Tomatoes

 One of the reasons I got my seed order sorted last week was because when I went to buy the leaf rake from the local hardware place their seed stands had lots of empty spaces already and when I looked online at one of the seed companies the 'Sorry Sold Out' note came up on several varieties of many of the vegetable seeds.

It seemed a good idea to buy ready for sowing next spring sooner rather than later especially as I like to pick either things I've grown before or something completely new for a change.

Looking to choose which tomato seeds I wanted to grow this year reminded me that several years ago, when I wrote for the Suffolk Smallholders Newsletter I did some pieces about the things we were growing, looking at the history of where they'd originated and how to grow them. (The newsletter editor was always desperate for things to fill the pages because despite 200 families in the society hardly anyone got round to contributing, so anything I wrote was always included!)

Being a bit short of idea for blog posts I searched through my folder of "Diary From Fareacre" pages, which I've managed to keep through all the house moves and found my piece about tomatoes.............

A Closer Look at .........................................TOMATOES 

 Probably originally from western South America, but it was first cultivated in Mexico and other parts of Central America. It's likely the name 'tomato' derives from the Aztec 'xitomati', which means 'plump thing with a navel'. 

They reached Britain in the 1590s, but we are not really sure how they arrived or who brought them. It was mentioned in Gerard's Herbal, which was published in 1597. For centuries they were believed to be poisonous, and were only grown as ornamental plants. The fact that tomatoes were actually edible seems to have spread from Italy around the Mediterranean. By the early nineteenth century there were three colour forms, red, yellow and white, although they were still not eaten by the middle and working classes of the time.

 

In the seed catalogues tomatoes are usually labelled as Indeterminate or Determinate/Bush

Indeterminate tomatoes also known as Vine or Cordon tomatoes. The tall plants (up to 3m/10ft if left unstopped) keep growing and producing tomatoes over long period of time, until frost kills the vine. The plants require staking, tying and side shoot pinching (These are the small shoots that appear on the main stem adjoining a leaf stem)

Determinate tomatoes also known as Bush tomatoes. The plants are smaller (up to 90cm/3ft tall) and rather compact, with many side shoots which shouldn't be removed. They can be grown with or without support.

Tomatoes come in many different shapes and sizes....Cherry, Grape, Plum, Salad and  Beefsteak. 

There's now a Super Beefsteak where one tomato is so big it needs two hands to hold it and a tiny cherry with fruits the size of a red-currant .....and everything in between.

 

Most seed catalogues and seed packets will give information to explain the best places to grow each different type. There are those that will do best in a greenhouse or polytunnel, some specially bred for outdoor growing and a few which can cope in or out and now more are being bred for disease resistance especially for blight which has become a problem in recent years in this country with changing weather conditions. Tomatoes grown outside need a sunny sheltered position with protection from winds.

Tomato seed can be started as early as late January if they are for indoor growing but they will need keeping somewhere frost-free and light during spells of cold weather in March and April. For outdoor growing, seeds should be sown about 6 weeks before the date of the last possible frost. They are easy to germinate given a little warmth and actually seem to prefer to be pricked out from a seed tray to a small pot and then transplanted into a 3 or 4 inch pot before being transplanted to their final growing position.

 

Tomatoes are hungry plants and need good soil and compost and regular feeding at least once a week as soon as the first truss has set. The special tomato grow bags sometimes don't contain enough compost to last the life of the plant, so if possible use the compost in bigger pots with room to add water and plant food.

Inside or outside they need regular watering as irregular watering can cause Blossom End Rot - when a brown patch appears at the bottom of the tomatoes and spreads upwards. Although they need watering at the roots they prefer dry air around the plants, so don't use a sprinkler or water the leaves.

That was most of my bit about tomatoes apart from going on to say what we were planning to grow in that particular year (2007) which were Sungold, Shirley and San Marzano. 

This year I won't be raising the 40+ plants we needed for the poly-tunnels back then- I think half a dozen with a couple started later will do. I searched through the two seed catalogues that had arrived by post to decide what to buy this year  - only plum tomatoes now as they have less seeds = better for my stomach! and they are so much better for chutney. 

A few years ago I came across news of a white variety which were supposed to be less acidic, and better for some people who find tomatoes aggravate arthritis but they've never appeared anywhere (that I've seen) since. 

Anyway two types of Plum tomato seed were ordered for 2022  - Sun Grape - small one-bite and delicious. Plus Super Mama -big and  easily skinned for my Red Hot Relish.

Then I was fiddling about on other online seed companies and came across Thompson and Morgan with a packet of seeds called Artisan Mixed and they had free postage on Sunday and arrived a few days later..

Seems I'm now growing 3 different varieties after all!

 

 

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Sue