Heirloom Varieties

Recent Varieties

Lycopersicon lycopersicum | Growing Tomatoes at home.

 

Beefsteak Tomato 

Start tomato seeds under some kind of shelter or indoors before winter has completely gone.

The use of small pots can produce spindly plants that will not produce fruit well when transplanted.

The best germination rates occur when the soil temperature is between 22 and 26 degrees C.   Soil pH 5.5 to 7.0 -

 Sow a few seeds in each pot, eventually thinning to one plant per pot.

 

After four weeks, transplant your seedlings into larger pots.

About 10 days before the last spring frost, gradually begin hardening off your plants outdoors.

 

After the  frosts have finished, transplant your seedlings to a sunny location outside.

Make sure to work plenty of compost into the area, as tomatoes are heavy feeders.

Bury the roots deeply, maintaining a distance of 40cm between tomato plants, in rows 1 m  apart.

Bury the roots deeply, maintaining a distance of 40cm between tomato plants, in rows 1 m  apart.

Mulch with Sugar Cane mulch to get the plants off to a fast start, and use paper collars around the stem if cutworms are a problem in your area.

 

Don't allow your tomatoes to dry out at this stage.

Tomatoes should be staked or caged, since many of the older varieties don't do well when allowed to sprawl on the ground, as they are not resistant to ground fungus and mould.

 

Once the tomatoes start growing, pinch off all the bottom leaves that are touching the soil and regularly  clean off the leaf buds that appear in the junction or leaf stem axis.

 

 The term, Determinate, refers to bush-like growth, where the tomatoes stop growing at a certain point. They can be adequately supported with a wire cage or surround .

 

The term, Indeterminate, refers to tomatoes that send out  branches that continue to grow. Use stakes or trellises to support these as they tend to wander around the garden. As the plant grows, tie loosely to the stake with strips of cloth, or old pantyhose strips for extra flexibility.

 

Terms often used in relation to Tomato descriptions:

 

Beefsteak – Extra large tomato requiring more maturity time, producing rich, dense fruits.

Cherry – Small, pop-in-your-mouth sized favourites for salads and snacks, shaped like a cherry.

Grape – Very close relative to the cherry tomato, except that it is shaped like a grape.

 

Cocktail - Slightly larger form of Cherry Tomato. Roughly Ping Pong ball size, usually only red varieties are chosen.

Roma – Also called Plum or Italian, cylinder-shaped smaller tomatoes with meaty insides for making pastes and/or sauces.

Salad – Average-sized rounder tomatoes used mostly in salads or served fresh, but not for preserving or drying due to large number of seeds.

 

DISEASES
Bacterial Wilt – Bacteria multiplied by high humidity and hot weather enter the plant through its roots, it will eventually rot the plant’s interior while leaves stay green.

Brown Rot – spread by surface water and rain. Brown-coloured spots which are lesions cause the fruit to decay.

Blossom-End Rot – plant disorder caused by a calcium deficiency during early stages. Characterized by water-soaked spots.

Early Blight – The evidence of this disease are small black lesions on the plant, which begin on older foliage and can then proceed to cover the whole plant. Lesions also appear on the fruits causing them to drop early.

Late Blight – It affects all areas of the plant, causing leaf lesions appearing as dark, wet spots with white mold on the edges.

Leaf Mold – Fungus-born spores develop a milky grayish covering of the lower leaves. Stems, blossoms and fruits can be destroyed.