Tomato Types Should Be Understood Before Buying Seedlings

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Once the decision is made to grow some tomatoes the next decision is to decide what tomato type is going to be grown. Looking at various tomato gardens and various tomato pictures it is obvious that there are many different types of plants, never mind the fact that there are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes! Phew, that is amazing isn’t it. But don’t worry because there are some basic types that will suit the home gardener.

The reason why a grower should decide on the tomato type they want to grow before they start preparing any gardens or pots is because depending on what they want to grow it will depend on where and how they grow them.

The two predominant ways that tomatoes are described are the ‘determinate’ and the ‘indeterminate’ types. The older style tomato plant, those tall sprawling types, are indeterminate as they have a main stem and from the main stem run a whole lot of suckers on which fruit is also grown along the stem. These types of plants will grow indefinitely if allowed.

Determinate plants.

The determinate type of tomato plant is one that is more of a bushy type and the tomatoes grow at the end of the branch. Because the fruit does grow in a cluster at the end of the branch the plant does not grow taller, but does tend to spread out sideways as new branches are formed. There used to be a problem with determinate plants not growing enough foliage to protect the tomatoes but in later years this problem has been overcome in most cases. In fact these plants even grow a bit taller now that they used to in the early days of development.

Another feature of the determinate tomato plant is that the fruit ripens quicker than does the indeterminate varieties. Many of the determinate tomato plants are heirloom plants.

Determinate tomatoes types are ideal for container grown tomatoes and many of them are of the smaller varieties like cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes. Here is a list of some of the popular determinate plants:
•   Super Bush
•   Better Boy
•   Bush Beefsteak
•   Manitoba
•   Northern Delight
•   Sprite-Tomato Seeds

Indeterminate plants.

It is often argued that the indeterminate varieties provide the most flavorful fruit. It is on these vines that the larger varieties of tomatoes grow, varieties like Beefsteak. Here is a list of some of the most popular indeterminate tomatoes:

•   Brandywine (there is also Yellow Brandywine and Red Brandywine)
•   Black Krim
•   Black Zebra
•   Cherokee Chocolate
•   Green Zebra
•   Italian Tree
•   Big Beef
•   Beefsteak
•   Italian Roma
•   Amish Gold
•   Amish Red

Two other ways that tomatoes may be categorized is ‘hybrid’ and ‘open-pollinated’. All heirlooms are considered open-pollinated which means that they do have the ability to cross-pollinate amongst themselves naturally. Hybrids were developed to produce plants that were more disease resistant and more uniform in shape.

Different tomato varieties are better for different uses so this also is a characteristic that should be considered when choosing tomato types and the final decision on tomato plants.

Growing Tomatoes In Pots Is Very Popular

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Why is growing tomatoes in pots so popular? I have asked several gardeners I know why they do this and funnily enough I have had quite a lot of different answers. To simplify their answers though, you could say it is ‘convenience’. There are pros and cons to growing tomato plants this way so let’s look at them.

Growing tomatoes in containers most certainly does have a number of benefits and here is what some of them are:

1. Planting tomatoes in pots does make it easier to move the pots around either for the sunlight or more especially if you are moving house.

2. Some gardeners like to have them near the living area so that they can admire them. This more so of course, when the fruit are on the vine. I think we all have to admit that a healthy tomato plant with ripening fruit on it does look really wonderful, especially to the grower!

3. Growing tomatoes in containers does allow for the tomatoes to be cultivated in a sunny area and then when the fruit is ready for picking, the containers may be moved nearer to the kitchen area for ease of harvesting.

4. The raised height of the container grown tomato is so much easier for maintaining a plant when bending is more difficult. Of course if this is the purpose of growing the tomato in a pot then the grower may choose a high pot that sits on the ground, one on a table or even a hanging pot. This was a popular answer from the older generation.

5. As just mentioned, hanging pots with tomato plants are becoming very popular. Sometimes they are grown in pots as such, or sometimes they are grown in a basket lined with coconut fiber.

6. Pest and disease control is generally easier with a container grown tomato because usually the soil is put new into the pot whereas in the garden the soil could still be holding problems from previous years.

A few of the negatives of growing tomatoes in pots are:

1. Potted soil does tend to dry out quicker than the garden soil does, so care has to be taken with the watering, especially as tomato plants require constantly moist soil.

2. The very large tomato plants may not produce quite as much fruit as a garden planted tomato.

3. If the grower wants to grow a large number of plants, pots may not be suitable for the area available. In saying that, many commercial tomato growers use pots in their glasshouses.

When growing tomatoes in pots care needs to be taken with the watering as mentioned above, also fertilizing is very necessary to keep up the supply of nutrients to the plant, but this must be done in the correct manner. One step that is a must when growing tomatoes in pots is to ensure that before adding soil there is a good base of rocks or broken tiles at the bottom as good drainage is essential. Growing some marigolds around the outside edge of the pot will help with pest control and the pots do look nice when the marigolds are flowering.

Tomato Growing and Crawling Pest Barriers

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Crawling pest barriers are certainly a deterrent to these caterpillars, bugs and slugs that can cause irreversible harm to seedlings and in fact, even to older plants. Sprays and powders are often used to kill these crawlies but it is a good idea to attack the problem even before it starts. Why? Well, have you ever had the experience of planting some seedlings one afternoon only to find out that the next morning there is nothing there? It does happen!

That is why when planting seedlings protection against these little ‘nasties’ needs to be in place before you walk away from your planting task.

Let’s look at some of the systems that can be used as barriers to crawling pests:

•   Wood ashes and crushed seashells work as they are rough and scratch the waxy coating of the insect, destroying their water balance and killing them. Snails and slugs do not like this type of barrier as it can irritate their underbelly. This requires a 2 inch wide strip around the edge of the garden or a 2 inch wide circle around individual plants about 6 inches away from the stem.
•   For individual plant protection a collar can be placed around the plant. This is done by using either a yoghurt container or tin can with the bottom cut out, placed over the plant and pushed about 1 inch into the soil. If the plant is too big to slip the cylinder over, cut up one side, hold it open and wrap it around the plant, not touching the stem.   An organic product that can be used for this purpose is a paper cylinder like a toilet roll inner or a cardboard roll out of a box of cling wrap or baking paper cut to length. This system is designed to keep slugs, snails, sowbugs, earwigs and soft-bodied crawling pests like caterpillars away from the plants.
•   Copper strips are another method that is very good but it is expensive. This system is set up by pushing copper strips into the soil at the outside edge of the garden, completely encircling the garden in the form of a fence.
•   Floating row covers are good as well but they are for smaller plants, so will only suit the tomato plant for a short period as the plants do grow rather rapidly.

The system of using collars is also good for giving the plant some protection against cooler nights. Also the seedlings that have collars around them get some protection from those bigger ‘pests’ like the family dog and cat.

If all these suggestions for controlling pests in your tomato patch fail, as they sometimes do with heavy infestations, then try the organic spray mix of crushed garlic in water and see how you go with that. It is a harmless spray and the mix is not critical, so mix enough garlic into the water so that you can smell it. If all else fails it might mean resorting to commercial sprays.

Have You Ever Grown Cherry Tomatoes In A Hanging Basket?

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Growing cherry tomatoes in a hanging basket is not something that I had actually planned on doing, but when I was walking through a garden center one day I just could not say ‘no’ to purchasing this delightful set up. It was a small wire hanging basket with a fruiting cherry tomato plant growing in it. I could just visualize it hanging under my patio.

Because I loved looking at it I did make the one mistake of not having it hanging in a position that caught enough sunlight. It did get filtered light, but not sufficient light and after about six weeks it did start to look a little sad. In saying that, the tomatoes did ripen and they did taste delicious and in the meantime I enjoyed the beauty of this small plant with all its bright red tomatoes and also the green ones as they can on.

Every since that time I have been keen to grow one myself but just have not got around to it, until yesterday when I visited the same garden centre and planned my next hanging cherry tomato basket. I will be planting this one myself.

How To Set Up Your Hanging Basket.

• Purchase a wire basket, not too small. I am going to aim for one 14 inches across the top. It will have a coco liner to stop the soil falling out
• The soil will be prepared with organic compost and 8-8-8 fertilizer
• I am going to use the container watering method so I am going to ‘plant’ 2 small plastic containers either side of the plant and will be filling those with water so that they drip feed the water, rather than the once or twice a day watering of the whole pot

I have the ideal spot to hang this basket. Yes, it is under the patio, but this time I am going to hang it so that it gets the full sun for most of the day. That is why I have chosen the particular watering method that I have because I don’t want the plant to dry out during the day.

The Tomato Plant.

I want a plant that is not too small, but then again not too big either. I do want to be able to pick some fruit from it so I am not looking at a miniature variety. This time I am going to go for the red cherry tomato, but I have all intention of setting up another one in about 5 weeks and this way I will spread out the harvesting time.

Since I bought the first set up, we have moved and where we live now we are visited morning and night by wild parrots and we feed them on the balcony so it is going to be a matter of seeing who wins! I might have to pick these tomatoes when they are only just starting to color so that I beat those pesky, but beautiful parrots!

Setting up an upside down tomato growing system

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There are thousands of people who live in circumstances that do not allow them to have a garden that can get full sun for 6 to 8 hours a day and because of this they do not attempt to plant fruit and vegetables. But here is the kicker! If ‘upside down tomatoes’ are grown, then it is usually possible to get the required amount of direct sunlight on the plant. Why, because a hanging container can be moved around from place to place.

Exactly what is an ‘upside down tomato plant’?

It is a growing system that is in effect a container grown tomato plant which is turned upside down and is hung from an overhead point. The difference between a container-grown tomato plant, a hanging basket tomato and an upside down tomato plant is:

• the pot is hung upside down with the upside down system and the tomato is actually grown down through the bottom of the pot

• with a container grown plant, the pot sits on the ground and the plant grows upwards

• a hanging basket tomato plant is one where the plant grows upwards out of a hanging basket and drapes down over the sides of the basket (or pot as the case may be).

One fact of the upside down grown tomato that growers are claiming is that in most comparative cases the upside down grown tomato plant is producing a higher volume of fruit.

What is needed to grow tomatoes upside down?

The pots should be no less than a 12 inch pot, or even quite a bit bigger if growing a larger plant (plastic is idea because holes are needed). Enough potting mix or soil to fill the pot, fertilizer (8-8-8 is popular) and a strong tomato seedling, plus cord or wire to hang the pot. The pot needs to have a hole about 3 cm in the bottom for the tomato plant to hang from and there should be four holes around the top of the pot.

Start the planting process:
•   Place some layers of newspaper in the bottom of the pot.
•   Cut a X in the paper to allow the plant to be threaded through the whole.
•   The plant should protrude through the whole with 4 to 6 leaves only showing.
•   Fill the container with the soil or potting mix that has had organic compost mixed through.
•   Place a lid on the container (the lid should have holes or slits in for watering.
•   Hang the plant on a strong hook in a sunny position.
•   Once the flower buds appear continue to fertilize on a 3 week basis until the fruit is fully developed (as the soil is contained, take care not to over fertilize and burn the plant).

The better choice of plants for upside down growing.

Because there is limited room available for root growth, growers do suggest that the average to smaller varieties, are better as upside down tomato plants. Varieties like the cherry or grape tomatoes are popular and the Roma tomato has also been very sought after for this type of planting.

In saying that, some growers have had great success with growing the larger plants. To counteract the smaller root growth when growing the larger plants, it is beneficial to the plant if some of the fruit are trimmed off, leaving the better fruit to develop.

The ease of growing upside down tomatoes.

There are two main benefits of growing this style of plant and one is the ease with which a grower can maintain the plant in terms of fertilizing, placement of the plant near the house and moving it for the best sunlight hours. The second benefit is that they can be hung near the kitchen area, especially when the fruit is starting to ripen and be ready for picking.

Tips on how to how to keep pests at bay when growing tomatoes

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One of the tomato growing tips that I would like to share is that of keeping pests away. Ask any tomato gardener if they have problems with pests and they will always say that, “Yes, they most certainly do have problems with pests!” Admittedly some might have a small problem with them, but others in certain areas are just about pulling their hair out with frustration.

Where possible I always seek an organic solution to my tomato growing problems and when attacking the pest problem it is quite easy to start with that type of solution anyway. One way is to use the practice called ‘companion planting’.

Companion planting.

Companion planting is using other plants (and not necessarily food producing plants) to keep pests away from your tomato plants. One of the benefits of using companion planting is that you can plant the other plant beside your tomatoes and almost forget about it as it will get watered when you water the tomatoes and also get fertilized at the same time.

This means that you are taking care of two jobs at the same time, whereas if you use some of the other methods of organic pest control it does require another job as well as the ones you do for basic maintenance of the tomato plants.

Tomato plants are quite susceptible to:

•   White fly
•   Flies and mosquitoes
•   Insects
•   Red spider mites
•   Tomato worm
•   Aphids
•   Hornworms

So let’s look at companion planting for tomatoes:
•   Marigolds are well known for their ability to repel white fly, a real pest in the tomato patch. There are two types: Mexican Marigold which is the strongest insect repelling plant; and French Marigold which also repels but has the added benefit of exuding a substance from their roots which kills nematodes in the immediate area.
•   Basil is one such plant which is said to repel thrips, flies and mosquitoes which has the added benefit of being a wonderful herb and when it comes to the picking season, pick both and put them in a salad – delicious!
•   Garlic is another excellent companion plant as it repels another abundant pest of the tomato plant, the aphid. Garlic also repels red spider mites. Some gardeners also crush garlic and make it into a concentrated spray to put on the plants to deter aphids, whitefly and fungus growth. The spray is also excellent in controlling late blight.
•   Borage is said to be a benefit in the tomato patch because it deters hornworms. It is also said to increase resistance to other pests and diseases as well.   It is thought that borage also enhances the flavour of tomatoes grown nearby. Borage will self seed and be there for next year. You can eat the borage flower, although I have not.

As well as protecting the tomato plant and the fruit of the plant, many of these organic companion plants also benefit the plant as far as the health of the plant is concerned. It is also believe that the flavour of the fruit is slight benefitted by using some of these plants, especially the herb plants of basil and the onion family.

One tomatoe growing tip to keep in mind to help with the control of pests and diseases is to rotate crops in the area where tomatoes are being planted and to also make sure that other plants in the same family (the main ones being potatoes, peppers and eggplant) are not being planted there either because they will attract the same pests as the tomatoes.

Check right here for more information on growing fantastic tomatoes.