Hanging Tomato Planters Let Anyone Have a Tomato Garden
July 1, 2009 by Lynn Sherman
Filed under Tomatoes
Tomato gardening is just about the favorite type of vegetable gardening going. Almost anyone will enjoy fresh tomatoes. But many are without access to a garden, so in order to get those fresh tomatoes they need to try something a little non traditional. The most popular is a hanging tomato planter. Let’s look at the advantages.
If you live in an apartment or townhouse, and still want to enjoy fresh tomatoes, probably the easiest way is to use a hanging tomato planter. Hanging planters can be put on a porch, or a balcony, or even a patio. They make it easy to get to your tomatoes even if you have a vegetable garden. And it’s become increasingly popular over the last several years to grow tomatoes upside down, which has a lot of the same advantages as the traditionally hanging planter. Let’s look a the pros and cons of using growing tomatoes in a hanging planter.
No Staking – The tomatoes are hanging from the planter, you have no need to stake them, or bother with any other types of support other than the planter hanger. For some indeterminate types of tomatoes, you may find you need Read the rest of this entry »
Tomato Gardening
July 1, 2009 by Lynn Sherman
Filed under Tomatoes
Tomatoes are in my opinion the best fruit vegetable there is. Cherry tomatoes with their sweet and tangy taste can be eaten whole. As they are small in size you can just pop them in your mouth. Tomatoes give salads a dash of red color. Pasta and pizza are made even tastier with fresh tomato sauce poured over them. And these are just some of the benefits you will get from tomato gardening.
While tomatoes come in many different shapes, sizes and colors there are actually only two varieties of tomatoes. One is the Determinates and the other is the Indeterminates. Determinate tomatoes grow on vines that stop growing at a certain point. These tomato plants are small and compact vines that produce fruits early in the growing season. Determinates tomatoes plants can be Read the rest of this entry »
Growing beefsteak tomatoes
June 30, 2009 by Lynn Sherman
Filed under Tomatoes
There is absolutely nothing better than a fresh tomato out of your garden. You start by planting a beefsteak tomato plant and nurture it daily with fertilizer, water and weeding. Finally, you notice the hint of a small fruit on the plant. The days seem endless as you check the plants daily for signs of red, finally after the long wait; there it is the ripe, red delicious beefsteak. Even after the first ten tomatoes, each one is still a marvel.
The growing season of the beefsteak tomato is about 85 days to the first harvest. These hefty delicious globes continue to produce from late summer until the first heavy frost. Covering the tomatoes with thick amounts of leaves in the fall allow you to extend the growing season.
You can grow your own seedlings or purchase them at the store. If your garden is large, a makeshift greenhouse in the basement of your home is far more economical. Purchase an inexpensive <!–more-memberlock–>shop light and put a grow light instead of florescent bulb into the light. Follow the directions on the package for planting. It’s best to use a small plastic starter container for large numbers of plants. Use a good planting soil created for starting seed. Make sure you have adequate drainage.
Before you plant the tomatoes, make sure that the soil has adequate fertilizer. Add a good nitrogen rich fertilizer after you till the ground and then lightly turn the soil once more. Adding compost to the soil is a good idea if the soil is hard clay or sandy.
Plant the seedlings outside after the danger of frost is past. Plant them four to six feet apart. If they are too close, there is a potential for water borne fungal diseases like fusarium and verticillim wilt, that turn the leaves yellow and brown. You’ll need to plant the beefsteak tomato seedlings an inch or two deeper than they were in the container. Remove any lower leaves if necessary. This encourages a healthier root system. If your soil is low in calcium, add some before planting beefsteak tomatoes. This deters blossom end rot, those black spots at the bottom of the tomato.
Several types of pests attack tomatoes at different points and do different types of damage. Some pests attack the leaves or bore into either the fruit or buds. Tomato fruitworm, tobacco budworm, tomato pinworm and vegetable leafminer are these types of pests. Pests that chew both holes in leaves and fruits are blister beetles, cabbage loopers, Colorado potato beetles, flea beetles and hornworms. Sapsuckers, which cause fruit to deform, and defoliation are aphids, thrips and greenhouse whiteflies. Cutworms and Southern potato wireworms feed on the lower stems and roots.
When you have planted beefsteak tomatoes, expect the tomatoes to start ripening all at once. you can’t use them all, you can freeze them whole. Simply wash, core the center and put into a freezer bag. When you’re ready to use them, rinse them under warm water and pull off the outer skin. These tomatoes aren’t good for salads but great in cooked dishes. If you expect a frost before the end of harvest, bring the green tomatoes indoors and wrap them in newspaper. Store these in a cool area and allow them to slowly ripen.
To read more on gardening tips go to gardening help
Tomato: Everything You Wanted to Know and More
June 30, 2009 by Lynn Sherman
Filed under Tomatoes
They can grow as high as ten feet but their stems are <!–more-memberlock–>weak and require some type of stabilizations such as a tomato cage or tying them to a tall stick.
The tomato is native to South America with genetic evidence showing that its origins can be traced to the highlands of Peru.
The earliest traces of the tomato to North America are attributed to William Salmon (1868-1925), who was an American Politician that served in the 7th district of Tennessee as a member of the United States House of Representatives. It is said that he reported seeing them in a southern territory of the United States more commonly referred to today as South Carolina. Although no one is 100% sure how they came about in America, some scientists believe the species found originated somewhere in the Caribbean.
Tomatoes love heat and because they do states like Florida and California are top producers in the country due to their longer growing seasons.
According to the UN Food & Agriculture Organization, in 2008 the United States produced 111 tons of tomatoes, second only behind China who produced 311 tons, and ahead of 3rd place producer Turkey at 39 tons with a total world production of 125 million tons.
There are about 7500 different varieties of tomatoes grown in the world and vary in colors, sizes and shapes. In the United States, gardeners grow ones that are as small as the cherry tomato (1/2 inch in size) and as large as the beefsteak (4 inches in size).
Tomatoes are eaten throughout the world and have been shown in studies to aid in a healthier heart. They contain the bright red organic pigment called lycopene. Lycopene has been shown in studies to be a very powerful antioxidant and when you cook tomatoes it makes the lycopene even stronger, even suggesting to assist in preventing prostate cancer.
The tomato is enriched with Vitamins A & C, and anthocyanin (blue) another antioxidant thought to be a powerful fight against various diseases.
Due to the tomatoes high acidic content, they are easy to can whole, in pieces or in a sauce, because they can be preserved.
Though most people think of a tomato as a vegetable, it is a berry which is a subset of the fruit botanical term. Botanically speaking the tomato is the ovary part of the plant therefore it is a fruit. However, because of its high acidity and low sugar content, many do not think of it as a fruit because it is not as sweet as a fruit.
The heaviest tomato ever recorded was seven pounds twelve ounces. It was grown by a person named Gordon Graham from Edmond, Oklahoma. Although unconfirmed, the tomato tree growing in the experimental greenhouse in the Walt Disney World Resort, may be the largest tomato plant on record in the world.
Finally, what would a tomato article be without at least mentioning the Tomatina Festival? This is the big food fight festival held every year in Spain. Tens of thousands of people will gather in the town of Bunol every year and throw tomatoes at one another. How many tomatoes are used? It is estimated that over 100 metric tons of tomatoes are used every year at the Tomatina Festival.
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By Bruce Tucker
About the Author
Bruce is the co-author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person. It is a practical easy to follow book that teaches gardeners everything from composting techniques, aeration and frost conditions, to choosing the right tools and picking the right seeds. To learn more about Mr. Tucker you can visit: AveragePersonGardening.com.
Vegetable Gardening: The Rabbits Ate My Tomatoes, Now What?
June 30, 2009 by Lynn Sherman
Filed under Pest & Disease Control, Tomatoes
So I started my garden in my new home. A row of beefsteak tomatoes, a row of grape tomatoes, peppers and so on made up my plot of land that I designated to grow my produce. With no experience in protecting my garden from rabbits, once my plants were in the ground I figured I was done so I simply walked away.
The next morning I arose to see that both rows of tomatoes (beefsteak and grape) were absolutely decimated. Chewed down to the stem with about an inch of height from the topsoil, the rabbits left near nothing.
After doing some research, instead of buying new plants I learned that the tomatoes will return and that they grow like a weed, meaning, that even though they were chewed down to the stem, tomato plants will still grow even though their solar collectors (their leaves) no longer existed.
But I also knew that if I did not take any preventative measures the rabbits would be back to finish the job. So here is what I did. First, I outlined my garden with <!–more-memberlock–>landscaping bricks and set them two bricks high. That alone will not keep the rabbits out so I also added a fence. I use poultry fence which is available at any home center. Sixteen inches of height is all you will need for rabbits (at least in my area).
I attached the fencing to some pieces of cedar wood that acted as fence posts, which holds the poultry fence in place. If you are unfamiliar with poultry fence, it is very wobbly, “bendy” you could say, so you will need to attach it to something in order to stabilize it. I used J-T50 staples to attach it to my posts. They are also available at any home center.
The bottom of the fence sits about an inch to two inches lower than the top layer of brick. I am not sure if rabbits can squeeze in, but I did not want to take any chances.
The bricks were the most expensive at about two dollars per brick, and the fence was thirteen dollars for a fifty foot roll. I found the wood on Craigslist for free, so other than the cost of gas to drive a couple of miles to go get it, that part was free, and I already had the staples from a pervious project. So the cost to secure my garden from rabbits was nominal at best.
If you are having issues with rabbits give these solutions a try. It is a cost effective solution without having to spray any chemicals that are developed to “deter” rabbits. Also make sure you buy poultry fencing and not the “so called” rabbit fence. The rabbits can and have gotten through the “rabbit proof” fence in my area in the gardens that belonged to some of my neighbors.
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About the Author
Michael is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person, a practical easy to follow guide for the home vegetable gardener. You can follow him on Twitter as well as join his Facebook Fan Page.
How To Grow Tomatoes In Your Vegetable Garden
June 30, 2009 by Lynn Sherman
Filed under Tomatoes
For many people, growing big juicy tomatoes is part of what makes vegetable gardening so enjoyable. Whether purchasing plants from your local nursery or starting tomatoes from seed, there are a few basic steps to follow to ensure that you harvest an abundant crop at the end of the growing season. There are many different varieties of tomatoes to choose from, depending on whether you will be cooking, canning, slicing, or eating miniature or grape-like varieties right off the vine. Sweet 100’s are very abundant, and are good for salads as well as eating fresh from the garden. Roma tomatoes are good for making salsa, because the peels are not as tough as others so you don’t need to peel the skins off. Romas are also known as the classic paste and sauce tomato. There are Early Girls, Early Boys, Big Boys, Big Mamas, Sweet Baby Girls, Beefsteaks, French Rose hybrids, Big Rainbow, specialty tomatoes and many more. So start by choosing the kind of tomato you would like to grow.
Planting Tomatoes from Seeds
Tomatoes grown from seed will require six to eight weeks before they can be Read the rest of this entry »
How To Ripen Green Tomatoes
June 30, 2009 by Lynn Sherman
Filed under Tomatoes
One of my favorite things about summer, is being able to pick lush red tomatoes off the vine. Sad thing is that at the end of the summer, I always have some green tomatoes left on the vine. There are some great ways to ripen your green tomatoes so can still enjoy lush red tomatoes after the growing season.
The first step is to make sure that Read the rest of this entry »
Which of the Hundreds of Tomato Varieties Should I Plant?
June 26, 2009 by Lynn Sherman
Filed under Tomatoes
Tomatoes are such a staple in the modern diet that it is hard to believe there was a time when this versatile fruit was once thought to be poisonous. Thankfully this member of the nightshade family has been known for centuries now to be a delicious and healthful addition to our diet and is now one of the most popular garden vegetables.
For many people, tomatoes are the most challenging, yet desirable, vegetable crop to grow. But a ripe, juicy homegrown tomato is so delicious and nutritious, people will go to great lengths to produce as many as they Read the rest of this entry »
Watering Tomato Plants the Right Way
June 24, 2009 by Lynn Sherman
Filed under Tomatoes, Watering, Pruning, Harvesting
While growing tomato plants you need to pay as much attention to watering as you do with pruning, preparing soil and fertilizers. Over-watering your plants can lead to fungus and quick death of entire tomato garden. Keeping them dry and thirsty for too long will have similar results. You need to find the right balance by paying attention to the weather conditions in your area.
Tomatoes love the moisture, but at the same time, they can’t stand Read the rest of this entry »
Tomato Cages – Buy Or Make Tomato Cages?
June 24, 2009 by Lynn Sherman
Filed under Supplies, Tomatoes
Many folks like to build their own tomato cages. There are a few advantages to making your own cages. If you buy materials like a roll of chicken wire or reinforcing wire, the cost for several cages is much lower than buying individual cages, unless you buy them in bulk.
The most common way to build tomato cages is to use either Read the rest of this entry »