The queen of summer plates is an unmissable of the vegetable garden! Here are our tips to harvest plentiful and flavourful tomatoes.
1. Bet on several varieties. Flavours, shapes, sizes, colours, productivity: from cherry tomatoes to old varieties (beef’s heart, Crimea black, Andres retort, pineapple, green zebra...), it is easy to vary the pleasures!
2. Do not plant too early. Tomato seedlings start from the end of winter about two months before planting, but under a shelter and with a high enough temperature (at least 20 °C) to ensure germination. It is possible to also buy young plants ready to use. In both cases, wait for the end of the last freeze before transferring them into open ground (beware of mid-May’s “Ice Saints”!).
3. Choose the right place. Tomatoes love rich and properly drained soils and – of course – sunshine. When you plant them, leave at least a 50 cm space between the feet to avoid disease spreading.
4. Stake. Setting up stakes is not essential for some varieties but generally it avoids the plan falling apart under the weight of the tomatoes. It protects the fruits from some diseases and eases the harvest.
5. Mulch the soil. A good mulching between the rows of tomatoes limits weed proliferation, keeping the soil fresh, avoiding the fruits touching the soil, allowing to space watering and protecting the plants from splashing.
6. Water wisely. Tomatoes need water regularly but moderately so as not to dilute the aromas and not to favour disease propagation. Also, do not water the leaves but only the foot so as to avoid mildew.
7. Take care of the tomato lovers. Traditionally, when tomatoes are growing, we remove sprouts developing under the leaves drawing the sap without developing fruits. However, some amateur gardeners prefer not to “hurt” the plant, which then produces smaller tomatoes but is more resistant to diseases.
8. Associate. To protect tomatoes, nothing better than associating them with other vegetables. For instance, marigold protects them from many diseases and parasites. Also try basil (not only in a salad with mozzarella or on a pizza), because its smell repels some pests. There is strength in number in the garden too!