Growing Tomatoes in Your Home Garden

Shapes vary from globe or round to slightly flattened, pear-like
or cherry-sized. Often consumers complain tomatoes purchased in
grocery stores are lacking in flavor or have tough skin. In a home
garden, you can grow the tomatoes you prefer, including a wide
selection of fruit colors, flavors, textures and sizes. Although
rumored, there is no direct link between fruit acidity and color.
Preference for one fruit over another is due more to cultivar
differences in flavor and texture. Each plant typically will produce 10
to 15 pounds of fruit.
Cultivars may have a determinate plant structure, growing only to a
given height; while others show indeterminate or continuous growth
until killed by frost. Generally, the earlier maturing cultivars are determinate. Certain tomato cultivars have been developed for
special uses such as stuffing or longer storage. Greenhouse
production requires specific cultivars adapted to the lower light and
higher humidity levels characteristic of greenhouses. Cherry-type
tomatoes are productive and have small fruit. Very dwarf cultivars
adapted for growth in pots or other containers are also available.
Most of these "patio" cultivars have cherry-sized fruit, although a few
produce regular-sized fruit.
Tomatoes developed for commercial field production generally ripen
over four to six weeks. Many of the earlier maturing cultivars have a
determinate plant type combined with a concentrated fruit set. These
will not produce tomatoes continuously but are grown for early
production. Most home gardeners will want to plant both determinate
and indeterminate tomato cultivars for a long season of fresh
tomatoes. Determinate tomatoes are ideal for canning or freezing.
Most newer cultivars are resistant to or tolerant of certain diseases.
This is usually indicated by a letter following the name, such as "N"
for nematodes, "F" for fusarium, "T" for tobacco mosaic virus and "V"
for verticillium wilt. Although open-pollinated "heirloom" cultivars are
now popular, many have little genetic resistance to common diseases. These older cultivars should be planted in ground that has
not had any solanaceous crops (tomato, pepper, eggplant or potato)
for at least three years and in a place with good air circulation to
reduce the opportunity for fungal infection.
Tomatillos ("husk tomatoes") and ground cherries are sometimes
confused with tomatoes. These plants belong to the genus Physalis
rather than the tomato genus Lycopersicum.