Growing Tomatoes

May 6, 2009

Hello from Texas! Tomatoes are the #1 vegetable grown at home by American families. Surely you have tasted home grown tomatoes! What a treat! I can't wait! My tomato plants are blooming, so tomatoes can't be too far behind. If you have just a patch of sunshine, you can grow tomatoes, even if you don't have a garden plot or yard. Many tomato plants are happy in a pot or even a bucket. They just need sun, water and dirt. A bag of potting soil will be enough. You might consider getting a Patio tomato, a Red Cherry tomato or a Sweet 100 tomato, all small bite-size varieties. These are often grown in pots. Make sure your pot has a hole for drainage. Pull off the lowest branches of your tomato plant, and then plant it deeper than those branches were. More roots will grow where the branches were, making a stronger plant. Put your potted tomato on your porch or balcony with the most sunshine available. As your plant grows it will need some kind of support to keep it standing up on the job. You can use one of those wire cages if you want to, or you can tie it to a stick or balcony railing as it grows. If you plant a tomato in a pot, it will need water nearly every day when it gets hot outside. In a garden it is not quite so needy, although to produce good tomatoes, they need plenty of water. What could be more satisfying than a fresh hand picked tomato that you grew yourself?

If you are going to put tomatoes in a garden, may I offer a few more tips. When choosing the variety, I like to have several different ones. In Texas the large tomatoes don't perform too well in our heat. You will have a better crop if you choose medium and small varieties.

Some varieties that I planted are Super Fantastic, Porter Pride, and Early Girl (supposed to be faster tomatoes for the impatient like me). Those are all medium sized tomatoes. I also planted several bushes of Sweet 100 and Red Cherry tomatoes, bite size varieties. My little granddaughters like to eat them right off the bush. I have to keep them washed off when I water. Sometimes they will wash them in the swimming pool! Sometimes not. The picture above shows how the tomato plants looked when I first planted them. Be sure to ask around where you live. Different varieties do better in other areas.

Buying transplants at your fav garden store is the easiest way to start tomatoes. It is also possible to grow them from seed or cuttings, but I would recommend nursery plants. It is best to mix in a good amount of compost in either sand or clay soils. This gives the plants plenty of fresh nutrition, and gives the soil a looser texture. Plant the transplants like I explained for a pot, taking off the lower branches, and plant them deep. As the plants get larger you will see little yellow blooms. That is a sign that all is well. Little yellow blooms turn to little green balls that get bigger and turn to orange, then to red. And then you have tomatoes !

Fertilizing may be necessary later on in the season after the tomatoes start to grow in pots or your garden. You will learn when your plants are looking tired and hungry. And keep the water coming. Don't let the plants wilt from lack of water. The tomatoes will not be as big if you do. I would recommend planting marigolds, basil, onion, chive or garlic bulbs, and oregano near your tomatoes, just here and there as space permits. This will help stave off bug enemies and give you what you need to spice up your cooking. If you still have problems with bugs in your tomatoes, there are organic pesticides safe for vegetables at gardening stores that you can use.

I planted my tomatoes in a 4 x 8 raised bed that Jim built, and we filled it with sand and compost. I planted eleven tomato plants in my bed. I had a few plants left so I gave some away and planted 4 more in big pots that I had available. They all have tomato cages for support. I then planted three oregano plants in corners and left room for onions. I plan to add some sweet basil and marigolds that I am growing from seed also. They are almost big enough. Finally I planted carrot seed between the tomato plants. Tomatoes and carrots are happy partners in the vegetable garden. I planted this bed on April the 15th. So far most of the tomatoes are blooming, and the carrots have sprouted. (see below) We have had almost too much rain in East Texas, but the my tomato plants and their friends seem happy so far. Tomorrow, come back for pepper pointers!