Garden Plot

Tomatoes

In this month’s garden plot we will explore the wonderful world of tomatoes. Tomatoes are one of the most commonly eaten foods in the world and although referred to by many in the culinary world as a vegetable, it is in fact a fruit.

There are a number of varieties of tomatoes available for home gardeners. Following is a description of the most commonly-known to use as a guide while preparing your vegetable garden plot.

Tomato varieties are roughly divided into several categories, based mostly on shape and size.

Slicing or globe are the usual tomatoes of commerce, used for a wide variety of processing and fresh eating.

Beefsteaks are large tomatoes often used for sandwiches and similar applications. Their kidney-bean shape, thinner skin, and shorter shelf life make commercial use impractical.

Ox heart can range in size up to beefsteaks, and are shaped like large strawberries.

Plum or paste, including pear tomatoes, are bred with a higher solids content for use in tomato sauce and paste, and are usually oblong.

Pear are obviously pear-shaped, and are based upon the San Marzano types for a richer gourmet paste.

Cherry tomatoes are small and round and sweet and are generally eaten whole in salads.

Grape, a more recent introduction, are smaller and oblong; a variation on plum tomatoes and are used in salads.

Campari are also sweet and noted for their juiciness, low acidity, and lack of mealiness. They are bigger than cherry tomatoes, but are smaller than plum tomatoes.

Heirlooms are classified as original which means they have not been hybridized or changed to resist disease and tend to be more rustic in appearance and shape. They come in a variety of sizes and color and are by far my favorite.

Growing Tips:

  1. Tomatoes are best grown as transplants as opposed to planting seeds directly into the ground.
  2. Tomatoes grow well with seven hours of sunlight a day. A fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 5-10-10 is often sold as tomato fertilizer or vegetable fertilizer, although manure and compost are also used.
  3. Tomatoes grow well when they are well-watered. For this reason, be sure to stake or keep the vines off the ground to avoid rot and crawling insects.
  4. Dust tomato plants with hard- wood ashes from the fireplace to add natural fertilizer and to repel insects. A light dusting is all you will need. Note — Commercially treated wood ashes, such as firewood that can be purchased in bundles from grocery stores, should be avoided as the chemicals used to treat the wood will contaminate your garden.
  5. Once vines begin to grow, pinch back top leaves to encourage a fuller vine and to increase the tomato crop.

Reference — Wikipedia