Tomato

Space transplants 1-2 feet apart for determinate, 14-20 inches for staked indeterminate and 2-3 feet apart for unstaked indeterminate types. Tomatoes perform better when planted deep. Place in the ground so that the lowest set of leaves is just above the soil surface. Roots will form from along the buried stem. Mulch around your plants to retain moisture and to suppress weeds. Extend the season and protect your tomatoes by using floating row covers before plants begin to bloom. Pinch off suckers that emerge from crotches.

Expect tomatoes to be ready for harvest 65-80 days after transplanting.  Cooler weather will slow tomato growth and delay maturity. Keep fully colored tomatoes on the vine an additional 5-8 days for better flavor.

Pick mature green tomatoes when the blossom end is greenish white, or showing color before the plants are killed by frost. Ripen green tomatoes indoors by spreading them out on heavy paper so that the fruits do not touch.  Or wrap each one in newspaper if they have to touch in storage. Store in a 60-to-65 degree Fahrenheit location. They will ripen over several weeks. Speed up the process by moving a few tomatoes to a bright, warm location a few days prior to use.

Aphids, tomato hornworms, verticillium wilt, blossom-end wilt, fusarium wilt, septoria leafspot, whiteflies, Colorado potato beetle, cutworms, flea beetles, catface

'Super Sweet 100' - cherry type, resistant to verticillium and fusarium wilt
'Aunt Ruby's German Green' - heirloom green tomato, green-pink flesh
'Lemon Boy' - lemon yellow, indeterminate
'Green Zebra' - heirloom, light green with dark green stripes