SigMT

78 | SignatureMT T omatoes are treasures of the garden and many of us wait in great anticipation for that first delicious bite. e good news is even in Montana's short season, practically any- one can grow this prolific and scrumptious fruit. e key to memorable tomatoes is choosing the right varieties and creating the best environment to keep them happy. Marcia Bundi, who raises tomatoes that thrive in Montana and taste good at Bundi Gardens in Great Falls, recommends choos- ing varieties that mature in 73 days or less. Although we typically enjoy over 100 frost free days, cool nights on either end of the growing season slow down tomato development so, unless you have a penchant for fried green tomatoes, choose wisely. W hile heirloom varieties are riding a wave of popularity, Marcia says not to dismiss the hybrid selections. Many of the hybrids are bred specifically for short seasons, and can offer quick maturation, excellent flavor, and disease resistance, yet some people avoid them because they are concerned they are genetically modified. "Hybrids are not genetically engineered. It's a naturally occurring process," says Marcia. Instead of waiting for Mother Nature to create the ideal tomato, breeders continually pair the best qualities by simple cross-selection to create hardy and flavor- ful specimens. One of the greatest advantages of hybrids is their potential resistance to diseases. Although Marcia says we don't have many issues with toma- to diseases in Montana, a couple of the most prevalent are Fusar- ium and Verticillium wilts. She says symptoms such as the leaves turning yellow and curling, along with the entire planting wilting at mid-day are a few of the symptoms of these fungal diseases. In that case, dig up the plant, bag it, and throw it in the trash. "Don't compost it," she says. "And, if you had it, don't plant solanums (such as tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplant) in the same area for 5 years." One of the best ways to avoid having your plants succumb to the infection is to plant hybrid varieties specially bred to resist it. Marcia says to look for the symbols F and V on the plant description to see if that particular variety is resistant to these one, or both, of the wilts. "e other thing I really is see Western Yellow Blight. It's transmied by leaf hoppers." she says. e leaves curl downwards, and are oen yellow with pur- ple veining. "As long as the plants are healthy, they'll be okay," she says. Probably the most common tomato complaint in Montana is blossom-end rot, (seen to the right) which is a physiological disorder, rather than a disease. is is the issue if the tomato looks normal, but there's a brown, leathery area on the boom. MONTANA TOMATOES Enjoy the Taste of Summer with Minimal Fuss Text and Photography by Amy Grisak

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