Planting the Season's Tomatoes
Tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum, have long been one of America’s favorite garden vegetables. Those bold red, sun-ripened tomatoes deliver the taste of summer with every bite. And, they’re filled with excellent antioxidants and vitamins.
Just a handful of healthy plants can produce a bounty of delicious fruits within six to eight weeks. The best time to plant tomatoes is when daytime temperatures are consistently above 65-degrees Fahrenheit. Over the last few days, my gardeners, Ryan and Carlos, planted this season’s tomato crop - more than 120-plants are now growing in our outdoor beds.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
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- The outdoor grounds crew already covered the beds with thick, black weed cloth to make the beds neat, tidy, and free from weeds. The foot paths were also covered to deter the weeds from growing. Tomatoes should be planted in an area with full sun and well-drained soil.
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- Here is Ryan bringing out one of the many trays of tomato plants – these plants were all started from seed in my greenhouse.
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- Here are the tomatoes just getting planted from seed last April.
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- They were then germinated in our indoor Urban Cultivator machine. We don’t use any pesticides or chemicals of any kind in these machines, so we know we’re nurturing the highest quality plants.
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- And now these plants are at least a foot tall. We always grow an abundance of tomatoes – I love to share them with family and friends and use them to make all the delicious tomato sauce we enjoy through the year.
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- Ryan separates the determinate from the indeterminate tomato plants. Determinate tomatoes, or “bush” tomatoes, are varieties that grow to a compact height of about three to four feet. Determinates stop growing when fruit sets on the top bud. Indeterminate tomatoes will grow and produce fruit until killed by frost. They can reach heights of up to 12-feet tall.
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- Then Ryan sets all the plants in the rows where they will be planted, making sure all the plants are equally spaced along the bed.
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- This year, our crop of tomatoes is on the opposite side of the large vegetable bed. Always rotate crops. Doing this gives various nutrients to the soil, and improves soil structure and fertility by alternating deep-rooted and shallow-rooted plants.
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- Using his utility knife, Ryan cuts an “x” through the weed cloth that’s just big enough for the plant.
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- Transplanted tomatoes that are kept free of weeds for the first four to eight weeks can usually outcompete emerging weeds later. Using a small shovel, Carlos creates a hole for each of the tomato plants. Most tomato plant varieties need about 100-days to mature, but there are some that only need 50-60 days. You can also stagger your plantings, so you have early, mid and late season tomato harvests.
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- Most tomato plants stem below ground. Plant them deep – everything to just under the bottom set of leaves from the top.
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- These holes are at least a foot deep.
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- The holes are also about three-feet apart from each other. Carlos continues to dig the holes for each plant until all the rows are done. This can take a bit of time. The holes are just big enough to plant in and small enough to prevent a good amount of weeds from emerging.
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- Each plant is positioned right next to its hole. We try to fit at least 10 to 12-plants in each row to maximize the use of garden bed space.
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- Ryan follows up with a healthy scoop of fertilizer. The best fertilizer for tomato plants contains a relatively low concentration of nitrogen. High nitrogen content promotes the growth of stem and leaves, but not the fruit and flowers. Instead, tomato plants use phosphorous and potassium to produce fruit. Apply the fertilizer before the tomato plant is placed in the hole. A fertilizer with a 5-10-5 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium is good for the young plants.
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- As the tomato plants grow, they need to be staked for support. Staking helps to keep the fruit off the ground, while helping to keep the plant somewhat upright. Don’t use any chemically treated wood or other material for staking climbers, as the chemicals would likely run off and go into the soil. We use, and reuse, bamboo stakes that are light, easy to store and support our plants just right.
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- Ryan begins planting. Two-thirds of the plant should be underground, meaning all but the two top most leaf sets should be buried.
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- Planting deeply helps the plant to develop more roots, and more roots mean more ability to take up water and nutrients.
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- If the seedling is already too tall and wobbly, dig a trench instead of a hole and lay the plant on its side. The stronger root system also helps the plant better survive the hot weather. This applies to tomatoes planted in the ground, in a raised bed or in a container.
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- Ryan backfills each hole and unfolds the weed cloth flaps – hopefully this method of using weed cloth and “x”‘s will really cut down on the amount of weeding this season.
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- At this stage, they are staked with two to three foot tall bamboo canes. They can be tied gently with jute twine – the loop around the plant stem should be just tight enough to keep the vine secure, but not break it. These plants look so much better when kept upright and neat. Most tomato plant varieties need between 50 and 90 days to mature. Planting can also be staggered to produce early, mid and late season tomato harvests.
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- The first rows of plants are now in the ground. It’s a good idea to grow a range of varieties, including at least one or two disease-resistant types, since, of all veggies, tomatoes tend to be the most susceptible to disease. 93-percent of American gardeners grow tomatoes in their yards, and according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, most Americans eat between 22 and 24 pounds of tomatoes per person, per year – this includes tomatoes in sauces.
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- Several rows done and just a couple more rows to go – soon we will have delicious, juicy tomatoes here at the farm.
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