Tomato plants

Probably my favorite garden producer is tomatoes. Both Marge and I enjoy tomatoes, but I do especially. The seeds really bother Marge so she has to be careful what variety she eats and how much. Tomatoes don't seem to bother me no matter how many I eat. Tomato juice doesn't either, nor do canned, whole tomatoes. I love canned, whole tomatoes.

I plant my tomatoes using starter soil. Most things you can plant using a good potting mix, but I use a starter soil for tomatoes. I wet the starter soil or mix and get it damp but not wet. Just damp! I use small starter containers like a 5-inch-by-5-inch or 2-inch-by-2-inch or even a 2-inch-by-3-inch. I put about 1.5 to 2 inches of damp starter in the container then put the tomato seeds right on top leaving about a half-inch between seeds. I then sift dry starter mix on top, say 1/8 inch or so. I then sprinkle the top with a soda bottle. What I do is take a small plastic pop bottle and burn a bunch of holes in the lid with a real small heated nail. Perfect to water in seeds. I then set my planted trays under lights. I set these trays in 1022 trays and cover with a clear plastic lid. It keeps the seed containers from drying out.

Normally the seeds will germinate in three to four days. They are really delicate for two to four weeks, so don't let them dry out, but don't drown them either. After they develop several leaf branches, I then replant them in 3-inch plastic containers using damp potting mix. If the plant is leggy, plant it deeper. I like to water this new plant in using a mix of a 8-56-9 fertilizer, I water my plants in using this mix till they get transplanted into the garden. The first and last numbers might be different, but the important number is a high middle number.

If you have a protected spot in your garden, you can actually plant the tomatoes into the garden at any time. I usually wait until my tomato plants are 8 to 10 inches tall and dark green and growing.

When you transplant the tomatoes into the garden, you can plant them as deep as you want. The stem you plant underground will develop roots and will benefit your tomatoes growth. I water my planted plants in with a mix of 8-56-9 as well. When you transplant your tomatoes, try to be careful not to get any soil up on the tomato plant. The soil contains fungus and disease so the cleaner you plant the better for the plant. I wear plastic gloves and change them after planting a few plants.

When first planted, the key is keeping the plants damp but not wet. They won't really need much water until they begin to develop and put on tomatoes. The bigger the tomatoes, the more water the tomato plant will need. A full-sized tomato plant that is putting on tomatoes might need as much as a half gallon of water daily. We use drippers on our tomatoes and probably water them every other day or so. It's always been said to water them deep so that the roots go down. In my opinion this is true on trees, but not on tomatoes. A tomato plant will develop an extensive root system and not be over 6 inches deep. Consistent watering is the key.

As your tomato grows and you pick goodies from down low, the leaves will brown and show disease. Trim off these branches and burn or discard. Don't add to mulch. You can simply trim the branches up the vine as you pick tomatoes.

When your tomato plant is blooming and ready to start tomatoes, fertilize with some calcium nitrate. It adds nitrogen, which helps your plant grow but also adds calcium which helps your plant from developing blossom end rot.

I love tomatoes right off the vine. Sprinkle on a little Lawry's seasoning salt and enjoy. The Stupice tomatoes are the perfect size to just pop in your mouth.