datura – Purple Horn of Plenty – Datura metel

Purple Horn of Plenty

This medicinal plant’s use dates back as far as 3000 years. Today it is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment for asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic pain, seizures, and coma. Datura metel has also been used for its anesthetic (pain-killing) properties.

It has been used ceremonially for centuries for shamanic journeys or puberty rites. It causes hallucinations through the alkaloids present in every part of the plant. The plant is extremely poisonous and therefore ingestion is strongly advised against! The symptoms of poisoning are flushed skin, headaches, hallucinations, and possibly convulsions or even a coma.

I t has been used in India as an aphrodisiac for centuries.  Its use spread through Asia and Europe. Witches were believed to use it when preparing to ‘fly.’

Angel’s Trumpet – Brugmansia suaveolens

These small trees have trumpet shaped flowers that hang straight down. The point of the flower points straight heavenward, therefore the name Angel’s trumpet! It is native to South America, notably the Andes, but it has escaped cultivation in Florida, Mexico, and South and Central America.

These plants produce large, white or yellow trumpet flowers that perfume the night air with its exotic scent. No references to use as medicine or food could be found. The entire plant is poisonous due to the presence of the alkaloids atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine. Poisoning symptoms include hallucinations, dry mouth, muscle weakness, increased blood pressure and pulse, fever, dilated pupils, and paralysis.

If you would like to see examples of this tree there are beautiful specimens at Longwood Gardens in the Conservatory (Kennett Square, PA) and at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C..

Angel's Trumpet flower