If you grow tomatoes and start with starter plants instead of seeds, there are several good tricks to help grow healthier tomato plants. … [Read more...]
How to Grow Tomatoes from Cuttings
Did you know that a new tomato plant can be grown from just a snip off of a mature tomato plant? The cells within the stems of tomato plants are capable of developing roots. Amazing, right? This is exciting news for you tomato lovers out there who have wished you could make … [Read more...]
Get a Head Start on Peppers and Tomatoes in Winter
If you're like many gardeners, you start perusing seed catalogs and dreaming of garden-grown tomatoes and peppers in early February or before. In fact, long before it's safe to plant these frost-tender vegetables. Unless, of course, you trick Mother Nature by manipulating growing … [Read more...]
Growing Tomatoes: Bush or Vine
The tomato plant, Solanum lycopersicum, is native to South America, where it was first cultivated by the Aztecs who used the juicy red fruit in cooking. Its usage has since spread around the world, with some 7500 varieties now grown with names like Early Girl, Better Boy, Roma, … [Read more...]
Fertilizing Tomatoes
Once your tomatoes are growing well, you may wonder what else you can do to keep them healthy. Many gardeners focus on fertilizers as a growth enhancer for their tomatoes. This usually works, but there is a better focus for what your tomato plants really need if they are to … [Read more...]
Guide to Growing Juliet Tomatoes
The Juliet is one of the most popular of small "cherry" style tomatoes grown. They are known as a "grape" tomato not only for their shape, but also for their high sugar content (the trait that sets most grapes apart from cherries). The small, 1-2 oz. fruits are tasty, robust, and … [Read more...]
Guide to Growing Better Boy Tomatoes
The Better Boy is a hybrid tomato that is prized by home growers for its median maturity rate (70-75 days), and consistently excellent smooth-skinned fruits with a classic flavor. They are extremely popular thanks to their resistance to Verticillium and Fusarium Wilt. They are … [Read more...]
Guide to Growing Celebrity Tomatoes
The popular Celebrity strain of tomatoes has one major advantage over most others: it is almost entirely maintenance-free. There are more than one strain in this hybrid type, but the most common is Lycopersicon esculentum. Authorities are mixed on whether this variety is … [Read more...]
Guide to Growing Grape Tomatoes
It's only been recently that grape tomatoes have become popular with gardeners and cooks. These small, cherry-type tomatoes are set apart by their egg-like shape and their sweet flavor. They are generally smaller than cherry tomatoes – roughly the size of a grape, in fact. They … [Read more...]
Guide to Growing Early Girl Tomatoes
Early Girl tomatoes are an extremely popular variety that is one of the most common supermarket and backyard garden varieties in the U.S. This indeterminate variety grows to about the size of a tennis ball and has the look and shape of what most people would equate with a … [Read more...]
Guide to Growing Brandywine Tomatoes
The Brandywine varieties are some of the most popular heirloom tomatoes grown in North America. They are known for their huge size, great taste, and pumpkin-like ridges. Many color options are also available in the Brandywine family, including red, pink, orange, yellow and even … [Read more...]
Guide to Growing Cherokee Purple Tomatoes
One of the most popular of the non-traditional heirloom varieties of tomato, the Cherokee Purple grows to both great height and gives fruit of large size. It's very tasty with what's usually described as a “tomato-ey” flavor and has a distinctive deep reddish-purple color. … [Read more...]
Guide to Growing Lemon Boy Tomatoes
Although relatively new, the hybrid Lemon Boy is a big hit amongst both home and commercial growers. It's one of the more popular yellow tomato varieties today. The medium-sized fruits grow to 7 or 8 ounces and have a distinct, beautiful sunny yellow color. Very … [Read more...]
Guide to Growing Yellow Pear Tomatoes
Possibly the most popular yellow heirloom variety of tomato, the Yellow Pear gets its name from its color and shape. This variety dates back to the 1800s and is a vigorous indeterminate. It produces generously with an abundance of small, yellow pear-shaped tomatoes that are … [Read more...]
Sauce Tomatoes: Best Varieties
One of the things that many gardeners enjoy growing fresh tomatoes for is to make sauces. Whether it's a favorite spaghetti topping, a fun salad garnish, or a thick pasty sauce for any of a number of cultural recipes, growing your own tomatoes for it is the way to go. Some … [Read more...]
Yellow Tomatoes and Orange Tomatoes: Best Varieties
There are many varieties of yellow and orange tomatoes, nearly all of which are low in acid, making them a great boon to those on acid-reduced diets. Many are also heirloom varieties suitable for organic growing and most are also abundant producers. Gardeners grow yellow and … [Read more...]
How To Guide for Starting Tomato Seeds
Tomatoes are by far the most popular edible garden plant grown in the United States. They are grown indoors and out, starting from seed or transplants. If you're interested in starting your plants from seeds, then this information may help. Starting Seeds Early Indoors For … [Read more...]
Planting Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
Hanging baskets aren't just for flowers. Many gardeners, especially those living in urban areas, use hanging baskets to grow all kinds of vegetables and foods. Tomatoes are, of course, a prime pick and with the right variety and care, they can be extremely productive! Benefits … [Read more...]
Tips for Growing Tomatoes Upside Down
If you spend any time researching gardening products you have probably seen planters designed to hold a tomato plant upside down. This non-traditional way of growing a tomato plant can be a fun way to keep your garden interesting. It can also help gardeners with limited space … [Read more...]
How to Support Your Tomatoes
You don’t have to stake tomatoes in order to get a decent crop, but it’s a good idea. Staking saves space, but more importantly it keeps fruit off the ground, where it is vulnerable to damage from insects and diseases. Plus, it’s easier to harvest supported plants than to hunt … [Read more...]