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Tomatoes for home Gardens
Tomatoes are one of the most popular Garden vegetables. Many different
tomato types, varieties and shapes are available for Gardening.
Tomatoes do
best if started indoors from seed six to eight weeks before planting. For
an early crop, plant tomatoes as soon as the danger of frost is past.
Popular varieties of tomatoes are available at nurseries and Garden
centers as bedding plants, or transplants. The four consistently
performing tomato varieties for this area are Big Beef, Celebrity, Early
Girl and Medina. When buying transplants, remember that, for healthy
plants, the condition of the plant is more important than the variety.
 Tomatoes perform best in a warm, rich, deep Garden soil and have an
extensive root system. Add a one-inch layer of organic material to the
tomato-bed soil and mix it in deeply. Fertilize the area before planting
tomatoes. Warm the soil using black fabric mulch, or plant tomatoes on the
south side of buildings that are warmed by the sun.
If there's a possibility of frost, protect the plants with hot caps,
plastic covers, boxes or baskets. Remember to remove this protection each
morning to vent the plants and prevent over-heating.
A poor crop can be caused by night temperatures below 50 degrees
Farenheit when pollen isn't produced in sufficient quantities. Once
tomatoes form, avoid fluctuations in soil moisture to prevent blossom end
rot, a disorder related to watering and the movement of nutrients into the
plant.
To hurry the ripening of tomatoes, withhold water a bit, but avoid
prolonged wilting of the plant. When frost threatens in autumn, cover
plants or cut them off at ground level and hang them upside down indoors
so tomatoes continue to ripen on the vine.
For "Organic soil amendments" refer to message number 1604.
For more information, see the following Colorado State Extension fact sheet(s).
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