by Gloria Jones

Created on: May 04, 2009   Last Updated: May 26, 2009

Tomatoes are one of the most important crops in the southeast, I'm located in South Carolina and tomatoes are grown in most every vegetable garden in the state. There's dozens of varieties and each are chosen for different reasons. They're used for sandwiches, salads, main dishes and the list of recipes goes on.

Due to the failing economy, more and more people are growing vegetables, turning any available space of their yards into vegetable gardens. Tomatoes are a favorite in all gardens and on all tables. I've been growing vegetables most of my adult life. I grew up on a working farm and my family always grew their own vegetables as their ancestors before them. Planting and preserving was taught to me at a young age.

I plant a variety of two hundred or more tomato plants in long rows each Spring. I plant four rows with fifty plants in a row, each planted 16 inches apart. I start my seeds in a cold frame around February. This frame is constructed of four 2inch x 6inch timbers erected in a rectangle to fit under a glass. I use any discarded windows I may find. I amend the soil adding 5-10-10 fertilizer and water well. Next I add seeds and cover them lightly with soil. I cover this frame with a glass top or old window. Then I wait for seedlings to sprout. When I see small plants begin to break free and show themselves, I sprinkle with water as needed. Once the plants have grown enough to have sturdy stems and roots, it's time to transplant them to the garden. For my area, it's about mid April to early May. Plants will be around four to five inches tall.

Preparing my rows for transplants, I till 5-10-10 fertilizer and pellet lime into the soil. Tomatoes need calcium and the lime is a supplement. Tomatoes will develop bottom rot if there is a calcium deficiency. Another important factor is that tomatoes need at least one half inch of water per week to develop properly. I use soak hoses to water the tomatoes when there has been no rain.

As the plant grows, you may need to stake it to keep the fruits from touching the soil. To stake a plant, a wooden stake is driven into the soil by the plant. Limbs are tied to the stake to prevent the bending and breaking of the plant and keep the fruits from lying on the soil. Tomatoes that are allowed to touch the soil has a higher tendency to rot. If you don't like the idea of staking plants, mulch or gardening fabric works well also.

Each year I get a bumper crop of tomatoes and I jar a large amount of them in different ways. Most are just plain tomatoes which I can use in different recipes but I also jar Salsa, soups and green tomato relish. Good luck with your tomato planting.

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