In the summer time there is nothing quite like a big, beautiful, delicious tomato. Make a BLT, serve them with vegetables, or make wonderful salads.
The problem is that you cannot find those delicious tomatoes in the supermarket. But you can find them in your backyard or on your deck if you grow them yourself.
Grown properly, six plants can feed a family of four all summer long. The tomatoes will grow well in the ground or in containers (use a minimum of 16” diameter pots). These plants love direct sunlight. So try to place them on the south side of the house. East is the next best direction and north is the worse. These plants will not do well in the shade. Be sure to use our special plant mix .
Your local nurseryman will have lots of different varieties to choose from. These are my recommendations:
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Sweet 100’s. These are the small cherry tomatoes. Extremely prolific. Get only one plant. It will grow all over the place, so give it plenty of room. They aren’t call sweet 100’s for nothing. Yes, you will have 100’s of these little gems.
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Early Girl. Just exactly what it’s name is. These are the ones that will ripen first. It is recommended that you get at least two of these.
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Big Boy. Yep. These grow into big tomatoes. You will love them. Get at least two.
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Better Boy. Don’t you just love these names. And yes, they are just a little better than Big Boy. But you will not be able to tell the difference. Get two or three of these plants.
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Beef Eater. Interesting name. The tomatoes on these plants grow quite large. Get two or three of these plants.
Fertilizing. Osmocote is the recommended fertilizer. Use the 14-14-14. About a table spoon per young plant. In two months, add two tablespoons per plant. Fertilize every two months. If you can’t find the Osmocote, then use any commercial fertilizer that has even numbers for the chemicals. Example, 10-10-10 or 16-16-16.
Watering. These plants love water. So check them daily for awhile and see how they are doing. Based on how much sun they are getting, you will be able to determine the frequency of watering needed. Watch for limp and/or wilted leaves, this is one of the first signs of not enough water.
Staking. These plants will easily grow to six feet tall. It is important to use a 6’ long stake and then tie the plant to the stake as it grows. I use a 3/8 inch rebar for my stakes. Pressure treated stakes do well also. Ask your nurseryman for a recommendation.
Timing. Do not plant your tomatoes before April 15.
