Tomato Talk
As some of you know, I'm an heirloom tomato fanatic. Most of the varieties I grow can't be found at local nurseries, and some can't be found at any nursery. Therefore, a few years back I learned to raise them from seed. This sounds intimidating to those who have never tried it, but it's really not difficult. (If you're interested there is a handy tutorial here.)
Anyway, I tend to get a lot of questions from friends and relatives about which tomato varieties they should plant. So I thought I'd offer a few standard suggestions.
1. I like to recommend that people try both some standard hybrids and some heirlooms. That should give you some indication about the qualities of both. Heirlooms have a lot more variation in color, size, flavor, production, etc. But there are some that are perfectly suited for beginning garderners. Here are a few suggestions about varieties of each:
Hybrid: Big Beef, Early Girl, Rutgers, Better Boy (for cherry tomatoes Sweet Million and Sungold)
Heirloom: Cherokee Purple, Boxcar Willie, Brandywine OTV, Eva Purple Ball, Marianna's Peace (for cherry tomatoes Black Cherry, Green Grape, Isis Candy)
2. Almost everything about tomato growing is relative to the seasonal weather. This means a tomato variety you love one year might disappoint the next, or vise-versa. If you try something you heard was great and think it's terrible based on a single year's experience, you might not want to cross it off your list forever.
3. There is no standard answer to the question "How many tomato plants should I grow?" If you eat a lot of tomatoes, and like to have some to give away to friends - and especially if you can at the end of the season - the sky is the limit for a backyard garden. Just keep in mind, those tiny plants in May are going to be giants in September, so try to have at least three feet between plants. Also remember, tomatoes need lots of nutrients. You can grow them in the same garden bed every year, but you need to amend the soil each season.
4. Tomatoes love sunlight. The less sunlight they get, the fewer tomatoes they'll produce. Make sure the spot you select for them gets at least 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. More is even better. Also, it's the leaves that need the sunlight. A common misconception is that you need sun on the tomatoes themselves for them to ripen faster. The fruit will ripen just fine in the shade. Too much sun on the fruit can lead to a condition called sunscald (but don't worry too much about that, because other than being unsightly it doesn't harm the tomato).
5. Tomatoes can be grown in containers. I do this along with those in the garden every year. But the container should be at minimum 5 gallons (mine are 20 gallon containers). Also, do not use normal soil. It doesn't drain well enough. Use some kind of potting soil. Plan to fertilize and water container tomatoes more frequently than those in the ground.
Anyway, I tend to get a lot of questions from friends and relatives about which tomato varieties they should plant. So I thought I'd offer a few standard suggestions.
1. I like to recommend that people try both some standard hybrids and some heirlooms. That should give you some indication about the qualities of both. Heirlooms have a lot more variation in color, size, flavor, production, etc. But there are some that are perfectly suited for beginning garderners. Here are a few suggestions about varieties of each:
Hybrid: Big Beef, Early Girl, Rutgers, Better Boy (for cherry tomatoes Sweet Million and Sungold)
Heirloom: Cherokee Purple, Boxcar Willie, Brandywine OTV, Eva Purple Ball, Marianna's Peace (for cherry tomatoes Black Cherry, Green Grape, Isis Candy)
2. Almost everything about tomato growing is relative to the seasonal weather. This means a tomato variety you love one year might disappoint the next, or vise-versa. If you try something you heard was great and think it's terrible based on a single year's experience, you might not want to cross it off your list forever.
3. There is no standard answer to the question "How many tomato plants should I grow?" If you eat a lot of tomatoes, and like to have some to give away to friends - and especially if you can at the end of the season - the sky is the limit for a backyard garden. Just keep in mind, those tiny plants in May are going to be giants in September, so try to have at least three feet between plants. Also remember, tomatoes need lots of nutrients. You can grow them in the same garden bed every year, but you need to amend the soil each season.
4. Tomatoes love sunlight. The less sunlight they get, the fewer tomatoes they'll produce. Make sure the spot you select for them gets at least 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. More is even better. Also, it's the leaves that need the sunlight. A common misconception is that you need sun on the tomatoes themselves for them to ripen faster. The fruit will ripen just fine in the shade. Too much sun on the fruit can lead to a condition called sunscald (but don't worry too much about that, because other than being unsightly it doesn't harm the tomato).
5. Tomatoes can be grown in containers. I do this along with those in the garden every year. But the container should be at minimum 5 gallons (mine are 20 gallon containers). Also, do not use normal soil. It doesn't drain well enough. Use some kind of potting soil. Plan to fertilize and water container tomatoes more frequently than those in the ground.
Posted by Doug on
Wednesday May 11, 2005 at 12:37pm
