Tomatoes

Heirloom Beefsteak

Types I've Tried

• Beefsteak is the kind you find in the store and has a great flavor. I recommend this for beginner tomato growers.
• If you want an even stronger, more acidic flavor than Beefsteak, try Rutgers or Celebrity.
• Cherokee Purple is a milder tomato that grows quite large.

Pet Friendly?

• No. Tomato plants are toxic to pets.

Starting the Seed (Indoors)

Cherry & Normal Tomato Seeds

• When: 6-8 weeks before planting outdoors.
• Depth: 1/4"
• Temp: 70F-75F
• Light: Yes. I put my seedlings in our computer room window because that room stays warm and the cats aren't allowed in there without supervision (we've had cord-chewing issues).  Even though direct sunlight only happens for maybe 5 hours in that window, I managed to germinate seeds in there.
• Emerge: 7-10 days
• Water: Keep moist. After thoroughly wetting the soil the first day, I give it an hour or two to settle before popping in the seeds.  Then I maintain it by spritzing the top with a spray bottle every morning and put a halved gallon milk jug over them (without the cap) as a makeshift greenhouse.
• Soil: I use Schultz potting soil pluss (have also used the potting mix) with a bit of perlite stirred in.  Different people swear by different mixes, but I'm not pro enough to tinker with the basics yet.
• Container: I grow mine in half an egg carton. Put something under it when you do the first thorough watering because it will seep water.
• Fertilizer: Don't worry about nutrients until after it's sprouted, as it has enough nutrients in the seed to get started. Then I just use a diluted 10-10-10 fertilizer every 2 weeks.

Just-Watered, Waiting for Seeds

Replanting/Repotting

• Distance: 18-36 inches or 3-4 feet apart
• Sun: 8-12 hours (big plant) / 6+ hours (small plant)
• Soil pH: 6.2-6.8
• Life Expectancy: Dies in a good frost. New plant every spring.

When transferring your tomato plant to the ground, put the young plant stem deep with only the biggest leaves above ground, and water thoroughly.  Roots will sprout from the stem belowground and give the plant more stability.

Watering

• New Plant: Water lightly every day or every other day.
• Thickening Vine: Let dry out for a few days, then give a deep soak.
• Fruiting: A little every day or every other day.

Pruning

• Frequency: Once a week.
• Suckers: Those sprouts that pop up in the crook between main stem and branch. Squeeze or clip them off.
• Flowering: Remove all branches below first set of flowers so that nutrients go straight to your first tomatoes!
• Topping: Clip the top off the plant one month before the first frost so that current fruit will ripen more quickly.

Friendly Plants

• Amaranth: Repels insects.
• Anise: Attracts beneficial insects.
• Asparagus: Tomatoes repel the asparagus beetle.
• Basil: Repels flies, mosquitoes, and disease. Improves growth and flavor of both crops.
• Bee Balm: Improves health and flavor.
• Borage: Improves flavor.
• Catnip: Attracts beneficial insects.
• Carrots: Share space well. Start before tomatoes or while tomatoes are young.
• Chives: Improves health and flavor. Strong scent helps repel insects.
• Garlic:  Strong scent helps repel insects.
• Gooseberries: Tomatoes help repel insects.
• Marigold: Repels/kills nematodes. (Lots of mythology attached to marigolds, but the nematode thing is proven.) Best Anti-Nematode Types: Petite Gold, Petite Harmony, Tangerine, Single Gold, Lemon Drop.
• Mint: Improves health and flavor.
• Nasturtium: Deter whiteflies and aphids.
• Onion:  Strong scent helps repel insects.
• Parsley: Improves health and flavor.

Enemy Plants

• Broccoli: Stunts growth.
• Brussels Sprouts: Stunts growth.
• Cabbage: Stunts growth.
• Cauliflower:  Stunts growth.
• Collards: Stunts growth.
• Corn: Shares worms.
• Dill: Stunts growth.
• Eggplant: Uses the same nutrients as tomatoes. Can share blight.
• Fennel: Stunts growth.
• Kale: Stunts growth.
• Kohlrabi: Stunts growth.
• Peppers: Uses the same nutrients as tomatoes. Can share blight.
• Potatoes: Uses the same nutrients as tomatoes. Can share blight.
• Rutabaga: Stunts growth.
• Turnip: Stunts growth.
• Walnut/Butternut Tree: Stunts growth. Can share walnut wilt.

Possible Topsoil Amendments

• Alfalfa Meal (2lbs per 10 ft)
• Feather Meal (1c. per 10 ft)
• Kelp Meal (1lb per 10 ft | 2c. per 10 ft)

Loves

• Phosphorous
• Potassium

Resources

• Tomato Cages, Stakes, or Trellises?
• Potting Up Tomatoes (From Seed to Gallon Pot)