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Last Of The Summer Tomatoes At Red River Research Station

Courtesy: Chuck Smith

SUMMER TOMATOES-  If you haven’t had much luck with growing tomatoes in your home garden,  you may still have a chance to get some picture-perfect tomatoes from the Louisiana AgCenter’s Red River Research Station in South Bossier City. Since 1996, the facility has been growing greenhouse tomatoes as a research project to help commercial growers and home-gardeners learn about best-practices for growing super-huge  tomatoes in a controlled environment.  

I do research on different varieties…I have 1800 plants in three greenhouses” That’s Carrie Lott,  she’s been a research supervisor at the station 25 years… 

Credit Courtesy: Chuck Smith
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Courtesy: Chuck Smith
LSU-AgCenter's Red River Research Station in Bossier, La.

she explains the misconception that they grow hydroponics tomatoes.  “This is not considered hydroponic because I grow in a three-inch growing pot with soil-mix in ‘Perlite’ ( a water-retaining material ), which would be hydroponic if I didn’t use the soil.”

 The three greenhouses currently in operation put out a lot of tomatoes.

“From seed to bearing fruit for the spring crop it’s usually four months and each plant yields 25 pounds per plant, less in the fall.  

The LSU-AgCenter's Red River Research Station sells tomatoes on Tuesday and Friday mornings beginning at 7am  until they’re sold out for the day.  The station is on Hwy 71 South just inside the Bossier City Limits.

For more information: LSUAgCenter.com  (318) 741-7430

Tomatoes sold Tuesdays & Fridays Only.

Chuck Smith brings more than 30 years' broadcast and media experience to Red River Radio. He began his career as a radio news reporter and transitioned to television journalism and newsmagazine production. Chuck studied mass communications at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and motion picture / television production at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has also taught writing for television at York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina and video / film production at Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport.