Caring for the Tomato Plants
My tomatoes are growing so beautifully this season.
Every year, I love to grow a large and interesting assortment of tomatoes. I purchase many of the seeds from reputable seed companies, but I also make a point of collecting seeds during my travels. In addition, I like to use seeds that have been passed on to me from other gardeners and friends. This year, as part of our tomato plant maintenance plan, we used metal posts and netting to keep all the tomatoes off the ground and to provide more room for the vines to grow and climb. I am happy to report all the plants are thriving and looking excellent. I cannot wait to harvest lots of juicy, sweet tomatoes!
Enjoy these photos.
-
- Everything in the vegetable garden is growing so quickly this season including the tomatoes. And this year, we used different materials to support the climbing vines.
-
- A few weeks ago, the crew installed metal uprights and netting leftover from old deer fencing on both sides of each tomato bed. In this photo taken in mid-July, Domi secures the netting to the metal with four-inch-long cable ties or zip ties.
-
- These metal supports are about eight feet tall, and provide a lot of room for the vines to grow, climb, and spread.
-
- Two weeks ago, the tomato plants were still only ankle-high.
-
- And yesterday, the vines are already beginning to climb up the netting. Chhiring has started securing the taller vines to the net. He has also started trimming suckers and crisscrossing vines.
-
- Maintaining the plants and checking them regularly will go a long way in keeping them healthy. Another key to maintaining a rich vegetable garden is to rotate the tomato bed between a few spots in the garden to diminish the risk of soil-borne diseases such as bacterial spot and early blight.
-
- It’s always 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. And be sure to grow the right types for your area.
-
- Chhiring removes any suckers he sees — those vigorous stems sprouting in-between a “V” of the stem and side branch. He removes the suckers beneath the first fruit cluster so they won’t slow the development of the fruit. It also keeps the plant open, allowing for good air circulation.
-
- And look at all these gorgeous tomatoes – all of them still suspended on the vine and looking perfect.
-
- As the vines continue to grow, Chhiring secures them with these polypropylene plastic trellis clips – the industry standard for supporting tomatoes. These clips are easy to use and have a quick-release feature that allows for easy moving and removing.
-
- Each clip can accommodate a stem up to 3/4 inch in diameter. They also have side openings for better ventilation.
-
- The clips are secured to the stem and to the netting giving them lots of support. These are available at Johnny’s Selected Seeds, a garden seed and supply source I’ve used for many years.
-
- Among this year’s varieties – this old favorite, Rutgers tomatoes are highly productive. The large, fruits have a thick flesh with superior flavor. Strong determinate vines yield a large initial crop followed by several flushes of fruit – a true classic tomato.
-
- ‘Charger’ hybrid tomatoes are large heavy fruits that are terrific for slicing. These will be wonderful in sandwiches.
-
- ‘Summer Sweet’ is one of the larger varieties of dwarf tomatoes. Fruits average about 10-ounces and are packed with fruitiness.
-
- We keep markers at the base of each plant, so it is easy to identify those plants that do best and should be planted again next season.
-
- And these are ‘Best Boy’ tomatoes. These have great taste, terrific flavor, and a firm texture. These are still small, but when ready to pick, ‘Best Boy’ plants produce large crops with up to eight-ounce fruits.
-
- Most tomato plants need between 50 and 90 days to mature. Planting can also be staggered to produce early, mid, and late-season tomato harvests.
-
- Chhiring checks each and every plant to make sure it is well-secured.
-
- We have more than 100 tomato plants this year. These plants look so much better when kept upright and neat. The tomato plants have a lot of room to climb, keeping delicious fruits off the ground.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
