Tammy Kohlleppel / Dan Lineberger
Tomatoes are a member of the nightshade family and were once thought to be poisonous. Their genus name means, literally, “wolf peach” ... peach for their appearance and wolf for their (presumed) poisonous characteristic.
Genus: Lycopersicum esculentum
Variety: all
Broad types: Generally speaking, tomatoes are classified as either determinate or indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes bear flowers at the top of the main stem, indeterminate tomatoes will use that stem for further growing (I have known 3 lb. ripe fruit at the 11' mark) and, instead, set their flowers and fruit on the stalks growing off to the side for that purpose. To halt the upward growth of indeterminate tomatoes, pinch out the growing tip.
Annual / Perennial:
Technically a perennial, but in Michigan, they are not expected to survive our winters. If protected from last and first frosts, experience shows that the season may be extended by a month or more at each end of the growing season for a total of as much as 10 months some years. Planting before soil has warmed will not result in increased yield. The key is to accelerate the warming of the soil before planting. Raised beds, clear plastic sheeting, high unfinished organic content, wind-sheltered location and east-west orientation of the beds all speed the warming.
Propagation:
While young tomato plants are available in a number of local nurseries, there are over 200 varieties to choose from in the seed catalogs but most nurseries will have only the same 5-6 plus maybe one or two heirloom varieties. Because of this, and because it is simple to do, many gardeners will choose to start their own plants indoors.
Plant indoors, 6-8 weeks (March 15 – April 1) before average last frost date (May 15); peat pots, cell packs, paper / Styrofoam cups (poke hole in bottom for drainage) or newsprint cells. Choose a good planting media without fertilizer and add a up to 50% perlite. When the plants sprout, begin misting with a light application of fish-based fertilizer. Later today I will post again with a 'mini hothouse' I just invented. Stay tuned -- and save your gallon milk jugs.
Next: How to grow tomatoes (part 2)
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