Tomatoes by Edwin Cooper

Tomatoes
By Edwin Cooper

You probably know that tomatoes are the most popular edible garden plant grown in America. Though used as a vegetable, botanically it is a berry in the annual Nightshade family which also includes tobacoos, red peppers, potatoes, petunias and eggplants.
In this area tomatoes frequently are planted in early March or slightly later depending on weather conditions. The fruit ripens in mid or late June if using young potted plants. Locally they are available at M&M Farm Supply and plants are now beginning to arrive. Seed packages also are available if desired.
Some of the popular varieties planted locally include Celebrity, Big Boy, Better Boy, Early Girl, Homestead, Roma and several varieties of cherry tomatoes. If you study the commercial photos of mature tomatoes you'll be tempted to buy them all.
Our experience planting a small garden at Camp Creek has been best with a sandy loam soil mixed with lots of cottonseed mulch. The soil needs to be tilled before planting which stimulates root growth. Tomatoes do their best planted in full sunlight when that is possible.
Young plants should be planted at the same depth as they were in their containers. Some however prefer to plant them horizontally covering all except the leaves. Adequate moisture always is critically important.
If you learn that a freeze will occur while your plants are still young, covering them with leaves or opened paper sacks usually will protect them through the bad spell. Sacks need to be secured with soil around the base to hold them in place.
Late meetings are held each night by deer, raccoons, squirrels and mockingbirds (among others) deciding how best to attack your tomatoes when they begin to ripen. I had to build a fence using cattle panels, chicken wire and small mesh wire to keep those critters under control. All except for the squirrels, which can penetrate any fence constructed by mankind. As Bernest Meadors advised me years ago, "Plant enough for yourself and them, too. Otherwise you'll go around mad as a hornet."
A plate of cold slices of Celebrity tomatoes tells me Bernest was right. Plant enough for everybody! Plant the varieties of your choice. Celebrity happens to be my favorite and is a highly productive variety.