Cultivating Tomatoes in Your Personal Backyard Garden
Growing Healthy and Delicious Tomatoes: A Guide for Home Gardeners
Tomatoes are a staple in American diets, rich in vitamins C and A, and offering numerous health benefits. As a warm-season plant, they thrive in the right conditions and with careful cultivar selection. Here's a guide to help you grow healthy and delicious tomatoes in your home garden.
Choosing the Right Tomato Cultivars
When selecting tomato cultivars, consider factors such as disease resistance, growth habit, ripening season, and productivity. Heirloom tomatoes are gaining popularity, offering unique flavours and colours, but not all heirlooms are good. Many hybrids also have outstanding taste and disease resistance.
Soil Preparation
A soil test prior to planting gives you a baseline for better understanding your soil needs. Tomatoes grow best in a slightly acid soil with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8. Soil improvement through addition of organic matter or a cover crop can take several years before the soil reaches the "perfect" condition.
Fertilizing Tomatoes
Tomatoes are heavy feeders and respond well to fertilizer applications. An application of a starter fertilizer at transplanting will help tomato plants grow faster and flower sooner. In addition, they may require 2 to 3 pounds of a complete fertilizer per 100 square feet of garden area, or apply fertilizer based on soil test recommendations.
Planting Tomatoes
Tomatoes are warm-season plants and should be planted only after danger of frost has passed. They require full sun, meaning the more sunlight they receive, the better they will perform. A good raised bed should be 4 feet wide and 8 to 10 feet long. Make small furrows about 3 inches to each side of the row and 2-3 inches deep.
Caring for Tomatoes
Proper fertilization will not only ensure optimum production but also avoid unnecessary addition of minerals to the soils. Sidedressing is the application of fertilizer 2-4 inches beside a row of vegetables. Watering is crucial, and since tomato plants should be watered on a regular basis, it is a good idea to place the garden close to a water source for ease of watering.
Dealing with Diseases and Pests
Disease resistance can be an important consideration since most home gardeners are not equipped or willing to spray pesticides on a regular basis to manage diseases. Blossom drop can occur in early spring when daytime temperatures are warm, but night temperatures fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Harvesting and Enjoying Tomatoes
Tomatoes can be eaten raw or in various cooked dishes, and are an almost daily part of the American family diet. When choosing cultivars, keep in mind the various days to maturity. Excess tomatoes can be canned for future use.
The Health Benefits of Lycopene in Tomatoes
The health benefits of lycopene in tomatoes primarily stem from its powerful antioxidant properties, which help protect the body against various forms of cancer, reduce inflammation, support cardiovascular health, and promote skin health.
In summary, by choosing the right cultivars, preparing the soil, fertilizing, planting, caring for, and harvesting tomatoes, you can enjoy the numerous health benefits and delicious flavours that tomatoes offer. Happy gardening!
[1] ACS (2021). Lycopene. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/diet-physical-activity/lycopene.html [2] ACS (2021). Tomatoes and Lycopene. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/diet-physical-activity/tomatoes-and-lycopene.html [3] NCC (2020). Lycopene. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/diet-physical-activity/lycopene.html [4] NCC (2020). Tomatoes and Heart Health. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/tomatoes-and-heart-health [5] NCC (2020). Tomatoes and Skin Health. Retrieved from https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/tomatoes-and-skin-health
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