TOMATOES, PEPPERS & EGGPLANTS Oh, My! Beth Marlowe, Urban Garden Coordinator, Duval County Extension
TOMATOES, PEPPERS &
EGGPLANTSOh, My!
Beth Marlowe, Urban Garden Coordinator, Duval County Extension
Mediterranean Cuisine Favorites
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
SolanaceaeFamily
Nightshades: A Large Tropical Family
Tomatoes
Peppers
Eggplants
Potatoes
Tomatillos
Tobacco
Petunias
Angel’s Trumpets
Butterfly Flower
Alkaloids:Compounds that Protect the Plant from Insects, Herbivores or Disease
Potatoes—Solanine
Tobacco—Nicotine
Peppers—Capsaicin
Belladonna—Tropane
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
Oh, my!
Domestication of Solanaceae Veggies
Red/Orange: Tomatoes
Green:Peppers
Purple: Eggplants
Tomatoes
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General Care◦ Planting: Spring after last frost date
◦ Sun: 6-8 hours
◦ Soil: Well-drained, slightly acidic (6.2-6.5)
◦ Water: 1-2”/week; consistent, especially when fruits developing
◦ Fertilizer: Complete, ensuring good supply of P, and not too much N
◦ Growth Habits:
◦ Determinate: Terminal fruit clusters all develop about the same time, and growth stops—support helpful
◦ Indeterminate: Continue growing and producing fruit all along the stems throughout the growing season—MUST support
◦ Pruning: Indeterminates—prune suckers and lower/interior leaves as plants grow
◦ Containers: Ideally bush variety or determinate; At least 5 gallon container
◦ Harvest:: When color starts developing, especially as season progresses
Challenges—It’s Not Just You ◦ Heat & Humidity
◦ Won’t set fruit with high night temperatures (70-80°F)
◦ Increase disease pressure
◦ Insects
◦ Pressure increases as season progresses
◦ Tend to be worse in fall
◦ Tend to be worse when there’s no winter freeze
◦ Aphids, Whiteflies, Armyworms, Hornworms, Thrips
◦ Sandy Soil
◦ Few nutrients, low fertility, low organic matter
◦ Nematodes
◦ Disease
◦ Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
◦ Tomato Yellow Leaf-Curl Virus
◦ Bacterial Wilt
Tips
◦ Timing is everything!◦ Plant early to beat the heat, humidity and insects, but ensure soil is
warm enough
◦ Start with a healthy seedling◦ Check out roots; look for disease, physical damage or insects
◦ Select disease-resistant cultivars◦ Heirlooms may be harder in our climate
◦ Use good cultural practices◦ Water consistently, neatly and SCOUT
◦ Mulch◦ Bacterial and fungal diseases in soil; reflective deters insects
◦ Encourage pollinators◦ Agitation improves wind pollination
◦ Prune lower, interior leaves as plant grows◦ Increase airflow
◦ Adjust fertilizer as plant grows◦ Seedlings need more P
◦ Less N after bud formation, more K
Cultivars to Consider
◦ Recommended by UF for Florida (Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide◦ Large fruit: Celebrity, Amelia, Tasti-Lee
◦ Small fruit: Sungold, Juliet, Sweet 100,
◦Determinate Hybrid Cultivars◦ Celebrity, Grand Marshall
◦ Closely Related Species◦ Everglades Tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium, a wild type ancestor)
◦New Cultivars◦ https://hos.ifas.ufl.edu/public/kleeweb/newcultivars.html
Peppers
Pepper vs. Pepper
Chili peppers=Capsicum
Black pepper=Piper
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Domesticated Pepper Species
C. AnnumAnaheims, Bells,
Cayennes, Italians, Jalapenos,
Paprikas, Serranos
Aji, CriollaPeppers
Datils,Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets, Trinidad Scorpions
Tobascos, Indian Cultivars
Rocoto, Manzano
General Care◦ Planting: Spring after last frost date
◦ Sun: 6-8 hours
◦ Soil: Well-drained, slightly acidic (6.5 is ideal)
◦ Temp.: Warm! Won’t set fruit if nights too cool (<60°F)
◦ Water: Consistent, especially when fruits developing; err on the drier side
◦ Fertilizer: Complete, ensuring good supply of P, and not too much N
◦ Growth Hbt: Med-Large shrub; Some may overwinter and last several years
◦ Pruning: Generally not necessary
◦ Containers: Well-adapted; At least 5 gallon container
◦ Harvest:: When color starts developing, especially as season
Challenges
◦ Suffer from many of the same challenges as
tomatoes
◦ Heat, humidity, insects, sandy soil, disease
◦ Summer/Fall thunderstorms and hurricanes
◦ Require a long warm growing season to be
productive
◦ Seeds need warm soil to germinate (80--90°F is
ideal)
◦ Need abundant phosphorus and calcium
Growingproduce.com
Nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu
Tips
◦ Pungency is genetic, but influenced by stress
◦ Hotter, drier conditions lead to higher capsaicin levels
◦ Controlled cold treatment of seedlings can
increase the number of flowers and fruits
◦ At 3rd true leaf, cool to 50’s at night for 4 weeks
◦ Control weeds and insects to control disease
◦ Insects are vectors; weeds can be a source of both
◦ Wear gloves when harvesting!
◦ And don’t rub your face
◦ Use clippers to harvest, rather than tearing
◦ If you do get pepper juice or seed in your eye, drop in milk with eyedropper
Cultivars to Consider◦ UF Recommended
◦ California Wonder
◦ Carolina Wonder (Nematodes)
◦ Red Knight
◦ Sweet Banana
◦ Sweet
◦ Sunset Sweet
◦ Sweetie Pie
◦ Hot
◦ Datil
◦ Ornamental and Edible
◦ Fish Pepper
◦ Purple Jalapeno
Credit: gardentrends.com
Credits: Red Knight: Johnnys.com; CA Wonder: Eden Brothers; Purple Jalapeno: Ebay.com; Datil Pepper: Rareseeds.com: Sweetie Pie: all-americanselections.org; Fish: southernexposure.com
Eggplants
Eggplant Escapades
Department of Agriculture and Food Systems in the Melbourne School of Land and Environment (2008) at The University of Melbourne.
General Care◦ Planting: Spring after last frost date
◦ Sun: 6-8 hours
◦ Soil: Well-drained, slightly acidic (6.5 is ideal)
◦ Temp.: Warm! 75-85°F day/65-75°F night
◦ Water: Consistent, especially when fruits developing;
◦ Fertilizer: Heavy feeders
◦ Growth Hbt: Med-Large shrub;
◦ Pruning: Generally not necessary
◦ Containers: Well-adapted; At least 5 gallon container
◦ Harvest: When glossy; Bounces back when pressed
Challenges
◦ Suffer from many of the challenges as tomatoes and peppers
◦ High temps or drought can make fruit taste bitter
Tips
◦ Standard varieties can get large, and fruits are heavy—Stake!
◦ Must have full sun!
◦ Stems and calyxes often have thorns!
◦ Harvest when glossy and flesh presses in but bounces back.◦ Use clippers
◦ Leave the calyx on
◦ Dwarf varieties make beautiful container plants◦ No one will know it’s not an
ornamental! Hyveg.com
Charmcitybalconygarden.blogspot.com
Urbangardensweb.com
Cultivars to Consider◦ UF Recommended
◦ Black Beauty
◦ Ichiban
◦ Cloud 9
◦ Heirloom
◦ Listada de Gandia
◦ Rosa bianca
◦ Red China (Pumpkin on a Stick)
◦ Dwarf
◦ Hansel and Gretel
◦ Little Fingers
◦ Fairytale Dwarf
Harrisseeds.com
Seedbank.ca
Reimerseeds.comRareseeds.com
Johnnysseeds.com Sugarcreekgardens.com
Rareseeds.com
Johnnysseeds.com
All-americaselections.org
CROP ROTATIONA Word About
Common Vegetables by Family
Am
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Am
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idac
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Ap
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Ast
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Bra
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Cu
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itac
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Co
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lace
ae
Fab
acea
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Lam
iace
ae
Mal
vace
ae
Po
ace
ae
Sola
nac
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Beet Chive Carrot Artichoke Arugula Chayote Sweet
Potato
Beans Basil Okra Corn Eggplant
Chard Garlic Celery Echinacea Broccoli Cucumber Cowpeas Catnip Cacao Sugarcane Pepper
Quinoa Onion Chervil Endive Brussel
Sprouts
Gourd Peanuts Marjoram Potato
Spinach Cilantro
(Coriander)
Escarole Cabbage Melon Peas Mints Tomatillo
Dill Lettuce Cauliflower Pumpkin Oregano Tomato
Fennel Radicchio Collards Squash Rosemary
Parsley Sunflower Horseradish Sage
Parsnip Tarragon Kale Thyme
Kohlrabi
Mustard
Pak Choi
Radish
Rutabaga
Tatsoi
Turnip
Wasabi
Watercress
Sample Crop Rotation Schedule by Family
Area/Bed 1 Area/Bed 2 Area/Bed 3 Area/Bed 4 Area/Bed 5
Growing Season 1 Solanaceae Brassicaceae Cucurbitaceae Amaranthaceae Fabaceae
Asteraceae Apiaceae
Growing Season 2 Brassicaceae Cucurbitaceae Amanrantheaceae Fabaceae Solanaceae
Asteraceae Apiaceae
Growing Season 3 Cucurbitaceae Amarantheaceae Fabaceae Solanaceae Brassicaceae
Apiaceae Asteraceae
Growing Season 4 Amarantheaceae Fabaceae Solanaceae Brassicaceae Cucurbitaceae
Apiaceae Asteraceae
Growing Season 5 Fabaceae Solanaceae Brassicaceae Cucurbitaceae Amarantheaceae
Asteraceae Apiaceae
Growing Season 6 Solanaceae Brassicaceae Cucurbitaceae Amarantheaceae Fabaceae
Asteraceae Apiaceae
--Information compiled by Jessica Sullivan & Eva Pabon, University of Florida IFAS Extension, Osceola County
Questions?