GardenMaid| Tomato Types and Care

Tomato Types and Care

The tomato is the first choice planting for most home vegetable gardens. As a matter of fact it is the only thing grown in a lot of home vegetable gardens. The tomato is not really a vegetable, technically it is a fruit. The plants are really vines. So by whatever name you choose to call it, it should come as no surprise that the tomato is the most commonly grown vegetable garden item in the US.

Entire books have been written about the tomato so there is no way we can cover the topic in a single article. Tomatoes are not all the same. The first thing you have to decide is type of plant you will grow. That decision is usually based on space you have available.

Tomatoes come in two vastly different growing types; determinate and indeterminate. The names are indicative of the plants growing style.

Determinates have vines that grow to a certain size and then stop growing. They tend to be more compact and bushy. They are also called bush style tomatoes. Determinates are better suited for small gardens and they are also better bet for container growing. Since they do not continue to grow, the fruit bearing season tends to be shorter and earlier. Early Girl, Sunstart, and Burpee's Early Pick are examples of some determinate types that will set fruit early.

Indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow until the end of the season and create a lot more vine. Indeterminate tomatoes need some form of support or cage for support. They are a better choice for late season fruit. They also tend to produce larger fruit but that is really determined by the cultivar selected.

All tomatoes whether grown in ground or container share the common needs for soil, sun and water. Contrary to some things you read tomatoes just aren't that picky about the soil. They will grow in just about anything with the right fertilizers. Tomatoes do require plenty of sun. Five to six hours of direct sunlight per day is the minimum for good growth.

Uniform watering is the secret to nice fruit. It will also help eliminate some of the more common problems like; leaf-end roll, blossom end-rot and those misshapen crags and cracks on the stem end of the fruit. Skimp on amendments, fertilizers and use crappy dirt, but if you want good tomatoes don't skip on the water.

More Articles in this Section

●Planting Your Tomato
●Selecting Your Tomato