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SignatureMT | 79 "Blossom end rot is caused by the lack of calcium in the soil and in the plant. It's also aggravated by uneven soil mois- ture," says Marcia. She saves their eggshells all winter, then stomps on them before adding the crushed eggshells to each hole as they plant their tomatoes. "Also keep the soil evenly moist. Mulching is going to help," she says. Leaf roll (as seen below) is an issue that oen occurs during hot, dry weather or when the plant is under stress. e leaves do not change color, yet they curl upwards. Marcia says as long as the plant is growing normally, it will be fine. Other problems include the ripe tomatoes cracking and spliing, which is caused by uneven watering, as well as cat-facing. Marcia says cat-facing is due to incomplete pollination that causes deep scars and puckering within the fruit making it inedible. When you choose a Montana appropriate variety and provide a healthy growing environment, you can avoid problems and will amaze your friends and family with your bounty of tomatoes. Tomato Favorites With hundreds of varieties at our fingertips, it's difficult to choose the right one. Here are a few of Marcia's favorites: • EARLY CASCADE - Boasting great flavor in a short season, Early Cascade are prolific plants even in cool seasons. • MOUNTAIN SPRING - Not only disease resistant, this variety is not prone to blossom end rot or cracking. • STUPICE - This Czechoslova- kia heirloom is one of the earliest to mature. The fruit aren't large, but the flavor can't be beat. • CHERRY - Sweet Baby Girl - This variety produces loads of toma- toes without growing exceptionally tall. They're resistant to both wilts and aren't prone to cracking. • SUN GOLD - One of the sweetest tomatoes anywhere, Sun Gold is prolific and dependable. • LARGE FRUIT - Celebrity - Great for sandwiches, Celebrity ma- tures quickly and is disease resistant. • BIG BEEF - A nice sized, uniform fruit that matures in 70 days and is resistant to both Fusarium and Verticillium wilts. • CANNING - WISCONSIN 55 - Even though it's not a Roma type of tomato, Wisconsin 55 is excellent for canning, and is renowned for flavor and dependability. • OPALKA - Although they're a little longer maturing variety, Opalka paste tomatoes have a lot of meat with few seeds and work well making sauce. MT S ~Freelance writer Amy Grisak uses her home gardens for various horticultural experiments. You can follow her outdoor adventures and gardening projects at amygrisak.com. 106 Broadway ~ Helena, Montana (406) 443-1929 ~ onbroadwayinhelena.com AVAILABLE AT 317 Central Ave., Great Falls, MT 406.452.1177 A Red Energy Antioxidant Juice Give it a Try Today!