Who doesn’t love a tomato warmed by the sun and straight from the garden?

One of the most versatile vegetable/fruit!  Delicious raw in salads and salsas and the foundation for a plethora of sauces.  Tomatoes can be roasted, fried, grilled, sauced, sliced, diced, pureed.  And having your own tomato plants gifts you with a summer of deliciousness!

What does DETERMINATE and INDETERMINATE mean?

You will see one of these descriptive words on labels in the tomato plants or seed packets.  Here’s what they mean:

DETRMINATE means the plant will grow to a certain height and stop growing.  They grow the fruit all at once.

INTETERMINATE means the plant continuously grows and produces fruit throughout the season.  Some tomato plants can grow up to 10′ in height!  These plants will need a trellis or other support.

How to’s of planting

I don’t like cold feet and your tomatoes don’t like cold roots!! Tomato plants like warm soil for their roots to begin spreading out.  Make sure the soil at the base of the hole is above 50°F.  If the soil is cooler than 50°F it shocks the plant and weakens it.  You might wait a few days for the soil to warm up to give your plants a good start.

SPACING  They don’t like crowds either!!  They need space for you to get around them and also so the wind, rain and sunshine can nourish your plants.  If you have DETERMINATE plants they should be planted 2′ apart.  If you have INDETERMINATE plants, they should be planted 3′ apart.

Dig the hole about 12″ deep.  I put about 2 tablespoons of calcium nitrate and 2 tablespoons of bone meal to encourage root growth in the bottom of the hole.  Add 3-4-inches of soil on top of that then plant your tomato.  Notice that hairy stem on the plant?  Many of those hairs become roots, so put the tomato as deep as the first set of leaves at ground level. Remove the bottom leaves.

WATERING  Overhead sprinklers are not great for tomato plants!  They don’t like water to sit on the leaves and fruit. Drip irrigation is the best for tomatoes.  If you don’t have a drip system, hand water with the hose on low.  You don’t want to blast the soil away from the base of the plant.  Water deeply to encourage roots to grow deep and less often than you think. Remember that water needs to reach the base of the roots that may be 18″ below the surface. When the weather is very hot-above 90°F, you might need to water after 4 or 5 days.  Don’t overwater though!

With care and attention, you will be rewarded with wonderfully delicious tomatoes all season long!