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Member since:11.12.2005
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Tomatoes are one of the easiest of the vegetables to grow at home fom seed and they are most certainly one of my favourites. In our country, they are grown as annuals, and if grown in the tropics, then they are grown as short lived perennials. Indeterminate types of tomatoes (mid-size, non bushy) has a very long trailing main stem, which may grow to as long as 8 feet and has vigorous side shoots. The shorter (semi-determinate) and bush (determinate) types of tomato stop growing much sooner than other indeterminate types of tomatoe, and the stems on these end in a truss of fruits.
You can also obtain some dwarf varieties, which will only grow to approx 9 inches wide and the same tall. From the many different types of tomatoes that are available, you can select for different colours. Tomatoes come in yellow, red, pink, orange or white. They are also available in a range of shapes from flat to round, and plum shaped to pear shaped. Currant tomatoes grow up to 1cm in diameter, cherry tomatoes can grow up to 2.5 cm in diameter ranging all the way up to the ribbed Marmande and giant beefsteak types, which can grow as large as 10 cm in diameter.
All tomatoes may be eaten either raw, or cooked.
The ideal growing temperature for tomatoes is in the range 21-24 degrees celsius. They will not grow very well in temperatures of less than 16 degrees or over 27 degrees and they will certainly
not tolerate frost at all. Tomatoes need a high light intensity to ripen properly, and for this reason, in cooler climates such as ours, they are best grown in a very sheltered site or under cover. A greenhouse is ideal, provided it is well ventilated. Tomatoes can also be grown in containers outdoors. The ideal PH level for growing tomatoes is between 5.5 and 7, meaning that they will suit almost any soil type. For acid soils however, I would recommend that you put some lime down to bring down the acidity before growing tomatoes.
The site where you want to grow your tomatoes should be well prepared beforehand. You should dig in plenty of well rotted manure and compost to at least 1 foot deep. Tomatoes have deep roots and this will help them develop very strong plants. If necessary you could put a layer of fertiliser down before you plant your tomatoes, bear in mind though, that tomatoes will not tolerate high nitrogen levels, so choose a fertiliser with a high phosphorus level.
If you live in a warm area, you can sow the seed directly into the ground where you wish the plants to fruit in the spring, remember, you can always dig them up when young and transplant them elsewhere if necessary. In a cool climate like our own, I recommend that you sow the seeds in pots or trays roughly eight weeks before the last frost. These should then be placed on a warm windowsill or in the greenhouse where they will germinate. Once the plants have developed two or three sets of leaves, you should transplant them into 6 centimetre pots and give them plenty of room to grow with plenty of ventilation. Do not worry about the temperature dropping too low at night provided they are under cover, as tomatoes will recover provided daytime temperatures reach sufficient level as to compensate.
These pots of tomatoes can be planted outside into the ground once nighttime temperatures are above 7 degrees celsius or the soil temperature is at least 10 degrees. Before you plant them out however, ensure that you harden them off by leaving them outside during the day, and bring them in at night for a couple of weeks beforehand. The best time to transplant the tomatoes outside that I have found is when you can see flowers on the lowest truss.
Dependent on which type of tomatoes you are growing, will depend on the most suitable growing method to use. If you are growing tomatoes as cordons, you should allow 18 inches between plants and at least 1 metre between rows. If you are growing a bush type tomato, then you should leave spacing of between 30 and 90 cm dependent on the variety you have chosen (look at the label!). For dwarf type tomatoes, you will get away with planting them much closer together as they do not grow so large.
The one thing that a lot of people don't realise with tomato plants is how much water they need. Once the soil is warm, watering will be required every single day. To put this in perspective, each plant will require about 11 litres of water per week! If you are growing your plants in containers, then of course you will need to water much more frequently as they will dry out much much quicker. Plants in containers, will also need to be fed much more frequently as the compost in the container is not capable of holding much feed for long.
As cordons grow, you should train them up canes and tie them periodically so that they don't fall over. If you want to, you could remove all the sideshoots as they appear. Doing this will result in fewer tomatoes, but they will be much larger and of a higher quality. Once the plants reach the tops of their canes in late summer, pinch out the growing tip, to encourage the plant to put its energy into ripening the fruits. If it is really cold at the end of the summer, you can remove the canes and gently lay the plants down on their side and cover with plastic. This will speed up the ripening process and protect the plants.
There are a vast arrangement of bugs and diseases which can affect tomato plants, and you should look out for these and take action where appropriate. They include:
Seedlings damping off (rotting) Leafhoppers Potato Cyst Eelworms Tomato Blight
All the above will primarily affect plants that are grown outdoors. The list below indicates some of the pests which are likely to affect the plants that you have growing indoors:
If you know that your area is prone to a certain disease, you should use disease resistant varieties wherever possible to ensure that you keep a healthy crop.
Some examples of the varieties of tomato available....
Cordon Types: Dombito (beefsteak) Gardener's Delight (cherry) Golden Sunrise (yellow)
Bush Types: Ida Gold Pixie Plumito
Just a little tip....... If you plant French marigolds nearby, they will keep away whitefly and blackfly!
When the fruit ripens, tomatoes should be picked immediately, you will be able to harvest bush tomatoes earlier than the larger types grown as cordons. Typically bush tomatoes will be ready to pick at around seven or eight weeks from planting, and the larger varieties will take typically ten to twelve weeks.
If you do find that you have too many tomatoes.... give them away....or....
Bung them in the freezer. They freeze very well.
Thanks for reading.
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Advantages: Wonderful smell, taste and goes perfectly with tomatoes for a divine salad sensation! Disadvantages: It's an annual that likes a but of sun. And I live in The Dark North!!!
phoenixgreen 26.05.2007 (25.05.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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