It may be hot here in Northeast Oklahoma and most of the country for that matter, but that also means it’s tomato time!
Whether you’re popping a few cherry tomatoes as a delicious snack or using Roma tomatoes for that perfect spaghetti sauce, this vegetable that’s actually a fruit is popular across generations.
Choosing a tomato
Not sure what to look for when choosing a good tomato in a store, on the vine, or at a farmer’s market? First, take a good look at the outside of the tomato. They should be completely free of blemishes and bruises and should be a deep, bright red (unless you’re choosing a green beefsteak!). Any tomato that looks dull or pale is going to lack in flavor so look for “red”.
Growing your own tomatoes
One of the easiest and most popular vegetables to grow in your own backyard is the tomato. Most of you have probably already planted for this year, but we thought we would give a few tips for the most successful crop of homegrown tomatoes.
First, make sure where you’ve planted has a lot of sunlight and great drainage. Tomatoes need lots of water but too much water gathering at the roots can cause problems. If you do container gardening, make sure you have proper drainage holes (this is true no matter what your plant in a container, by the way).
When choosing your plants, decide how you are most likely to use the tomatoes. If you grill out every weekend, beefsteak might be the best for you. If you like a bit more tart or are making homemade sauces, Romas might be a great fit. For most families, planting about 3-4 plants per person usually is all you need. If you plan on sharing or doing processing, obviously you will need more!
Make sure to use a good fertilizer in the first six inches or so of your soil before you plant. If you choose to use pesticides, research the healthiest types and always wash your hands and food after handling the tomatoes that have been treated.
Tomatoes, like pretty much any other plant, is not a “plant it and leave it” situation. You must be sure to keep weeds out (we don’t recommend using herbicides, especially if you have other plants in your garden that could be negatively affected). And as we already mentioned, plentiful water is a must. We had lots of rain early in the growing season but things are now drying out. The soil should be watered thoroughly once or twice a week. You will need enough water to penetrate to a depth of at least one foot, if not 18 inches.
Another thing to look out for is disease. We could write a whole section on this, but for now, we refer you to the OSU County Extension agents for more information. You can learn more about tomatoes in general from their very thorough fact sheets on tomatoes, including more on how to grow tomatoes. You can find their fact sheets on their website (use the search function at the top to narrow down to what you’re looking for).