David Freed spent most of his adult life in the restaurant business, but when he sold the 8th Street Grill — his University Park coffee shop — in 2007, he discovered there were plenty of other things to do with his time.
Such as unlocking the secrets to growing tons of tasty tomatoes.
In the fall he goes fishing in the Northwest or along the Mississippi. During the holidays he spends time with his four children and 10 grandchildren. And January through June, he becomes Dave the Tomato Guy, spreading his personal gospel to garden groups around Southern California.
“I wake up every day and do whatever I feel like doing,” said Freed. “I don’t lead an extravagant lifestyle, and I don’t need tons of money. It just makes me happy this time of year to tell people how to easily grow tomatoes.”
All Freed’s advice is home-tested and posted on his Grow Tomatoes Easily blog at growtomatoeseasily.blogspot.com. All he asks is that people follow his instructions.
“You can do it your way if you want,” he said, “and be known as a bonsai tomato person, growing tiny plants with tiny tomatoes, But if you want a lot of tomatoes, follow the suggestions I give you.”
ENSURE YOUR PLANTS GET SUN: In Freed’s experience, cherry tomatoes need at least four hours of full sun a day, and bigger tomatoes need six to eight.
“If you have at least six hours a day, you’ll be fine because you’re going to have a very ideal growing environment for those tomatoes,”
PICK HIGH-YIELD VARIETIES: Don’t be seduced by cool names or exotic colors. Many varieties taste delicious but only produce a few tomatoes per plant, Freed said. He prefers indeterminate varieties that grow like vines (requiring sturdy support cages) and includes a long list of good flavorful producers on his blog. Two of his top recommendations are heirloom varieties, ‘Brandywine’ and ‘Cherokee Purple,’ but he also includes several hybrids, including his favorites: ‘Better Boy’ and ‘Big Beef.’
USE POTTING SOIL, EVEN IN THE GARDEN: Freed plants in 15- to 20-gallon containers and in the ground, but either way he always uses a potting soil that lists sphagnum peat moss or peat moss as its first ingredient. For in-ground planting, dig a hole that’s 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide, discard the native dirt and fill the hole with your potting soil, which is designed to retain moisture, he said.
“Most people do a lousy job with their soil, so this is probably the biggest improvement you can make to your soil this year.”
FEED WITH LIQUID FERTILIZERS, NOT DRY: Plants take up liquid fertilizers more quickly than dry, according to Freed, so you’ll see results quickly. Choose a liquid fertilizer for vegetables balanced with equal parts of NPK — nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K), “and always follow the directions on the package.”
