Growing Tomatoes

For this blog post, I will write about the sale of tomatoes in stores, types of tomatoes, the color of tomatoes, how to grow tomatoes, and harvesting tomatoes.

There are several types of tomatoes. The favorite, for home gardeners, is the large beefsteak which can weigh from one to two pounds. One slice will cover a whole sandwich. You do not see these in the store because of their size which makes them harder to prepare and keep on the shelf.

Their shapes are not smooth and elegant like slicing tomatoes. Many gardeners also like to grow these for bragging rights.
Slicing tomatoes weigh from 10 to 12 ounces. It usually takes two slices to cover a sandwich. These are the ones you will see in the store because of their smooth good looks. They are easy to keep on the shelf.

Cherry tomatoes are one to two ounces in weight. There are some tiny cherries called cocktails or currants that weigh about one half ounce or even less. These are what many people use in salads. When ripened on the vine, I will pick a few and eat a few as I harvest.

There are Roma tomatoes also known as paste, plum, and pear--all are names applied to this class of tomato. These varieties are typically meatier and less juicy than other types, making them the best tomatoes for canning, dehydrating, and making sauces and salsa.

There are grape tomatoes which weigh one to three ounces and are oblong shaped. They are great for salads and snacking.
I am sure that there are other types, but this is enough for now.
There are two classes of tomatoes: determinate and indeterminate. This refers to how big and long they will grow and if they will all ripen at once or if they will keep putting on more and more tomatoes. Determinate tomato plants grow to about three to four feet tall. These put out all their tomatoes within a week or so. These are used in commercial production. Usually, they do not need a tomato cage. When they are done, they are done.

Before growing anything, you need to understand the following:

There are all types of tricks, tips and traditions that people grew up with and practice. For the purpose of our blog, we are going to tell you how to grow them naturally, meaning how they grow in nature, for the most part.

Indeterminate tomato plants are what home gardeners like to grow since they will continue putting out tomatoes until the temperatures hit 90 degrees (except for cherry – they will continue to produce) or frost. You will have to trellis them since they can get up to anywhere from six to eight feet tall. I have grown some that were taller. I had to use a horizontal trellis. This is also what is grown in commercial greenhouses.

The colors are varied. You could see red, green, yellow, orange, dual color, pink, and black which is usually a deep purple so that it looks black. The different colors do make a difference in taste and how much acidity is in the tomato.

There are heirlooms, open pollinated, and hybrids. Regrettably there is one GMO cherry tomato called The Purple Tomato. I am sure more will follow.

Before growing anything, you need to understand the following:

What works for me, may not work for you. And vice versa.

What worked yesterday, may not work today. And vice versa.

“Gardening is a lot like gambling, only the odds are worse.” Bob Webster

Whenever our seeds do not produce seedlings, we always want to blame the seeds instead of looking at the host of things that can go wrong with the least of these being the seed. For instance, if the seeds sprout and
start to grow, and we forget to water, which does happen, then it dies
before ever breaking the surface.

There are all types of tricks, tips and traditions that people grew up with and practice. For the purpose of our blog, we are going to tell you how to grow them naturally, meaning how they grow in nature, for the most part.

Once you have chosen the color, type and size of your tomato, and you have ordered and received the tomato seeds from David’s Garden Seeds®,  then you are ready to plant. You have to decide first if you are going to direct sow or start transplants. When the growing season is short, most gardeners will use transplants. You can buy these or start them yourself. When buying, you are limited to a few types since most growers will grow just a few varieties. At David’s Garden Seeds®, we start about 30 different types
of tomatoes each year to give you a selection to choose from.
We have a short spring growing season here in zone 9. Not from frost but due to the heat. Once the temperature is above 75 at night, the tomatoes, except cherry, stop producing.

If you are doing transplants, you will need a warm, well-lit area. This can be a heated greenhouse using grow lights. Usually, winter does not have enough daylight hours to grow transplants. Without enough light, plants will grow tall (leggy), then fall over and die. Read our article on Germination Tips. You will have to find out for your area. Here in zone 9, we usually have enough winter daylight hours to start transplants.

Depending on your area, you will want to start the transplants, so they are about six to eight inches tall when planting out. Taller is okay. (We will explain why in a bit.) Shorter is not okay.
There are many ways to start transplants. This works for all transplants, not just tomatoes. I am only going to talk about the way we do it.

We take two (we use two because one will not handle the weight) 11 x 20 trays with no drainage, and place 17 small pots that are 4 x 4 inches. The tray will hold 18 but we leave one out for the drip system to water. We use our own special germination mix. We fill the pots to about ¾ inch full. We take a 12-inch-long nail, but most any thing will work, and make a hole in the center of the pot, about 1/4 inch deep. Using a pair of tweezers, take one seed and drop it in the hole. When I am done with all 17, I lightly cover the seeds with dirt. Then I fill the trays ¾ of the way with water. Once this soaks up, I hit it again. I do not top water until the seeds come up.

After this initial filling, I will keep the tray halfway full until the
seedlings emerge. Then I will keep it about one quarter filled.
When the seedlings emerge and are about two inches tall, I cut back and follow the watering tip given in the Germination Tips.
When the plants are at least six inches tall, and the weather is warm, I will plant outside. If the plants are more than six to eight inches tall, I will dig a trench and plant everything so that only six inches is above ground. With tomatoes, every part of the stem that is below ground will produce roots that will make it a much stronger plant. Then I hit it with some Medina Agriculture’s Garret Juice.

For direct sowing, I prepare my soil. Then I put down a fabric weed barrier so water and air can go through. Make a ¾ to one inch hole in the fabric and plant the seed, ¼ inch down. Moisten gently every day until the seedling emerges. Once the seedling emerges, follow the watering steps in the Steps of Seed Germination article linked above. Then I will fertilize every two weeks with Medina Agriculture’s Hasta Gro Plant or Seaweed Fertilizer. I mix it up.

Watch for insects. Usually all I get is a couple of hornworms which I squeeze and make a part of the organic soil. There are many guides on the web to help you identify any insects and/or diseases you may get.

Some like to prune the plants. I do not. Here in Texas the plants need all the leaves they can get. If too much sun hits the tomato, it will get sun scalded with a big burned spot on it.

That is all there is to it. Simple!

If you let the tomatoes ripen on the vine, you can use them in your
canning without adding any preservatives. Why? As the tomato ripens, the acidity in it decreases. Less acid, lower pH level. For tomatoes you are looking for a pH of 4.5 or less. You can buy a pH tester to check and make sure. This is not everything about tomatoes, but it is enough to get you started.

Email me at davidsgardenseeds@outlook.com with any questions. In January we are offering classes on planting tomato seeds. You will have to pre-register and pre-pay.