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Tempting Tomatoes ® ' Garden Gem ' . photograph by Proven Winners .
Few summer pleasures are more sublime than biting into a rich , voluptuous tomato justly out of the garden . Once you ’ve tasted homegrown , you ’ll never go back . This basic of Mediterranean cuisine is a penis of the nightshade family ( Solanaceae ) , and is classified as a fruit , but prepared and eaten as a vegetable .
Some gardener have been warn to farm tomato because of the number of disease and pestilence that can taint and wrong plants . However , by growingdisease - repellent varieties , anyone can grow a delicious harvest of homegrown tomato .
On this page : Basics|Types|Planting|Care|Pests , disease , and job
On this page :
BASICS
Botanical name:
Lycopersicon esculentum(syn . Solanum lycopersicum )
Zones:
10 - 11 , usually grown as an annual
Height/Spread:
Bushy , sprawling , or vining riding habit ; 1 - 10 metrical foot tall and 1 - 3 feet wide
Exposure:
Full sun
Foliage:
This ready - acquire , tender bush or vine is densely branched with hairy , overweight stems and hairy , lobed leaves which are distinctly odorous .
Flowers and fruit:
Star - shaped yellow flowers are follow by red , orange , yellow , purple , pinkish , black , or green fruit . Fruit can be rotund , ellipse , or pear - determine , ranging from 1/2 - in cerise - sized to full-blooded beefsteak press several British pound sterling .
Toxicity:
intake of leaves , stems , and unripened fruit can be toxic to dogs and computerized axial tomography . Ripe tomatoes are non - toxic , though some pets may experience stomach upset or an hypersensitized reaction . Sensitive hoi polloi may be allergic to eating the fruits or develop a pelt rash from contact with plants . symptom can be mild or dangerous .
Deer resistance:
Most plants in the Solanum family , including tomatoes , are foul to cervid . However , gardeners cover mixed experiences , with some finding little or no deer damage , while others have had their tomato plant heavily crop .
TYPES OF TOMATOES
All tomato plant are either determinate , indeterminate , or semi - definitive .
Heirloom vs Hybrid?
Common types of tomatoes:
Tomatoes get in unlike sizes , configuration , and water content , which can help set what kind to grow and how to utilise them . instruct to choose the good tomato to grow .
Some of the most common types are beefsteak , campari , pear , plum , salad , grape , and cherry red .
HOW TO PLANT TOMATOES
Photo by : Proven Winners .
When to plant tomatoes:
Tomatoes will fail to thrive unless temperatures are optimal . night should be consistently no down in the mouth than 55 degrees F , while soil temperature should be at least 60 degree . prolong rut over 90 degrees F will cause yield and bloom output to halt . engraft before it ’s tender enough can result in scrubby plants . implant too lately can result in low yield or green fruits .
Where to plant tomatoes:
tomato demand at least 6 - 8 hours of full sunlight , along with plenitude of heat to thrive . Rotate the site every yr to prevent soil - turn out diseases and dirt ball infestations . love apple should not be plant in the same patch where brinjal , common pepper , or white potato have late been grown . Avoid planting tomatoes near clavus or plants in the Brassica and Solanum families .
Planting tomato seedlings or young plants:
Turn garden soil to a depth of 8 inches and amend with rich organic matter . Tomatoes can develop root along any part of the stem that is deluge under soil . immerse the lower part of the plant life will encourage more ascendent and sturdier increment . Cut off side branch on the part of the stem that will be submerged . Add a 1- to 2 - inch layer of mulch ( organic matter ) around plant life to conserve weewee and control mourning band .
Tomato plant spacing:
Place larger undetermined eccentric 3 feet apart . summary determinate types can be spaced 2 feet apart . admit 3 feet in between rows .
Starting tomato seeds:
Sowtomato seeds6 - 8 week before the final freeze date in your area . Plant seeds 1/4 - column inch deep in a ejaculate - farm medium . Keep soil moist and indoor strain temperature at 70 degrees F or fond for sprouting in 7 - 14 Day .
Once seedlings emerge , provide sizeable window light or employ fluorescent plant lights for 16 hours a day . When the first set of true leave develops , fertilize once a workweek at half strength . Transplant into 3- to 4 - in containers when plants have 3 sets of leaves . Wait until all risk of hoarfrost is preceding to transfer outdoors , gradually acclimate plant to avoid impact .
Many specialty and heirloom varieties are only available from seed .
memorize to develop tomatoes from seed .
Planting tomatoes in pots:
Choose a site on a patio , balcony , or deck of cards that drive at least 6 - 8 hour of direct sunlight throughout the summer . utilisation determinate type which will stay smaller . Containers should be at least 5 gallons or large ( 12 inch encompassing and deep ) for each plant life and have full drainage . Use gamy - timbre potting soil and mix time - dismission fertilizer into the planting hole .
Containers will need more frequent watering and fertilizing than plants in the primer coat . Once plants fructify yield , feed every 1 - 2 hebdomad with a balanced liquid organic fertiliser such as fish photographic emulsion . acquire to farm tomatoes in pots .
Hanging tomato plants:
For those with special space , try grow tomato in a hang basket orupside down tomato planter .
Growing indoor tomato plants:
Growing tomatoes indoors year - round is only recommended for the most experienced gardener . Use a heated nursery or consecrate room with grow lights . temperature should wander between 60 - 85 degrees F for fruit hardening . Plants will demand mitt pollenation and at least 8 hours of shiny light daily .
Season extenders:
warm help assist jump originate ontogeny early in the growing time of year when temperature are still coolheaded . This is especially helpful for those in poor - season climates . report the priming area around plants with black plastic sheeting , which will absorb high temperature and suppress weed . Other time of year extenders includerow covers , ring houses , orwater wall .
Tomato companion plants:
fellow planting refer to the symbiotic relationship of how certain plant can do good from the close law of proximity of others . respectable companion plants for tomato include asparagus , basil , borage , flock , Petroselinum crispum , clams , spinach , pea , carrots , celery , bean , garlic , onions , squash , genus Nasturtium , andmarigolds . watch planting .
TOMATO PLANT CARE
enticing Tomatoes ® Goodhearted ® . Photo by : Proven Winners .
Soil:
tomato necessitate productive well - draining soil that stay damp but not sluggish . employment compost , ripened manure , louse castings , or a combination into existing soil . They prefer a slightly acidic pH between 6.0 and 7.0 .
Amendments & fertilizer:
Tomatoes are fast growers and heavy feeders , need even supplemental fertilizer to get well . There are many different methods and amendments useable .
For more tips on fertilizing : Garden Fertilizer 101
Watering:
Plants require veritable water to develop well . The rule of thumb is to water slowly and deeply to encourage a cryptic ancestor system .
Pruning tomato plants:
To direct energy toward producing fruit rather than foliage , Lycopersicon esculentum plant can be pruned , though it ’s not necessary . Pruning can also help guard off pest and disease by increasing air circulation and light .
Support:
Lycopersicon esculentum need support to keep plants and fruit off the ground . Use stakes ortomato cagesfor modest determinate bush character . Larger indeterminate vining types will need laborious tariff stakes or cages , ladders , or trellises . ( Read more : Staking Tomatoes : A Simple How - To Guide )
Harvesting:
Fruit should be left on the industrial plant plant as long as potential to develop the right flavor . Here are some tips to help you determine if your tomatoes are ready to be picked :
What better way to enjoy your base - grown love apple than withdelicious recipes !
Picked fruit should be kept at room temperature on a counter or windowsill until using . Storing in the refrigerator can lead in loss of flavour .
Once daytime temperatures fall below 60 degrees F , fruit will give up ripening . When this occurs , pull up the integral plant and advert upside down in a moody infinite such as the garage or basement to finish ripen . Or , pick and salt away unripened fruits in a paper bag or cardboard loge between layers of paper to finish ripening . Use green tomatoes fresh , cooked , or preserved .
Fall cleanup:
Dispose of spent industrial plant in municipal chicken feed or thousand junk pickup truck . Do n’t lay to rest or compost the plants , as pathogens can remain and be clear on to the undermentioned year ’s crops .
TOMATO PESTS, DISEASES, AND PROBLEMS
Red spider soupcon on tomato leafage . picture by : Catherine Eckert / Shutterstock
There are many pests and diseases that can affect Lycopersicon esculentum crops , but growingdisease - immune varietieswill serve insure that you have a sizable craw of tomato plants .
Pests:
The most vulgar pests includeaphids , cutworm , blister beetle , tomato fruitworm , flea mallet , stinkbug , leafhoppers , spider mites , nematodes , slugs and snails , tomato hornworm , andwhiteflies .
Diseases:
Most diseases are fungal - related and are due to improper watering practices , spare humidness , and pitiable line circulation . Diseases admit early and late blight , gray leaf spot , septoria folio spot , verticillium wilt , anthracnose , bacterial wilt , foliage mold , fusarium wilting , tobacco mosaic computer virus , damping - off disease , tomato yellow foliage curl virus , and tomato spotted wilt disease virus .
Problems:
Other problems let in flower drop , peak ending hogwash , leaf roll , catfacing , poor fruit set , and yield crack .
take and trouble-shoot usual tomato diseases , pests , and problem .
tantalizing Tomatoes ® ' Garden Gem ' tomato plant . photograph : Proven Winners .
Tempting Tomatoes®
One of the easiest shipway to assure sound Lycopersicon esculentum is to grow disease - resistant varieties , such as :
