How To Grow Heirloom Tomatoes

Thanks to his annual seed offer, this wonderful tomato found its way to my garden. His daughter is also keeping the strain going. Nicolaus.I learned about the history of ‘Potato Top' from Doug Oster's gardening column in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Damp foliage promotes fungal growth, so water from the bottom with soaker hoses. Tomatoes are tough. Once most of the plant is spotted and yellowing, the problem may be harder to control, although you can usually knock it back enough to harvest some tomatoes.,...

Many places will sell much larger plants -- often at a higher cost -- but tomatoes of this size do not tend to transplant well and any extra growth will be lost as it adjusts to its new environment.Seedlings bought from a garden center may not have been...

The hole at the bottom of the planter that you will insert the plant root ball through is only 2.5" in diameter. Water until the water starts to drain out the holes in the bottom. It will be heavy now because of the weight of the potting mix and you will...

It was indeed, the perfect garden plant and demand was high for this beautiful red treasure.The cultivation of this prized tomato spread to gardens throughout Italy and eventually travelled all throughout Europe and it remained popular for many years.

Stick your finger into the soil to check. Signs of over watering may mimic disease or other environmental problems, but if several symptoms are present, too much water is the likely cause.

You can use either plain water or tomato juice, or the water from the pot that the tomatoes were boiling in.Add 1 tsp. Place a lid on each jar and screw on the band to medium tight.Place the jars into the canner rack and lower it into the 180-degree water.

Indeterminate tomatoes, including nearly all older and heirloom varieties, grow larger vines with a larger, more flavorful crop of late-maturing tomatoes. Dwarf tomatoes will only need 12 inches between plants.

There is no real scientific evidence that Epsom salt works on tomatoes, but many gardeners have been using the substance with both tomatoes and peppers for years with great success.

A wide range of fruits exist in today's world with a diverse range of shapes, sizes, colors and flavors. Yes, it is indeed, technically speaking, a fruit. It may fascinate you to know that there are many other fruits that look like a tomato.In cooking,...

Place a tomato cage over the plants after transplanting them into the soil or a pot. Apply the same amount of fertilizer when you pick the first fruits.Most tomato varieties can grow as short, bushy plants with the right pruning and support.

Cabbages in Denmark and beets saved in Soviet Russia by little towns who stubbornly refused to buy the hybrid plants pushed by the government. Eggplant from Asia and hot peppers from the Caribbean.

Moth balls are a natural rat repellent, but they dissolve in the rain so you will have to replace the balls after each rainfall. Check the traps daily. Rats are a common pest outside homes and in gardens.

The condition, known as physiological leaf curl, can also affect seedlings soon after you transplant them outdoors. The most common herbicidal cause of leaf curl comes from 2,4-D, which is often used to treat lawns or crops for weeds.

The two plants are companion plants, mutually beneficial to each other. Both are warm-season crops that require good drainage and a soil pH of 5.8 to 6.5. Because both require deep watering and a consistent supply of water to help fruit develop properly,...

If a frost threatens, pick the green tomatoes and lay them in a single layer in a box. Good cultural practices, such as selecting disease-resistant plants and watering tomatoes evenly and consistently prevent many problems.

Eliminate only shoots and suckers that are 1 inch long or shorter at the base. Signs of excessive water include wilting leaves, which novice gardeners often misinterpret as an indication that the plants require more water rather than less.

Remove infected plant parts, and spray with an organic fungicide containing copper or a synthetic fungicide containing Chlorothalonil or Mancozeb. At the first sign of trouble, begin spraying the plants with an organic fungicide containing copper or a...

Water tomato plants regularly to keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season. Additional roots will form off the portion of stem that is below the soil level for a sturdy and deep-set plant.Loose garden soil assists in root growth by providing...

Use your fingers or a trowel.Irrigate your tomato plant to dissolve the crystals, releasing the nutrients into the soil. A 6-inch-tall tomato plant, for example, takes ½ tbsp. Epsom salt is made of magnesium and sulfur.

We're all familiar with regular tomatoes, but what's an heirloom? The term refers to varieties that were often unique and limited to only a few gardens.In industrial agriculture, only a few varieties of a given food crop are grown due to the efficiencies...

If rain has been inconsistent, your tomato plants are not getting enough nutrition, especially calcium, because the soil is dry and not able to deliver the proper nutrients to the plant.

To avoid this disappointment, grasp the tomato before you buy it and check its firmness. If the tomato skin has some give and does not feel firm, the chances are good that it will be mealy on the inside and you should buy another one instead.

Remove unripened tomatoes as the plants start to die back. Do not allow your seedlings to wilt. Tomato plants that are actively growing, flowering and setting fruit need more water than tomato plants that are still in the seedling stage (not having flowered...

As the plant grows, allow only-- shoots appearing where each leaf originates -- to funnel the plant's energy into fruiting, using shears that you wipe with rubbing alcohol between cuts to prevent spread of disease.

Symptoms include dark, dead plant tissue, spots on the leaves and fruit, and fuzzy mildews on leaves and stems. Not all potting soils are alike: Some are dense and wet, while others are fluffy but low in nutrients.

If you live in Northern Georgia, you may have to wait until late February or early March.Plant seedlings from mid-March to early May in Georgia. Protect the plants by bringing them indoors at night in September and October if you live in the northern...