|
Tomato plants are one of the most popular garden plants. While the tomato is considered a fruit, it is used primarily as a vegetable. The popularity of tomatoes is due to the fact that they are so versatile. Tomatoes are used in a variety of sauces, jellies, main dishes, and eaten fresh from the vine.
Tomatoes origninated in South and Central America, according to the website "Growing Tomatoes in the Home Garden", published by Ohio State University. It says, settlers to the United States believed that tomatoes were toxic, and sometime during the 1800's people realized the tomato was safe to eat.
"Gardening Made Easy", published by International Masters Publishers, lists the four categories that tomatoes are distinguished by, their varieties, and the number of days until maturity. This information should be taken into consideration when choosing tomato plants, and a list of some available varieties is as follows. Small Fry matures in sixty-five days, Sweet 100 in seventy days, and Gardener's delight in sixty-five days. These varieties are cherry tomatoes. They are the smallest, and they are great in salads or eaten by themselves.
Next is the Early Girl, which matures in fifty-two days, Better Boy matures in seventy-two days, Sunray matures in eighty days, and Golden Boy ripens in approximately seventy days. The latter two are low-acid, yellow varieties. These are categorized as a medium-sized tomato, and they are good for canning, slicing, or in main dishes.
The plum tomato is primarily used in sauces, but it is often used in other ways. Listed under the Plum variety is the Roma, which matures in seventy-six days, and the Chico III becomes ripe in about seventy-five days.
Last of all, but hardly the least, is the large beefsteak tomato, which is used for slicing as well as stewing and canning. Burpee's Supersteak and Beefmaster mature in eighty days, and Bush Beefsteak ripens in approximately sixty-two days.
Tomatoes require full sun, and soil that is warm with good drainage, according to "Burpee: Complete Gardener", published by Macmillan, Inc. It goes on to say that seeds can be started inside, grown in containers for six to eight weeks, and they can be planted when all danger of frost has passed.
"Burpee: Complete Gardener" recommends how to plant, water, and fertilize tomatoes. They should be spaced with eighteen inches between each plant, and three feet should separate each row. Tomato cages or stakes should be used to keep the fruit from touching the ground, and side shoots on the plants should be removed weekly. "Burpee: Complete Gardener" recommends using a 5-10-5 fertilizer and a daily, even watering. It says tomatoes require an inch of water weekly, so if the weather is dry take this into consideration.
The same book says tomatoes should be allowed to ripen on the vine and picked when they are firm and have obtained their complete color. It suggests picking any unripened tomatoes before the first frost and allowing them to ripen in brown sacks or on papers. They can also be placed in a sunny window sill. If green tomatoes are remaining and frost is a threat, consider picking them and using them while they are green. Many people enjoy eating them fried. The culinary possibilities are almost endless. No matter how you choose to use them, tomatoes are a healthy and delicious addition to any garden.
|
| |
