Tomato season is here

The soil is getting warmer, the frost is over, and the days are longer, perfect conditions for growing tomatoes from seed. Let’s face it, there is nothing tastier than home grown tomatoes.

Tomatoes are the most popular fruiting veggie among home veggie gardeners and are great for beginner gardeners. With savvy succession sowing it’s possible to have tomatoes from summer through to autumn.

Tomatoes need:

Full sun (at least six hours), fertile, compost enriched soil that drains easily and space to grow. Tomatoes grow into substantial plants and should be spaced about 60 to 80 cm apart.

Tips for growing from seed

Sow directly into the soil or into seed trays or single pots for transplanting when seedlings are about 12cm tall. When transplanting, position the plant in the ground so that the lowest set of leaves is at soil level and press the soil down gently. This produces a sturdy plant.

Summer long tomatoes

Most heirloom varieties are indeterminate tomatoes that grow indefinitely, producing fruit on an ongoing basis. Also called vining tomatoes, they will continually grow larger and produce more fruits until cold weather kills the plant.

Getting the best from your tomatoes

Regular, deep watering is best around the base of the plant so that the leaves stay dry. When the plant starts to flower make sure that the soil remains consistently moist. Mulch to keeps the roots cool as well.

All tomatoes benefit from being supported by stakes or frames, especially indeterminate tomatoes and those with large beef-steak type tomatoes.

Fertilise with a liquid fertiliser like Margaret Roberts Organic Supercharger when the plant starts flowering and fruiting. Feeding before that produces excessive growth at the expense of fruit.

Prevent aphids, white fly. American bollworm and red spide by spraying with an organic pesticide every two weeks from mid-October when the fruit starts to  form and continue as the fruit develops.

Fungus disease can be prevented by watering carefully and making sure that the position in which tomatoes grow has good air circulation.

Harvesting

Let the fruit ripen on the bush. This allows the starches to turn to sugar, which intensifies the flavour. Store tomatoes at room temperature; not in the refrigerator which affects the taste.

Heirloom varieties:

Tomato Artisan ‘Bumble Bee Mix’.

These multi colour striped cherry tomatoes are bountiful producers and big on flavour, perfect for snacking or adding to salads, roasting or salsa. Plants grow 1 -1.5m tall and the first fruit is pickable within 80 to 100days. Grow two to three plants in a container or in the ground, 60cm apart. (RAW seed)

Tomato Currant ‘Gold Rush’.

This trailing tomato produces heavy clusters of countless golden-orange, sweetly flavoured grape-sized fruit. The higher you train it, the more it produces. An excellent snacking tomato or for salads, roasting, soup, and even jam making. The first fruit is harvested within 90 to 120 days. Can be grown in large containers as well. (RAW seed)

‘Tomato Pineapple’.

This large beefsteak tomato is red, yellow, and orange, both inside and out. It is a vining variety that will produce fruit throughout the season. It needs staking or a cage to support the heavy fruit. This variety may take a bit longer to bear fruit but the colour and flavour makes the wait worthwhile. (Kirchhoffs seed)

‘Tomato Heirloom Mix’.

A medley of purple, green, red, pink, yellow, black, orange, and white tomato varieties make up this heirloom mix. The flavours range from mild to sweet or tangy. Plant in full sun, spacing plants 60cm apart. Harvest within 80 to 110 days; let fruit ripen on the plant and use as soon as possible after picking because the skins bruise easily. (Kirchhoffs seed)

‘San Marzano’

This Roma tomato from Italy is considered by many chefs to be the best in the world for its intense red colour, sweet flavour and firm, almost seedless flesh. The skin also peels off easily. Plants grow up to 1.2m and are quick to harvest, within 60 to 70 days. (RAW seed)

‘Black Krim’

This vigorous, heat tolerant plant originating from Crimea with large dark brownish-red fruit has an intense smokey-sweet flavour. Plants need staking to support the large fruit which is ready for harvesting within 80 to 110 days. (RAW seed)

More information available at Kirchhoffs and Raw Living.

Article and images supplied by Alice Coetzee. 

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