How to Plant and Grow Tomatoes

From giant steaks to tiny cherries, tomatoes come in many shapes, sizes and colors. While some of them boil down to the climate (ask your local garden center or a cooperative extension service for advice) and your personal preferences, there is one key difference every gardener should know: determined tomatoes and indeterminate.

Determined (or bush) tomatoes tend to bear fruit over a period of two weeks, then stop, making them ideal for canning. They’re also more compact, which means they’re a smart choice for container gardens.

Undetermined tomatoes grow longer vines and produce more flavorful fruit throughout the season. The most common varieties fall into this category, including inheritances.

If you’re using your own seeds, plant them 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in flats in a warm, sunny room. Once the plants have developed their second set of leaves (the first true leaves), transplant them into plastic cups, burying the stems deeper than before. This encourages a strong root system. If you are buying transplants from a nursery, you will also want to allow them to develop a strong root system before planting.

Wait until the temperature is constantly warm before putting the plants in the ground. When choosing a spot in your garden, look for a bed in full sun. Dig larger holes than you think you will need at least 2 feet apart, placing the plants so that the lowest set of leaves rests at ground level. Some gardeners will bury almost the entire plant because new roots will sprout on the stems and give more fruit. Then fill the holes with a mixture of compost and soil.

Cover the bed with a layer of mulch, straw or cut grass to prevent weeds from growing.

Soak your bed with 1 inch of water once a week, a little more often at the height of summer. Make sure to pour the water directly on the ground, not on the leaves.

Adding compost when the first fruit ripens will encourage new growth. A diluted fish emulsion fertilizer can also help, but be careful not to overfeed. Over time, too much nitrogen will make your plants lush, but not very fruitful.

Support your tomato plants by attaching the stems to stakes or cages. Leaving the vines on the ground makes them more susceptible to pests or diseases.

You will want stakes 5 to 7 feet long inserted about 7 inches into the ground. If you cannot find cages large enough or strong enough, you can make them yourself using welded wire mesh from the hardware store. Just make sure you can run your hand through the squares!

To increase fruit production, you should regularly prune your tomato plants. Start by removing all suckers – small shoots emerging from the stems at the base of each leaf – as soon as possible. This helps the plants stay upright, improve air circulation and produce better fruit. While caged tomatoes can develop one or two suckers, staked tomatoes do best as a single stem. Try to cut (or even pinch with your fingers) the visible suction cups every few days.

Tomatoes may be one of the most versatile summer produce options.

They are often grouped with vegetables in the culinary world. However, you might have heard them called fruits.

This article will discuss whether tomatoes can be considered vegetables or fruits and explain why sometimes they are confused.

Fruits and vegetables are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which is why they get so much attention nutritionally.

Even though they share many things in common, vegetables and fruits also have their own differences .

These differences can be dramatic depending on whether you are talking to a farmer, or a chef.

Botanical Classification

The structure and function are the main factors in botanical classifications of fruits and vegetables.

Fruits are made from flowers and have seeds that aid in the plant’s reproduction. Apples, raspberries, blueberries, and peaches are some of the most common fruits.

Vegetables are the roots, stems and leaves of the plant. You may be familiar with lettuce, carrots , beets , and celery.

Culinary Classification

The classification system used to classify fruits and vegetables in cooking is different from how they are categorized botanically.

Fruits and vegetables are used and applied in culinary practice primarily based on their flavor profiles.

A fruit tends to have a soft texture and err on sweeter side. You may find it a bit tart or tangy. It can be used in desserts, pastries and smoothies as well as in jams and snacks.

A vegetable, on the other hand, has a more bland and sometimes bitter taste. They are often more difficult to eat than fruits and may need to be cooked. They are best used in savory dishes such as stir-fries and stews, salads, casseroles, and casseroles.

Summary

It depends on whether the food is being described in botanical or culinary terms. Botanical classification refers to the structure and function, while culinary classification is determined by the flavor and application of the recipe.

Science says tomatoes are fruits.

Every fruit has a single or multiple seeds and grows from the flower of a tree.

As with other true fruits, tomatoes are formed from small yellow vine flowers and contain many seeds. These seeds can be later harvested and used to grow more tomatoes plants.

Some modern tomato varieties have been deliberately bred to stop producing seeds. In botanical terms, a tomato is still considered the fruit of the plant.

Summary

Because they are derived from flowers and contain seeds, tomatoes can be called botanical fruits.

Most confusion over whether a tomato can be considered a vegetable or a fruit comes from common culinary uses for tomatoes.

Cooking is both an art and a science. This allows for more freedom in how foods are classified.

Tomatoes are often used in cooking either as a single ingredient or when paired with other vegetables in savory dishes. They’re considered a vegetable by many, even though technically they are a fruit.

This classification was used by the US Supreme Court during an 1893 legal dispute with a tomato Importer, who claimed his tomatoes should be treated as fruits in order to avoid the higher vegetable tariff.

The court decided that the tomato would be considered a vegetable based on its culinary uses and not its botanical categorization of a fruit. The rest is history.

This isn’t a problem that only tomatoes face. It’s quite common for plants that are botanically classified as fruits to be used in culinary practice.

Some fruits are also considered vegetables.

• Cucumber
• Squash
• Pea pods
• Peppers
• Eggplant
• Okra

Although it is less common, vegetables can sometimes be used in the same way as fruits in certain cooking situations.

Rhubarb is, for instance, often used in sweet desserts, even though it’s not a vegetable. This can also be seen in sweet potato pie or carrot cake.

Summary

Tomatoes are often used in savory dishes, which is why they have the reputation of being a vegetable. Other fruits that can be used as vegetables are squash, cucumber, and pea pods.

Because tomatoes are formed from flowers and contain seeds, they can be botanically called fruits.

They are still used in cooking as a vegetable. The US Supreme Court decided in 1893 that tomatoes should be considered vegetables based on their culinary uses.

It is not unusual for culinary practices to blur scientific definitions of what makes a fruit or vegetable. Many plants are considered vegetables, but they are fruits.

To all intents and purpose, tomatoes can be considered both. They are fruits if you’re talking about a farmer or gardener. However, they are a vegetable if you are talking to a chef.

They are delicious and healthy, so they can be a great addition to any diet.