Take Care of Your Tomato
Spring is here and the threat of frost is gone for the season. That means it’s time to plant veggies! Warm loving vegetables like squash, cucumbers and tomatoes can be planted outside. Warm loving vegetables love and thrive in full sunlight. For a successful and fruitful harvest you’ll want to be sure your plants get at least six hours or more of sunlight every day. Let’s take care of tomatoes!
For those new to vegetable gardening, it can get confusing with all the varieties. We will focus in on tomatoes for now. If you already love tomatoes, its a good idea to start with a couple varieties you and your family enjoy. Whether its red or yellow cherry tomatoes to top a salad, or a hearty slicing tomato for sandwiches, be sure to focus on varieties that won’t go to waste.
When choosing a tomato plant it is very important to pay attention to the signage in the store. Many of these signs may have terminology on it that can be confusing.
Tomato Terminology:
Indeterminate, determinate, heirloom and hybrid are all terms you’ll see in the tomato aisle. We can help you define the differences and pick the best tomato plant for you.
Indeterminate: several fruit harvests throughout the season.
Determinate: one harvest per season.
Heirloom: older varieties that have really good flavor but are susceptible to disease.
Hybrid: newer varieties that have been bred for disease resistance. However, you can sometimes lose flavor with hybrids.
Planting:
So you’ve selected the best plant for you. Now it’s time to plant! In our experience, not many people have the space to grown tomatoes in the ground, however you can. At Ashcombe, when growing tomatoes in a pot, we recommend at least a 12″ pot for one tomato plant.
Whether you have an existing garden, or are starting in a pot, we recommend this Bumper Crop Soil. With Bumper Crop you can amend your existing soil or fill the entire pot with it.
If you’re planting in the ground, Kerri, our Retail Plant Manager suggests putting a healthy layer of Bumper Crop at the bottom of the hole where you’re planting. After laying down the soil, place in your plant then sprinkle the Bumper Crop around the top of the plant. This allows the Bumper Crop to be concentrated right where your plant is growing.
This soil is full of organic nutrients that are great for your vegetables and any other flower garden.
Tomato Support:
If you’re planting in the ground or in a pot, your tomato plant is going to need support. Even compact tomato varieties should have some kind of support. You can use a single stake, dowel rod, or tomato cage to help keep your plant upright as the fruit develops.
Fertilizer:
Your vegetables will definitely need fertilizer throughout the summer. You can use organic pelletized fertilizer, time release, or even a liquid fertilizer. Using the same fertilizer consistently will ensure a bigger and better harvest.
With so many varieties to choose from, you’re sure to find one for you or your family. Ashcombe has a complete list off all our available vegetables online! You can all order online for curbside pickup or delivery.