Growing terrific tomatoes

By Melanie Mathieson
Gardening Guru
 
Tomatoes are, by far, the most popular vegetable with the home gardener. Even people who do not grow any other vegetable often will have a tomato plant or two tucked in a flower bed, in a patio pot, or a hanging basket. Many growers celebrate summer with their first bite into a home-grown juicy red tomato. Tomato growers often can be found bragging about their crop, whether it is the sheer size of one tomato or the total yield of all their plants.
Tomatoes are relatively easy to grow, and provide a bountiful and delicious crop as a reward. There are two types of tomatoes—determinate and indeterminate. 
Determinate tomatoes are the shorter bush type plants, which set all of their fruit within a relatively short period of time. This means most of the tomatoes will ripen at once. These bush type tomatoes grow well in a cage and do not need any pruning. Examples of determinate tomatoes are Roma (otherwise known as “paste tomatoes”), Mama Mia, and many of the beefsteak varieties like Floramerica, Tiny Tim (cherry tomato), and Tumbler (a good hanging basket or patio pot variety).
Indeterminate tomato plants are tall-growing and produce fruit throughout the growing season. These plants should be caged, staked, or grown against a trellis due to their large size. Indeterminate varieties also will need some pruning in order to produce the best crop. Examples are Manitoba, Super Fantastic, Early Girl, Wonder Boy, Lemon Boy (yellow tomatoes), and Sweet 100 (cherry tomatoes).
Now that you know the differences between the two types of tomatoes, you can decide which varieties will suit your needs and growing space limitations. Whether you choose plants for the garden or for planting in patio pots or hanging baskets, tomatoes have three requirements for successful growth and crop production. Tomatoes constantly require heat from the sun (at least eight hours per day), water (especially prior to setting of the fruit), and food (tomatoes are heavy feeders). The latter means setting up a regular-interval fertilizing program throughout the growing season while being careful not to over-fertilize. Tomatoes do not like wind (when exposed to windy situations, their crops can be reduced greatly). Whether you start your plants indoors yourself or buy from a nursery, you want to select plants that are compact but full and deep green. Leave the plants that are tall and leggy, or have sparse or yellow leaves, behind at the nursery.
Select where you want to plant your tomatoes. If you have a sheltered spot in your garden next to a building or fence, that would be best. If you cannot plant them in a spot sheltered by a structure, create shelter with your other crops, like a windbreak of corn or a trellis of squash or cucumbers, but ensure the location still will receive full sun. Once your location is selected, dig a six-inch deep trench for your plants. In the bottom of your trench, sprinkle a handful of Epsom salts, covering lightly with soil. Tomatoes will benefit from the magnesium in the Epsom salts.
Take each seedling and pinch off the side branches, leaving just the top one-quarter of the plant. Lay the seedling horizontally in the trench and support the top with your hand while covering the length of the stem and the root area with soil. By planting the seedling in this manner, new roots will develop on the part of the stem you just covered with soil. This will increase the rooting area greatly, allowing the plant to absorb more nutrients and grow stronger. With the root system just six inches below the soil, it will benefit from the warmth of the soil and be able to readily absorb nutrients. This method is more successful than planting the seedling in a deep vertical hole.
Now is the time to insert the cage or stake for each plant—being careful not to damage the buried stem. If you are using a Kozy Coat around your tomato, it may be best to stake the tomato instead of a cage and insert the stake inside the Kozy Coat so it is in place when you remove the coat. This prevents damage to the root system if you install a stake when the plant has matured. As the plant grows, tie it to the stake with a piece of soft cloth. Strips of cotton T-shirts or sheets work great, or my favourite—nylon pantyhose. Both types are soft but durable, and will not cut into the stem of the tomato plant.
The next step is fertilization (either a water soluble or granular time-release fertilizer is fine for tomatoes). You want a formula with a high middle number (high phosphorus), following the directions on the package. With a granular time-release formula, you just sprinkle and forget about it, but you will have to develop an application schedule with water soluble fertilizer—either every time you water (a weaker solution) or at evenly-spaced regular intervals according to the instructions. Remember that consistent deep watering is key to a successful crop of fruit, so make sure you supply enough water if Mother Nature is falling short.

As the plants grow, you may need to prune away the suckers if you have indeterminate varieties. The suckers grow at the intersections of the stem and established side branches.

Pinch these off flush to the branch. By removing these, you will redirect the energy back into fruit production. You are now armed with the information necessary to grow terrific tomatoes. Now you can just sit back and wait for your harvest to mature.

There is nothing like the flavour of a ripened tomato fresh off of the vine. If you find not all of your tomatoes have ripened come fall, pick the large fruit and lay on a layer of newspaper in a warm and dry place in the dark, then cover with another layer of newspaper. The tomatoes will ripen better and more fully in the dark than in a windowsill. Try this method and enjoy fresh tomatoes well into the fall.

No matter what your tomato needs are, there are many varieties to choose from. Of course, experiment and plant different varieties if you choose. Good luck, and celebrate the taste of summer with a fresh vine-ripened tomato.