Growing your own Tomatoes
There are different types of tomatoes and the best way to organize the many varieties is through the following categories: Plum Tomatoes, Salad Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, and Beef Steak Tomatoes. There are several tomatoes that fall into each category.
Plum Tomatoes: These are the best canning tomatoes because they have less pulp and the skin on the plum tomatoes are thick so they will hold their shape longer than the other tomatoes. Some varieties of Plum Tomatoes include Amish and Roma.
Salad Tomatoes: These tomatoes do not hold up as well when cooked so that is why they are preferred in salads. They have more pulp too. Some varieties under the Salad Tomatoes variety include Cherokee Purple, Early Girl, Heatmaster, Mr. Stripey, Tigrella, and Zobra.
Cherry Tomatoes: These are small red tomatoes that you can use in salads or just to eat right off the vine. Some varieties under the Cherry Tomatoes include Green Grape, Tommy Toe, Yellow Pear, Spoon Tomato, Sun Gold, Tumbler F1, and Gardeners Delight
Beef Steak Tomatoes: This is another type of canning tomato because it too has a thick skin and has less pulp. Some varieties under the Beef Steak variety include: Brandywine, Giant Belgium, Mortgage Lifter, Pineapple, St. Pierre, Big Rainbow, Evergreen F1, Marvel Striped, and Yellow Brandywine.
An heirloom variety is one that has been around for quite some time. They can be reproduced from their own seeds to preserve the variety every year.
Starting Tomato Plants from Seeds
If you plan on raising your own plants you will want to start your seeds about 6 weeks before you plan to put them out. Starting seeds can be done by purchasing a growing kit at the store or buying potting soil and Styrofoam cups. The directions are provided if you are using a growing kit. If you are growing seeds using cups and potting soil there are a few things you want to remember. Before adding potting soil, poke a small hole in the bottom of your cup for drainage. Fill the cup up ¾ of the way with potting soil. Plant 3 seeds per cup. They need to be planted in three’s in order to help them grow. Cover the seeds up with soil and water them. Growing seeds need about 12 hours or more of sunlight to help them grow. Keep the soil moist but not excessively wet.
Plants grow healthier and are more productive when you use fertilizer. You can find several homemade fertilizer recipes online or you can create your own. Coffee grounds are one important and natural ingredient to help your plants grow healthier. Your plants can receive a slow dose of nitrogen by spreading coffee grounds on top of the soil. If you add water it will go to work sooner.
There are several commercial fertilizers available in any plant store. Following the directions on the package is very important. Too much fertilizer can actually burn the plant and kill it. Using the fertilizer as directed will result in productive plants that will yield a wonderful harvest.
Keeping the Insects off Tomato Plants
Have you ever smelled a tomato plant? It has a peculiar smell and that is its own natural way to ward off insects. But sometimes this does not stop certain bugs and you need to act fast before they destroy the plant. It doesn’t matter if you are growing your tomatoes in containers or in a garden in the yard bugs always seem to find their way to your tomato plant. Most insects should be picked off or sprayed off with water but if they keep finding their way back on the tomato plant and start eating the leaves you want to control them by purchasing organic insect repellent. The organic insect repellent is not harmful to you, your pets, or the environment. You can use it for the duration of the growth of the plant.
Remember as the tomatoes grow they tend to rot on the bottom because they are close to the ground and they don’t get enough sun. The best times to pick the tomatoes are when the skin looks smooth and somewhat shiny like it has a layer of wax on it. Sometimes the top of the tomato may not look ripe but that is how some of the tomatoes, especially the heirloom tomatoes, ripen.
If you have several tomato plants you soon learn that there is more than you can eat. What do you do with all the extra tomatoes? You don’t have to let it go to waste. There are several things you can do to them to preserve them so you can use them all year around. You can freeze them, can them, or dehydrate them. Canned tomatoes can be stored for up to one year as long as they were canned properly. Freezing the tomatoes is easy to do and you can enjoy them anytime during the year. Dehydrating occurs when food is cooked at a low steady temperature for a certain amount of time. This process stops the spoiling process and preserves the food without refrigerating or canning.
Tomatoes are probably the most common plant you will see in gardens everywhere. If you don’t have a garden then you may want to consider making yourself one by using a large container on your porch or balcony.
Thank you to Jennifer Frye for this "Tomato Gardening" article.
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