Ten Things About Tomatoes:Tips for Growing Tomatoes
Tomato Thing One: Two Types of Tomatoes
Determinate and Indeterminate
There
are two types of tomato plants. A tomato plant is either a
determinate plant or indeterminate plant. A determinate tomato grows to a
set height and stops growing. The fruits mature all at once and the
plant dies shortly after the fruits mature. This determinate type
of tomato is great for getting the first round of tomatoes from your
garden and they do well in containers. The indeterminate tomato
continues to grow and grow until frost. It sets fruit throughout the
season. Only frost or disease will stop an indeterminate tomato from
producing. Think of it this way, a determinate tomato grows to a predetermined size.
Tomato Thing Two: Plant Them Deep
It's a Vine
A
tomato is a vine. When you plant them, you want to plant them deep in
the ground. When you buy a tomato they should be 8 to 12 inches tall.
You should plant the tomato to at least a third or half of its height. If
the tomato is 12 inches tall then plant 4-6 inches of the plant
stem below ground. Why? Because a tomato is a vine that will set roots
from any part of the stem, if the stem is below the ground or on the
soil. A strong deep root system leads to a stronger plant.
Tomato Thing Three: Planting a Container?
Determinate Tomatoes
The
determinate tomato grows to a set height. This makes them the best bet
to survive in a pot or container. I recommend buying a very large
container (5 gallon). A smaller
container can work but you really have to keep an eye on watering. If
you let the plant dry out, it really messes up the fruit. The fruit will
crack. If you over water and then let it dry out and repeat, you will
probably see your tomatoes rot from the bottom. This is know as blossom
end rot. It is a calcium deficiency and occurs when the roots aren't
watered properly and therefore can't absorb nutrients properly. An
indeterminate tomato may just grow to large for containers.
Tomato Thing Four: Prune Your Plant
They Can't Fair Without Air
Indeterminate
tomatoes needs to have air circulating through and around the plant.
Poor air circulation leads to disease. As your tomato grows, you should
pinch off the leaves nearest to the ground. I try and keep 12 inches
between the ground and the the first leaves (sometimes more). Now you
can't do this all at once but as the plant grows taller, you should
prune the bottom leaves to about 12 inches from the ground. This will
allow air to circulate below the plant and make it harder for
disease/spores to splash up on the plant. You will also need to prune
back shoots/branches from the upper part of the plant. That sometimes
means taking off two or three foot pieces of your plant. Painful to do
but necessary. Air also needs to circulate through the plant. Air
circulation helps keep humid air from sitting around the plant and it
helps to dry the plant leaves after watering or a good rain.
Tomato Thing Five: Keep Them Off the Ground
Staking
Tomatoes
are vines. If you let them sprawl on the ground you will see them root
from the vine touches the ground. You will see additional
vines growing all over the place and end up with a mess. Sure you will
get tomatoes but you will also increase the chances of your tomatoes
getting diseases like blights. A 6-foot stake is the best way to train
your tomatoes to grow upwards and stay off the ground.
Tomato Thing Five: Fertilizing
Feeding Your Friends
You
know what happens if you over fertilize a tomato? You get a very happy
large green plant with less fruit. I fertilize when the plant is planted
and when the plant has been growing about 6-8 weeks. This is mid July
in my area. It isn't etched in stone but that is how I do it. A
table spoons of 10-10-10 fertilizer deep in the hole and one higher
in the hole when I plant. I typically give them a half of gallon to
gallon sprinkle of Miracle Grow in June to keep them happy. In
July I do a side dressing which is tossing some fertilizer on the
ground about 6 to 8 inches from the stem. I drop a handful. I also give
them a big drink of Miracle Grow. After that, fertilizing is done. You
just don't want to give them so much nitrogen you end up with a great
looking green tomato plant with a couple of tomatoes. Unless you are
eating the leaves. If you are container gardening then I recommend
feeding them weekly with miracle grow or the like when they are large.
Certainly replace my suggestions with organic products of you wish.
Tomato Thing Six: Early Doesn't Mean Sooner
Warm Weather Plants
Tomatoes
are warm weather plants. They need 50 degree nights and 70 degree days
to really start growing. But more importantly the soil temperature needs to be 50+ degrees. You don't need to put plants in early before
the temperatures are ready. Putting a tomato out April 10th doesn't mean
it will be bigger than a plant you put on on May 1st come the middle of
May. Sure, initially it might look bigger but once the heat hits,
tomatoes grow. If it is colder in April your plant is just going to sit
there in shiver mode and not really grow. The plant you plant May 1st
isn't really at a disadvantage. The bottom line is they will catch up to
each other and you don't get fruit any sooner. So wait for the right
temperature to plant. But once the temperatures comes, the first one to
get them in the ground wins.
Tomato Thing Seven: Water Evenly
Mulch Much Mulch
Two
thing can happen with poor watering habits. If your plant gets stressed
from too little water and then you soak it, it will develop cracked
fruit. If you continually let the ground dry and then over water the
plant and let it dry and over water, you'll increase the chances of
blossom end rot. Basically, you mess the root system up and the plant
can get a calcium deficiency and you end up with blossom end rot. Mulch
is your best friend. I use grass clippings. I put down two inches of
grass clippings and let it dry out. The next week I put down two more
inches and let the clipping dry up and turn brown. I continue this
throughout the summer. It is important to let grass clipping dry out
before adding more. If you don't, you run the risk of developing smelly
grass clippings which creates a bad smelling garden. Water regularly in
the morning. I tend to water my plant from the bottom, with a hose, as
to not soak the tomato plant leaves or splash mud up. I am always
battling blights and mildew. If that isn't a problem in your area, a
sprinkler is fine.
Tomato Thing Eight: Planting Location
Shading Other Plants
Tomatoes
get quite large. You want to make sure you plant them in the garden so
they don't grow up to shade out other plants. If you reach out both arms
to the side and pretend the length of your arms is your garden, you can
figure out where to plant the tomatoes. If the sun is mostly where your
left hand is then you need to plant the tomatoes way down by your right
hand. Get it? Sun mostly to the left of the garden will cause or cast shade to
the right side of the plants. Sun to the right of the garden will cause or cast
shade to the left side of plants. When in doubt go stand in your garden
plot around 2 pm. Pretend your a tomato plant and see which way your
shadow falls. I use raised beds and plant my tomatoes so the shade they
produce mostly falls outside the box.
Tomato Thing Nine: What the Tomato is VFF or VFTA?
Don't Worry About It
I
know that isn't a great answer but they stand for disease resistances.
If you don't run into tomato diseases then it doesn't really matter.
Unless of course they come up with a tomato that is resistant to late
blight. So far no luck. Most of us buy tomatoes from the garden shops
and they usually stock the standard varieties that have these
resistances. If you are buying seeds from catalogs the catalogs will
tell you what the letters stand for. Fusarium and verticillum wilts. See
it doesn't help.
Tomato Thing Ten: There Is Never Enough Room
Just One More
If
you love tomatoes then you'll agree there is just never enough room to
plant all the tomatoes you want. Even if you expand your garden year
after year, there seems to be a need for more space. There is always
that variety you haven't tried but it's right there within your reach at
your local nursery. You wonder if you could squeeze it in. You think
you could possibly negotiate another garden bed from your wife. You
ponder what you can trade her for a little more space. If you are like
me - you buy it and worry about the space later. Remember, 2 plants is
plenty of tomatoes for one adult. I can say it. I can write it but I
don't think I can come to terms with it. A family of four and a garden
of twenty plus plants last year... I know I can get in twenty this
year. Enjoy!
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