By Celeste Stewart
Nothing quite compares to biting into a fresh tomato. The ones you buy at the supermarket may look red and delicious but often lack the full-bodied flavor and juiciness that only a homegrown tomato can deliver. That's because store bought tomatoes are picked well before their prime. In addition, numerous measures are used to ripen the tomato or make it look more appealing. The usual result - bland, flavorless, and pink. There's no mistaking a ripe, fresh, homegrown tomato. Abundant flavors, a rich color, and the perfect juicy texture that yields to your bite with a burst of seeds and flesh are second to none. Today's garden tomatoes come in heirloom varieties reminiscent of days gone by as well as easy-growing varieties. And just because the stores don't know how to, or aren't willing to, deliver perfection in a tomato, it doesn't mean you can't achieve tomato perfection on your own.
Guidelines for Growing Perfect Tomatoes
Growing tomatoes is easier than you may think when you know the basics of tomato planting. First, tomatoes love heat. With the right tools, even cooler areas can make use of heat to grow these hearty plants. If you live in USDA zone 3 or warmer, growing tomatoes during the warmer months is possible. Buy your tomato plants at a good quality nursery after the frost danger has passed, or start seedlings in your home or greenhouse about six to eight weeks before you expect the last frost.
Harden the plants or seedlings before you plan on planting them. You can do this by placing them outdoors in the garden area when nighttime temperatures stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
You'll want to take heat into account when choosing the area where you will plant your seedlings or young tomato plants. Find a sunny location that is sheltered from cooling breezes and wind. If needed, you can create your own wind break with a vine-covered trellis or plant alongside a sheltering garden wall.
Soil plays a role in tomato growth. Tomatoes prefer soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 and soil that is rich in organic matter. Use plenty of compost including crushed eggshells.
Dig a large hole (about the size of a basketball) for each plant and plant the young tomato plants deeply - as deep as up to the fourth set of leaves from the top. This encourages new root development which will serve your tomato plants well as they grow. Plant each plant about a foot to a foot and a half apart.
Cooler climates can take advantage of special products designed to reflect warmth and insulate the plants such as "walls of water."
Protect your plants from insects and cool temperatures by using a garden weed cloth. When the weather warms up, you can remove the cloth and replace it with mulch. This is a good time to install supports such as tomato cages that will be used to support the plants as they grow.
Water your tomato plants regularly and deeply, between one and two inches of water per week. Pick your tomatoes once the color has ripened to an even, glossy color and when the fruit feels somewhere between soft and firm. You'll love the true, tomato flavors and the luscious texture of a homegrown tomato.
No matter where you live, chances are you can find one out of over 25,000 varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes that will meet your climate's specific growing conditions.
.
Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be submitted to our
"