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Tomatoes in Your Garden
by Arleen M. Kaptur
Description: Tips for growing perfect tomatoes.
Not having at least one tomato plant in your garden is
like a day without sunshine. The choices are
unbelievable, but taste - it can't be beat. Warm, fresh
off the vine, washed in cool water and sliced -
whether on a hamburger, a sandwich or in a salad, a
tomato adds that "something special" to a meal. A
vine-ripened tomato is not only good tasting, but to
see those red globes on a plant that you started from
seed or from a tiny purchased plant, is satisfying all
by itself.
There is an on-going debate between gardeners as
whether to stake or not to, whether to prune or not
to, or let nature decide. Regardless of where you stand
on these issues, you will produce tomatoes. Staking has
the advantage of using less space, it is easier to pick
your harvest, and the fruit will be much cleaner and
have a lot less bruises. Your choice - either way they
are well-worth the time and effort.
If you buy your plants, don't choose one with fruit
already on it. You might think that this will bring you
to harvest that much faster. The truth is that an older
plant will be "shocked" a lot more than a younger
plantling when they are transplanted in your garden.
In choosing your plant, let your excitement get the
better of you. There are literally thousands of
varieties, shapes, and colors. Try new ones, or keep
the old stand-bys. Experiment and you might be
delightfully surprised. A tomato is basically a very
simple plant to grow. It does not need a lot of
attention and seems to get along by itself when left
alone for periods.
What is a perfect tomato? Here too opinions vary
but most gardeners do conclude that it should be
solid, red, and weigh between 12-14 ozs. It is not
cracked and it has no blemishes. Hybrids seem to
produce the best in this category and are more
disease-resistant.
The soil tomato plants are placed in should be well
aerated, clumpy and loose. The health of your tomato
plant is very dependent on root health and growth.
The harder it is for the roots to push through, the
more difficult your plant will find it to grow. They need
water, and more water. Use peat moss, compost, or
manure as the main food for your plants.
What about insects? An occasional spraying with a mild
soap solution takes care of a lot of these unwanted
guests. Check your plants and catch any infestation
early and if you deal with it immediately, you will have
very healthy plants.
When you water your tomato plants, aim the flow of the
water at the ground, not the plant. The best time to
water is in the early morning, especially if the day's
temperatures will be on the high side.
Enjoy growing tomatoes, experiment with varieties, but
most importantly, enjoy the taste of just-off-the-vine
flavor. Summertime and tomatoes were a match made
in heaven - ENJOY!
Reprinted with permission.
