Tomatoes

[Jeremy airjer W]

I'm thinking about growing tomatoes this year and am really clueless as to what varieties I should get. I had a couple out of a garden a few years back that where ugly but sweet as an apple. Any ideas or suggestions?

[IFallsRon]

I usually go with Early Girl, Better Boy and cherry or sweet 100s. That gives me decent sized tomatoes that rippen at different times in the picking season.

[KEN W]

If you are buying plants from a greenhouse then you have a small selection to choose from.I usually plant determinate varieties.....They take less room and most ripen before first frost.Inderterminates keep growing and spread out the harvest.

The 3 varieties Ron mentions are all good.All are indeterminate.They are all OK.For an early one.....Early Girl is a good one.I would choose Celebrity over Better Boy for a main slicing tomato.

I don't plant cherry tomatoes.If you are looking at making salsa.....get a couple of Roma types.Far less juice.They make a nice thick salsa.Also good in salads since they don't have a lot of juice.

As for planting them......tomatoes are one of the few plants that send out roots from buried stem.When you get your plants home and ready to plant.....pick off all the leaves up to the top two.Then plant it laying on its side.Scoop out a trench and lay it down.Take a strip of newspaper and wrap it around the stem where it comes out of the ground.Half below and half above the ground.A good cutworm collar.Cover all the stem up to those top leaves.Push up a pillow under the top leaves.The plant will grow straight up.You will have a big root system for your plants.

When the first fruits start to appear.....give them a light shot of fertilizer.Tomatoes grow well in cages and the support keeps them form sprawling all over.

When you have a good number of fruit......put a mulch of grass clippings or straw around them.This stabilizes moisture in the soil which can cause blossom end rot.It is caused by inconsistant moisture.Either not enough or to much.The plants need calcium and with none available they will rob it from the fruits,which will get leathery on the bottom and rot.

[boatfixer]

Celebrity all the way for me.

[fishermatt]

Go to the store(s) where you plan to buy your plants and make a list of what they have, but don't buy any. Then go home and surf up Tomato Growers Supply or another site that sells tomato seeds. Look up the varieties your store has to see the descriptions, then you can make a more informed decision.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Sounds like celebrities might be a good choice. Thanks for the info!!

[Surface Tension]

What ever you plant you'll want to know if they are determinate or indeterminate. Determinate plants do well in a sturdy cage with no pruning needed. Note that the small tomato cages won't support a full blown determinate tomato plant.

Indeterminate plants will spread and sprawl if let go. I use 8' steel T fence posts or tripods for my indeterminate plants. They're pruned to one growing tip and no suckers. They'll need to be tied as they grow, strips of old nylon stockings work perfectly.

[buddha]

That is some great info. I usually plant 12-20 plants a year and I try to space the timing so I am getting toms until the frost gets em. I have had some luck with heirlooms but they are more apt to get issues. Super Big Beef and Big Beef are some great plants that are easy to grow, they are late in the season but produce some big plants. Make sure you stake/cage your plants and offer then support they need and they will do well.

[monticello coach]

how do you guys feel about the upside down planting method (using a 5 gal pail)

[buddha]

I have not done it personally, my father has done it and had ok luck. I think he is going to try it again this year for what it's worth.

[theoilman]

I put out 1 of each of several different varietes. Different ones seem to grow better in wet seasons, some in dry, some in warmer, some in cooler. Since you never know what the season will bring, I just put out several different ones.

[CRAKSHOT]

If you like yellow tomatoes,dont overlook Lemon Boys,they are great tasting,and produce massively.Seem to have good disease resistence also.President is a good red.

[icehousebob]

My daughter usually has ten or twelve heritage varieties in her garden. Lots of them look strange, don't bear as well as modern ones, and take longer to ripen. BUT, the flaver differences are amazing. We've been known to have three or four different types at one meal, just like a wine tasting only with tomatoes. If you can find them, plant a few on the edge of your plot just to see what a taste difference there is.

[Swill]

Brandywine Heirloom and Roma's are also good tomato plants. I plant 18-20 plants a year, usually 3-4 different tomoato plants, and for canning and freezing Roma's are the best for making chili, salsa, and spagetti sauce.