Tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicum
A Basic Growing Guide
Description
Tomatoes are one of the most popular foods for home gardeners, and for good reason. No store-bought tomato can compare to the taste of a perfectly ripe fruit, picked and eaten within the hour. They come in literally thousands of varieties, ranging from bite-sized to heavy 2 lb whoppers. Colors of pale yellow to deep purple create a rainbow of flavor in the garden, and tomatoes are rich in vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidants like lycopene, making them a valuable addition to your diet. We consider growing tomatoes to be an intermediate garden skill as they require physical supports, some pruning, and are more susceptible to various pests and diseases than more “easy” plants like lettuce. Beginners can often find great success with cherry varieties.
Most Common Varieties
Cherry Tomato -- Small and sweet, perfect for salads. We like “Sun Gold,” “Black Cherry,” and “Super Sweet 100.”
Beefsteak Tomato -- Large and meaty, great for sandwiches.
Roma Tomato -- A plum variety, ideal for sauces and pastes. “San Marzano” is all the rage. Although the only authentic San Marzano tomatoes are actually grown in San Marzano, Italy, growing this variety in your our garden will give you a rich-tasting, easy-peel tomato perfect for pastes.
Heirloom Tomato -- Comes in various shapes and colors, known for unique flavors. We like “Cherokee Purple” which is a medium to large size tomato with a dusky purple hue. We love “Carbon” tomatoes which are large and dark with an almost tie-dye green/red/purple effect on the top of the fruit.
Tomatoes Through The Season
Planting Instructions
When
Plant in late April to early May, after the last frost.
Seed/Transplant
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost and plant transplants outside after the last frost.
Depth
Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep. If transplanting, you will help the tomato plant grow strong roots by planting deeply. Tomatoes can actually grow roots out of their stems. Remove all but the upper leaves of the plant and bury the leafless stem. This is most beneficial for younger tomato plants whose stems haven’t grown past the thickness of a pencil.
Spacing
Space plants 12-30 inches apart to allow for adequate air circulation and growth.
Growth Habit
Indeterminate varieties grow continuously (up to 10 feet!) and produce fruit throughout the season. Indeterminate tomatoes love to climb a trellis or obelisk. Determinate varieties grow to a set size and produce all their fruit at once. Determinate tomatoes don’t need a trellis, because they won’t keep getting bigger and bigger, but they still need some support like a tomato cage or garden obelisk. Check the label of the seed packet or plant to check whether your tomato is determinate or indeterminate.
Tending
Watering
Water deeply and consistently, providing about 1-2 inches per week, preferably in the morning.
Common Pests and Treatments
Aphids
Treat with neem oil or insecticidal soap, or spray them off with water. Ladybugs are natural predators, so planting other plants that will draw them in or buying ladybugs from a local garden store can help.
Tomato Hornworm
You often spot their large blobs or round green poops before you see the well-camouflaged worms. Remove by hand or use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
Whiteflies
Use yellow sticky traps and neem oil.
Common Diseases and How to Treat
Blossom End Rot: Appears like a dark sunken spot on the bottom of the fruit. Usually caused by inconsistent watering, sometimes caused by a calcium deficiency. Water consistently and deeply with a drip system or slow trickle from the hose. If it doesn’t improve, add calcium to the soil.
Early Blight: Shows up on leaves as brown spots. The area surrounding the spot eventually turns yellow to brown and the leaves defoliate. It spreads in warm, humid conditions. Remove leaf debris from the soil and remove affected leaves from the plant. Apply copper fungicide.
Powdery Mildew: White, powdery fungal growth on leaves and stems, common in warm, dry conditions. Use sulfur-based fungicides and improve air circulation.
Feeding/Fertilizing
Fertilize every 2-3 weeks with a balanced organic fertilizer, such as GardenTone or TomatoTone.
Pruning
Regularly prune suckers (the shoots that develop between the main stem and branches) on indeterminate varieties to improve airflow and fruit production.
Harvesting
When
Harvest when tomatoes are fully colored and slightly soft to the touch. If you are having issues with birds or squirrels stealing fruit, you can harvest tomatoes when they are 50% colored and let them continue to ripen inside at room temperature.
How
Gently twist and pull the fruit from the vine or use pruning shears to cut them off.
Then What?
Indeterminate plants will continue to produce fruit until frost, while determinate plants may be removed after their main harvest. Remove any overripe or damaged fruit promptly to prevent disease spread.
