How are your tomato plants doing? Mine are growing excellently with careful planning and maintenance.
Tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum, grow on vines, so it is crucial to provide strong structures to which the vines can cling and climb. Some use pre-made tomato cages. I like to use bamboo for the supports. Bamboo is attractive, easy to find, and can be reused year after year. I also use natural jute twine to carefully secure the plants to the bamboo canes. Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, did some maintenance to the tomato crop - trimming unwanted growth and suckers, and tying the vines to keep the growing fruits off the ground.
Enjoy these photos.
We planted our tomatoes at the very end of May. Some I got from a friend, some came from Bonnie Plants, one of my longtime trusted vendors, and some were planted from seed in my greenhouse. Tomatoes grow best when the daytime temperature is between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They stop growing above 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Tomatoes also need full sun and warm, well-drained soil.
My tomato plants are always planted deeply. Doing this helps the plant to develop more roots, and more roots mean more ability to take up water and nutrients. 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.
My bamboo tee-pee like structures were put up last year and then re-secured this spring. Never use chemically treated wood or other material for staking climbers, as the chemicals would likely run off and go into the soil.
Two tomato plants are placed next to each upright stake. With nutrient rich soil and warm days they grow pretty quickly.
Here they are just a couple weeks after planting – already looking so robust. In all, I have a 120-tomato plants this year.
By the end of June, they were knee-hi and taller.
All the stakes are pounded into the ground at an angle, so they touch each other at the top.
Horizontal bamboo canes are also secured across all the bamboo uprights. Twine is used at each joint. Securing the tomato plants is a time consuming process, but very crucial to good plant growth and performance.
I use jute twine for all the farm projects – everything is kept uniform and as natural as possible.
By July, the tomato plants are nearly doubled in size.
It takes about 50 to 90 days for tomato varieties to reach maturity. At this stage, it is time for the plant vines to be lifted and secured off the ground.
Here are some of the first cherry tomatoes growing perfectly on the vine.
Norman wraps jute twine around the entire bed. He does this twice at different heights to secure the plants at high and low levels.
They look much better already. Tomatoes can get very heavy – one of the heaviest tomatoes I’ve grown was four pounds!
Tomato leaves have serrated, or wavy and pointed, edging along the entire perimeter. Tomato leaves are compound with multiple leaflets growing along a common stem, called a rachis. These leaves are also slightly fuzzy to the touch, which is caused by the trichomes, or multi-cellular hairs, on the plant.
At the bottom, each plant is tied to the bamboo stakes where needed. A simple figure eight knot is used. I teach all the gardeners and grounds crew members to use these figure eights, so the stems are not crushed.
Each plant is now carefully propped up and secured.
Nearby, Ryan trims off any dead or extra unwanted growth to redirect energy back to the fruits. He also removes yellowing leaves to improve the plant’s appearance and prevent disease. Periodic maintenance and pruning controls the size of the vine and encourages larger tomatoes. This can be done every 14 days until about one to two weeks before the first tomato harvest.
Ryan also 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, in addition to selecting different varieties for different cooking and eating qualities, consider planting varieties with different days to maturity to ensure more harvests during the season. Growing early and midseason varieties will ensure a good supply from midsummer to fall.
Maintaining the plants and checking them regularly will go a long way in keeping them healthy. There are so many tomatoes growing, Very soon, we will have many to enjoy. I can almost taste them now.
The next time you're in New York City and crave the delicious foods of true Indian cuisine, go to Bungalow, the East Village establishment run by Michelin star chef, MasterChef India judge and author, Vikas Khanna, and Bombay House Hospitality founder and CEO, Jimmy Rizvi.
Earlier this week I dined at Bungalow with family and friends - I hope you saw the photo on my Instagram page @marthastewart48. On the menu, Chef Vikas includes some of his favorite family recipes as well as traditional classics and regional specialties. Guests can select from a list of small plates and large plates - we tried nearly every one and enjoyed them all. Among them, the Smoked Sweet Potato Chaat, Shrimp Balchao cones, and Anarkali Chicken, Chicken Chitranee, Paneer Chandni, Sheermal bread, and much more. For dessert, we had Rose Kulfi, Molten Chocolate Cake, and Mango Three Ways: rasmalai, mango mousse, and coulis with raspberries. It was a very fun and most delicious meal.
Here are more photos, enjoy.
It was a lovely evening to meet up with friends and family after a busy work day in New York City. Here I am in front of the restaurant Bungalow with my niece Sophie Herbert Slater, her sons Silas and Felix, Chef Vikas Khanna, and his friend and assistant, Mysha.
Vikas Khanna is a Michelin star chef, restaurateur, cookbook writer, filmmaker and humanitarian. I first met Vikas when he catered an event for me in 2005. He was also a guest on my LIVE television show in 2011 along with my niece Sophie. Vikas went on to be the host of MasterChef India for seven seasons. And last March, he opened Bungalow.
The name Bungalow refers to Indian social clubs and comes from the Hindi word “bangla” meaning “a house in the Bengali style.” (Photo courtesy of Bungalow)
Outside the entrance to Bungalow are two large stainless steel vessels containing a bath of red rose petals, pink roses, and votives. This symbolizes femininity, beauty, strength, and fertility.
The restaurant is divided into three different sections including a lounge, a dining area, and a kitchen. Many of the photos and decorations are authentic and were brought here from India. (Photo courtesy of Bungalow)
This is the dining room, which gets lots of natural light. Chef Vikas and Jimmy wanted the space to feel nostalgic and cozy. (Photo courtesy of Bungalow)
We loved this beautiful small plate of Smoked Sweet Potato Chaat made with green mango sauce, yam chip, ashwagandha droplets.
This dish is called Ammi’s Lamb Chops served with mango powder, green papaya, poppy seed, ginger, and garlic. Everything was so flavorful.
This exquisite chaat, which is the Hindi word for “snack,” is finger papad with lime and garlic crystals.
And this appetizer is called Shrimp Balchao Cones – a dish from Goa. It is made with nigella, tamarind, garlic and curry leaves.
Anarkali Chicken is another small plate with pomegranate-chili, cilantro chutney, and zesty watermelon radish.
Among the menu’s large plates, or entrées, is this Paneer Chandni – it was one of my favorites. This is made with homemade cheese, cashews, cardamom, and black pepper.
Everyone loves traditional naan – the leavened, oven-baked flatbread characterized by its light and slightly fluffy texture and golden-brown spots from baking. This garlic naan is a must-have.
This very special dish is inspired by the harvest festivals of South India. It is spice roasted pineapple with coconut, lemon, mustard seeds, and curry leaves. This photo was taken just before the sauce was poured around the fruit.
The Chicken Chitranee is a homestyle chicken curry with tomatoes, tamarind, and shishito chili – another big hit at the table.
This was one of the most unique dishes! It is a saffron bread called Sheermal made with flour, cardamom, saffron and a satiating amount of ghee, or clarified butter.
My nephew Christopher also joined us. Here he is with Sophie, Chef Vikas, Felix, and Silas.
For dessert we had Rose Kulfi, an Indian-style ice cream, with candied rose petals, butterfly pea rabdi, and white chocolate bark. Sophie noted that the floral rose notes were reminiscent of many of the ancient temples she has visited in India.
This Molten Chocolate Cake was complimented well with gulab jamun ice cream and cherry compote.
This dessert was called Mango Three Ways: rasmalai, mango mousse, and coulis with raspberries. The children devoured every morsel.
And here I am with Chef Vikas. Congratulations Chef – to you, Jimmy, and the restaurant – it is excellent. And, it has already served 100,000 meals in the first 110 days since opening. If you love Indian cuisine, this is definitely a stop to include on your next trip to New York City.
It's so important to keep up with the maintenance and care of the many trees and plants here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Two years ago, I started creating a garden maze of interesting hedges, espaliers, and shrubs in the pasture across the carriage road from my Winter House terrace. I've planted hundreds of different specimens that add texture and interest - all according to a very detailed map I designed specifically for the space. To keep them healthy and looking their best, I make sure we prune, feed, and mulch them regularly. I'm happy to report, every row is looking vibrant and "a-maze-ing."
Enjoy these latest photos.
Here is one path of my maze. A living garden maze is a puzzle of plantings – most will grow tall enough to prevent walkers from seeing the paths ahead. And each row will branch off with various pathway options and dead ends – with only one correct route to the center.
Remember this view? I designed the maze in this three acre pasture in front of my Winter House, so I could see it right from my window.
As each puzzling path bed is cleared of sod, the spaces are measured and marked, the plants are carefully counted and placed, and then planted, watered and top dressed with nutrient-rich mulch.
Here is one of the early rows. For a maze, it’s best to use relatively fast-growing trees. Many will grow to be at least six feet tall and two feet wide at maturity.
And here is one of the rows I planted just this spring. Everything is looking so lush and green, in part because of the maintenance and care I give them throughout the year.
Each shrub or bush is planted appropriately with enough space to accommodate its full grown size. These will grow taller and more stout.
When needed, the developing hedges are trimmed. Proper and regular trimming helps keep them thick and full, giving them a neat and tidy look. It also promotes new growth, improves air circulation and light through the branches, and keeps them looking aesthetically pleasing.
I also trim the hedges in layers, so they can be seen from afar.
The footpaths are also designed appropriately, so my horses can walk through the maze as well. I think they really enjoy it.
Not long ago, the crew started taking on the task of mulching all the beds at the farm. Here, Alex takes a wheelbarrow of mulch to the maze. This mulch is made right here – downed trees are ground multiple times by a tub grinder I call in every couple of years.
The three-inch mulched area extends to the drip line of the branches. And be sure not to over-mulch, which could suffocate the roots.
I planted both deciduous and evergreen specimens, so there is something interesting to see at every turn.
This is one of three young weeping camperdown elms. Camperdown elms prefer partial to full sun, but will also grow in light shade. The maze is a perfect environment for these trees.
I also planted several Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’ trees, American sweetgums. As these trees mature, they will maintain their erect, columnar form, growing up to 50 feet tall and only about four-feet wide.
This is an Ember Waves Western Arborvitae
– a colorful evergreen with yellow new growth that contrasts so beautifully with the maturing chartreuse to bright green foliage.
Paul’s Gold threadleaf false cypress, Chamaecyparis pisifera, has year-round golden green foliage.
I also have espaliered apple trees growing in my maze – at the right time, those walking through can pick a fruit while they meander through this botanical puzzle.
All the apple trees are doing so well here – I already have so many fruits growing on the branches.
Red Beauty holly has bright red berries combined with glossy, dark green foliage. Many varieties of holly, Ilex, have compact habits and glistening leaves that’s excellent for hedges, borders, and yes, mazes.
And in this area, a selection of handsome London planetrees, Platanus acerifolia ‘Bloodgood,’ a relative of the mighty sycamore. These trees are large shade trees with broad open crowns. They were the perfect choice for the center of my maze, where they will surround and shade an open space.
The maze is looking so great – I am very pleased with how it is turning out. And we’ve gotten so much done. I think it may be finished sooner than expected – I can’t wait. Follow my blog here online and on Instagram @marthastewartblog and see all the latest updates on all my gardens at the farm.
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