Tomatoes, once a wild weed discovered just a few centuries ago, are one of the most popular vegetables today in countless home gardens. Discovered by early explorers in Central America during colonization, perhaps around 1520 or so, tomatoes have captivated and amazed and fed a good portion of the world's population ever since.
Today, as in the past, there are no secret formulas or magic chants to growing a successful tomato harvest, just some basic tips. A tomato can be either determinate or indeterminate. Determinate means simply that most of the tomatoes of this variety ripen more or less at the same time. These varieties come in handy when a bumper crop is needed for preserving. Indeterminate simply means the variety will produce throughout the growing season. These varieties are great for fresh table use, sale, and if enough are planted, there are still plenty for preserving.
The second tomato tip to remember has more recent origins dating to 1945 when the W. Atlee Burpee company introduced the first hybrid tomato the, “Fordhook Hybrid”. This was the beginning of what could be dubbed the “tomato revolution”. Hundreds of new varieties have appeared ever since. A basic hybrid is simply a cross between two tomato varieties; breeders select the best qualities of each. While there are many advantages to hybrids, the seeds will not grow true to the parent plant. The next generation will revert back to one or the other parent plant, or develop into a unique and unknown variety.
Before 1949, all tomatoes were, in general, heirlooms. Heirloom varieties which were grown year after year have same generally predictable results. They were grown for a variety of reasons: flavor, disease resistance, storage, preservation. The heirloom seeds could be saved; and it was a safe bet that the following year's crop would be the same. The heirlooms, like many “wild plants” became adjusted to particular soil conditions and environmental conditions over the generations.
Once a decision is made regarding which variety to plant, the next tomato tip regards environmental conditions. Tomatoes, hybrid or heirloom, enjoy as much sunlight as possible, at least six to seven hours and about an inch of water every week. The weed free, loamy soil should be slightly acidic or test for a pH in the 6.0 to 6.8 range.
Tomatoes thrive in organic conditions much like their jungle ancestors. Mature compost is a key ingredient to success. Excessive amounts of nitrogen from some chemical fertilizers will make for lush growth and fewer tomatoes. Many homesteaders and growers claim a manure tea is the best fertilizer. A manure tea, according to some, is also a good control measure in dealing with one fatal tomato disease, late blight, which has in 2010 again appeared in eastern North America.
Another good tomato tip is mulch. Tomatoes can be prone to certain diseases found in the soil which can splash up on the leaves from rainfall or watering. Organic mulch, such as grass clippings, can help manage and control disease problems. Mulch is also beneficial in maintaining soil moisture and soil temperature.
Tomatoes, hybrids and heirlooms, do have a “wild side”. They should be staked and kept off of the ground. Tomatoes enjoy and do best with plenty of air circulation. Staking, like mulch, will help to control and manage diseases which live in the soil; tomato cages are great but even a stick in the ground will work.
Some growers insist that pruning is a great benefit to ensuring a healthy and abundant tomato harvest. Most claim the suckers, the new growth between two stems, on the plants should be removed to allow better development and a healthier plant. If it is early in the season, these suckers can be placed in water and they will root in a few days. These can be then planted and will produce a late season, extended tomato crop which will be identical to the mother plant. Another pruning practice is simply to remove any leaves or stems which are touching the ground.
There are no hidden secrets to growing a great tomato harvest; just a few common sense steps based on plant knowledge; know your seed, know your soil, weed, mulch, stake and experiment with other techniques. Tomatoes, after all, are wild plants, and since 1520 or so they have surprised and captivated gardeners, some for a lifetime.