Tomatoes    

Yes, it is the end of the world as we knew it. So, the logical thing to do is to grow your own tomatoes, plus maybe some lettuce and a few herbs. Growing tomatoes is easy if you know how. If you don’t…not so much.

The trend is for raised beds or tables. While a 20-30 cm soil depth works for many crops, tomatoes will want a solid 45 cm or more, so the best option can be deep pots, with some herbs, lettuce, and even cucumbers planted around the base. Use container soil; it’s more expensive, but you’ll get better results. Tomatoes need as much sun as possible.

When choosing plants, look for healthy green growth, at least 30 cm tall. Go for quality rather than quantity. A few well-grown, healthy, more mature plants will make you a lot happier than many little wimpy plants on sale.

There are two main types of tomatoes: determinate (fruit ripens all at the same time), and indeterminate. You want indeterminate, as they produce all season. Cherry tomatoes are best for the Laurentians, or some of the smaller-fruiting “regular” ones, such as Fantastic. Sweet 100 or Sweet Million are classic red cherry types, but you can have fun with yellow, black, and Heirloom varieties.

When planting, snap off the bottom set or two of leaves, bury to about 1/3 to ½ way up the plant’s stem, and compact well. Put in a strong stake (think 120 cm above soil level, minimum), or the biggest cage you can find, right away.

You’ll thank me later! Water well, and fertilize every two weeks or so. As they grow, you’ll see little mini-sprouts growing in the leaf axils (the joint between the stem and leaf);  nip these off every couple of days, and your plant will put more energy into flowering and – yum! – fruiting.  Have fun!

 

By the same author: The beauties of Allium (Click the image below)

 

Laura Scully64 Posts

Diplômée de l’Université de Guelph en horticulture, Laura Scully est cofondatrice et copropriétaire de Northland, entreprise tremblantoise d'aménagement paysager maintes fois primée. Elle partage son savoir horticole avec les lecteurs du Tremblant Express depuis 2009. / A University of Guelph graduate in horticulture, Laura Scully is the cofounder and co-owner of Northland, the Mont-Tremblant landscaping company that has won so many titles and awards. She has been sharing her knowhow with Tremblant Express readers since 2009. paysagistesnorthland.com

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