How to Grow Tomatoes Americas Favorite Fruit

Yes, tomatoes are a fruit, even though most of us prefer to use them as a vegetable. If you are a gardener, chances are you are growing tomatoes. Even people who grow no other vegetables may have a tomato plant tucked away in the yard. There is nothing like the taste of a vine ripened tomato--those hard supermarket things sold as tomatoes are no match. And tomatoes are an easy start for beginning vegetable gardeners. They can even be grown in containers and hanging baskets.

Tomatoes are native to South America. When they were brought back to Europe by early explorers, they were first grown as ornamental plants and were considered to be poisonous. It took many years before they became part of local cuisine, but now most countries of the world have popular dishes that feature tomatoes.

Tomatoes can be grown successfully in almost every zone in the world. Even the coldest zones can grow quick maturing varieties with a little care. They are actually tender perennials and in tropical zones or a sunny greenhouse they can grow for several years.

Most gardeners however, treat them as annuals, planting them after the last frost in the area and letting the first hard frost kill them. Tomato flowers are yellow shooting-star-like blooms born in clusters. The stems of tomato plants have the ability to produce roots from tiny bumplike nodes anywhere the stems touch the soil. Tomato fruit starts off green and, although red tomatoes are the most familiar and the most popular, ripe tomato fruit can be any color but blue. Indeterminate tomato plants will produce fruit until killed by frost, but determinate plants set all of their fruit in a short time.

Tomato connoisseurs will tell you that each variety of tomato has a slightly different taste. What all varieties have in common is that the best tomato flavor develops when fruit is allowed to ripen on the vine. However, tomatoes are different from many other vegetables and fruit in that they will continue to ripen after picking, if the fruit is mature size and just starting to change color when picked.

Growing tomatoes
Most gardeners buy transplants to plant in the garden after the soil is warm and there is no danger of frost. Choose tomato plants with dark-green leaves that are sturdy looking. Plants in cell packs should not have blooms or fruit; these plants are stressed. If the plant is in a large container, it is fine if it has blooms and fruit.

If you want some of the hundreds of unusual and heirloom varieties of tomatoes, then you will probably start with seeds. Plant the seeds indoors about six weeks before you expect your last frost. Plant the seeds in sterile seed-starting mix and keep them warm, above 70 degrees for best germination. Tomato seedlings need the brightest light possible: a sunny greenhouse or windowsill or grow lights. After all danger of frost has passed, choose a shady day to transplant into the garden or shade the plants with something for a few days and keep well-watered. If tomato plants you bought or grew are tall and lanky, you can bury the stem of the tomato up to the second set of leaves and the stem will develop roots.

Tomatoes like rich, loose soil and must have full sun for best fruit development. The location where you plant tomatoes should be changed every year to avoid the buildup of soil-borne disease. Tomatoes should never be planted where the roots of a Black Walnut tree may invade their root space, as this will kill them. Tomatoes need to be kept evenly moist to help prevent Blossom End Rot. They are also heavy feeders, and using a fertilizer formulated for tomatoes is recommended.

Tomatoes have fewer disease problems and take up less space if they are caged or staked. Use sturdy cages or use stakes and tie the plants to them. Put the stakes or cages in when you plant the tomatoes. If you do allow the plants to sprawl on the ground, mulch under the plants with plastic or straw and leave at least three feet of space between plants and four feet between rows.

Fungal diseases are the biggest problem tomato growers face. They cause spots on the leaves, which then turn yellow and fall off. They can also infect the fruit. The plants may quickly die or remain sickly and unproductive. There is no cure for fungal disease, only prevention. Use a garden fungicide safe for vegetables according to label directions. Avoid getting foliage wet when watering and space plants so that there is good airflow around them. Plant resistant varieties. Keep plants off the ground and mulch the soil around them.

Choosing varieties
There are hundreds of tomato varieties on the market. Why not experiment a bit each year and find ones you like? Keep in mind that heirloom varieties may not be very disease-resistant and most were developed to perform well in specific areas of the country. There are modern hybrids that combine disease resistance with old-fashioned flavor. The more letters after a variety name, such as VFNTASt, the more disease resistance it has. Pay attention to catalog descriptions such as days to maturity, whether the plant has special resistance to cold soil and where it was developed to choose varieties right for you. Color and size are personal preferences; lighter colors are generally lower in acid.

If you want to make sauces, choose meaty paste types. For canned tomatoes, round, medium-sized fruits with a good acidic content are best. There are actually hollow tomatoes for stuffing and, of course, small cherry or grape tomatoes for salads. If you want to grow tomatoes in containers, there are varieties that have been developed just for that use.

Cautions
All parts of the tomato plant other than the fruit are poisonous.