It’s Time to Think About Growing Tomatoes
The end of March marks the beginning of tomato planting season. Transplants can be set in the garden as soon as the risk of frost has passed. One of the keys to success with tomatoes is choosing the right variety. You need a variety that is adapted to our climate. Pick your plants carefully as different varieties have different requirements and characteristics.
Tomato plants are warm season vegetables. They perform best when air temperatures are between 65°F to 85°F. Temperatures below 40°F can injure plants and temperatures above 85°F can prevent flower pollination. The key is to get them into the ground late enough to avoid frost damage and early enough to fruit before the heat of the summer. Before choosing a plant, here are things to keep in mind.
How long will it take for this plant to produce fruit? “Days to maturity” refers to the length of time it will take your plant to begin producing fruit, starting from the day you place it in the ground. Tomato
varieties range from 50 days to maturity to 75 days or more. Any adverse growing conditions, such as cold weather or lack of water or nutrients can slow plant growth, which can delay fruit production. For Texas, it is recommended to select varieties that will mature early so that you will have a harvest before temperatures get too hot for fruit formation (usually when temperatures rise consistently above 90°F).
What size fruit do you want? Tomatoes range from cherry size to baseball size. Generally, the larger the fruit, the longer it will take to reach maturity. As a rule, small to medium size tomatoes perform best in our climate, but you can have fun experimenting with any variety you choose. Click here for a list of recommended varieties for Texas: https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/…/top-tips-for-terrific…/
How much space do you have and how hard do you want to work? Tomato plants differ in their growth habits. An indeterminate tomato plant is one that, once planted, will continue to grow until killed by frost or other adverse events. Indeterminate type tomatoes, also known as vining types, can grow to heights of 6 to 10 feet and the vines can become very heavy and prone to breakage. These plants require staking for support and may need pruning to promote air and light circulation. Determinate tomato plants have a bushier, more compact growth habit, usually about 4 to 5 feet. These plants bloom
and set fruit within a specific period of time, after which they will no longer produce. Determinate tomatoes may require some support if vines are heavy. https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm…
It is important to select a plant that is healthy and ready to go into the ground. Choose plants about 6-8 inches tall with a thick stem and no flowers or fruit. Avoid spindly plants and those that are leggy and flopping over. If transplants have been in a protected environment prior to purchase, you may need to take time to “harden off” the plant before putting it into the garden.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flohlnCBV0s
https://cals.cornell.edu/…/pande…/avoid-transplant-shock
Texas AgriLife Extension has a great publication that will walk you through all the steps for planting and caring for your new plants!
