Melinda Myers

Tomato

Botanical Name

Lycopersicon esculentum

Hardiness

Tender annual

Height

2 to 6 feet

Width

2 to 6 feet

Flowers

Mid summer to frost: yellow

Fruit

Many different sizes, colors, tastes and textures

Light

Full sun

Soil

Moist, well-drained, organic, warm

Planting & Care

• Tomatoes germinate best in soil temperatures of 75°F to 90°F
• Sow seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting outside. Plant seeds ¹/₈ inch deep in flats or containers
• Harden off before planting outdoors. Set outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 45°F.
• Space transplants 1 to 2 feet apart for determinate varieties
• Indeterminate varieties should be spaced 14 to 20 inches apart when staked and 2 to 3 feet apart when unstaked
• Tomatoes perform better when planted deep or trenched. 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.
• Place any plant supports at the time of planting to avoid damaging developing roots
• Mulch the soil around the plants to retain moisture and to suppress weeds
• Tomatoes require adequate, even moisture to flower and fruit properly. Ideally 1 inch of rain a week or supplemental watering may be required to provide consistent moisture.
• Extend the season and protect your tomatoes by using floating row covers before plants begin to bloom
• Pinch off suckers that emerge from crotches

Problems

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

Varieties

• 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
• Sunrise Bumble Bee - cherry-type fruit, attractive marbled red and yellow, fruit resistant to cracking, vigorous plants
• Terenzo - cherry-type, compact derterminate tomato, fruit resistant to cracking excellent for containers and hanging backets, All-America Selection winner
• Lizzano - semi-determinate, small 1" fruits, late blight tolerant, AAS winner
• Chef's Choice Orange - superior taste, bright orange fruits, indeterminate plants are early to mature, AAS winner
• Chef's Choice Green - attractive green fruits with subtle yellow strips, citrus-like flavor, AAS winner
• Candyland Red - currant-type tomato bears smaller fruit than cherry-type, dark red in color, sweet flavor, AAS winner
• Patio Choice Yellow - compact, determinate tomato, great for containers and small spaces, high yielding, mild flavored yellow fruits, AAS winner
• Midnight Snack - very attractive fruit ripens to red with a glossy-purple overlay when exposed to light, indeterminate plants are high yielding, AAS winner
• Valentine - grape tomato that matures to deep red, fruit resists cracking, prolific fruit, AAS winner
• Sparky - cherry tomato, early to mature sweet fruit, AAS winner
• Mountain Rouge - disease resistant beefsteak-type, pink fruit has good balance of acid and sugar, AAS winner
• Galahad - good late blight resistance, fruit resists cracking, highly productive, AAS winner
• Chef's Choice Black - beefsteak-type, dard green-brown-black in color, clean plants are high yielding, AAS winner
• Early Resilience - roma-type, quality flesh, resistant to blossom end rot, heathy plants, AAS winner
• Chef's Choice Bicolor - indeterminate, 7-8 oz. beefsteak fruit, very attractive yellow-orange fruit, AAS winner