Yes! You can grow tomatoes in the desert

Growing tomatoes in the desert are worth the effort!  They do take a lot of TLC, but it the end results are very gratifying.

The most important thing to keep in mind, aside from good soil, is the variety.  Many species sold in nurseries do not do well in the desert.  I have had excellent success with Early Girl, Celebrity and Heatwave (for slicing tomatoes) and Viva and Roma (for paste tomatoes).  Cherry and grape tomatoes also do well here, as do yellow tomatoes.  Be sure the varieties are disease resistant (against verticillium wilt and fusarium wilt) which will be identified on the plant tag or seed packet.  These are viral soil diseases that affect mainly tomatoes.

I prefer to start my plants from seeds since my plot is quite large.  A smaller plot with room for only a dozen or so plants would not be too expensive if you bought 6 packs or 4” pots.

You aren’t the only one that will enjoy tomatoes-birds think they are just great too, so unless you have a completely caged in enclosure, you will need to cover the plants securely with bird netting.  Birds are pretty tenacious, so make sure the bottom of the netting is secured with rocks, metal pins, or in my case, metal T-posts.  Birds will check the edges regularly, so you will need to as well.

Tomatoes also prefer afternoon shade.  If your garden plot is in full sun, then you will need to provide shade by building a structure to hold shade cloth (minimum 30%) over the plants.  I use my tomato cages to support the shade cloth (placed over bird netting, of course).  Be sure to stake the cages with rebar and wire so they don’t blow over.

Soil diseases are a big problem for tomatoes, but fortunately there are few pests.  The one that will cause you the most trouble is the tomato hornworm.  Once you see one of these, you will do anything to never see another.  They can get quite large if you let them, growing to several inches long and over 1/2” wide.  They are green with ‘horns’ and blend in perfectly with the green leaves of the plants.  You will recognize their damage immediately.  Seemingly overnight there will be leaves missing on the tops of the plants, and tiny brown droppings on the lower leaves.  You can hand pick them, but I prefer to use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a non-toxic bioinsecticide the USDA has designated safe for use on organic produce.

Make sure you don’t plant your seedlings too close together, or you will have fruit that won’t ripen.  One side will be forever green while the other side turns red.  Be prepared for some varieties to get 4’ tall and 3’ wide, especially Roma, Viva, Celebrity and cherry tomatoes.  Allow at least 3’ or more between these varieties.