Free lecture!
"No garden? How to plant containers"
10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Friday, May 14
(847) 256-0561
www.ChaletNursery.com
Tomatoes: Know Your Type!
Whether grown in containers or in the ground, tomatoes are certainly America's favorite vegetable. But there are a staggering number of varieties available, so it's important to know what you want from the plant you grow.
There are two basic types of tomato plants determinate and indeterminate. Each grow differently and while it sounds technical it really isn't.
The determinate tomato sets its flowers at the top of the plant. Fruits ripen generally all at about the same time and then are finished. Plants tend to be short and compact, making them great choices for containers and small-space gardens. You may want to consider having a few successive plantings spaced several weeks apart to provide fruit for a more extended period over the summer.
Indeterminate tomato plants grow in a zigzag pattern and can be quite large by the end of the summer, but they continue bearing fruit all summer long. They tend to start bearing later in the season and need lots of sun. Typically, eight or more hours will yield the most abundant crop.
Even moisture around the plant's base is crucial no matter which type of tomato you're planting. When we get into hot weather and plants are growing quickly, make sure they have frequent and deep watering at the roots, not overhead because that promotes fungal diseases.
Don't plant too early. Tomatoes are tropical plants and you won't get earlier fruit if they get frosted or are sulking in cold, wet soil. In the garden, plant the indeterminate types 3 feet apart for maximum development. Incorporate a balanced fertilizer at the time of planting and at least once more when the first fruit are the size of golf balls. Apply mulch after flowers appear because then you know the ground is warm.
Staking tomato plants is really the best option. Cages are usually fine for the determinate types. Since the indeterminate types grow much bigger you may want to stake at the time of planting and then also use big cages for additional support.
For more information on managing your home garden, please visit www.chaletnursery.com.
"No garden? How to plant containers"
10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Friday, May 14
(847) 256-0561
www.ChaletNursery.com
Tomatoes: Know Your Type!
Whether grown in containers or in the ground, tomatoes are certainly America's favorite vegetable. But there are a staggering number of varieties available, so it's important to know what you want from the plant you grow.
There are two basic types of tomato plants determinate and indeterminate. Each grow differently and while it sounds technical it really isn't.
The determinate tomato sets its flowers at the top of the plant. Fruits ripen generally all at about the same time and then are finished. Plants tend to be short and compact, making them great choices for containers and small-space gardens. You may want to consider having a few successive plantings spaced several weeks apart to provide fruit for a more extended period over the summer.
Indeterminate tomato plants grow in a zigzag pattern and can be quite large by the end of the summer, but they continue bearing fruit all summer long. They tend to start bearing later in the season and need lots of sun. Typically, eight or more hours will yield the most abundant crop.
Even moisture around the plant's base is crucial no matter which type of tomato you're planting. When we get into hot weather and plants are growing quickly, make sure they have frequent and deep watering at the roots, not overhead because that promotes fungal diseases.
Don't plant too early. Tomatoes are tropical plants and you won't get earlier fruit if they get frosted or are sulking in cold, wet soil. In the garden, plant the indeterminate types 3 feet apart for maximum development. Incorporate a balanced fertilizer at the time of planting and at least once more when the first fruit are the size of golf balls. Apply mulch after flowers appear because then you know the ground is warm.
Staking tomato plants is really the best option. Cages are usually fine for the determinate types. Since the indeterminate types grow much bigger you may want to stake at the time of planting and then also use big cages for additional support.
For more information on managing your home garden, please visit www.chaletnursery.com.
