COLUMBUS ON THE GROW - TOMATOES

Everything’s Coming Up Tomatoes

Special to Trips Publications - STACY RENNER OF TAKE ROOT PLANT NURSERY

Before you even realize it, it’s time to start thinking about tomatoes. Packed with more flavor than the ones in the grocery store, garden tomatoes are fun to grow and a treat to our tastebuds. For those who find tomatoes too acidic, yellow tomatoes are more easily tolerated due to their low acid levels.

The more experienced gardener might prefer a certain variety of tomato or, if very serious, start seeds in the house or a greenhouse. Plants can be started in late January or early February if they are protected from cold fronts and our crazy, Texas winds. You can find planting dates yearto-year in an Almanac or wait until February when the tomato plants start arriving at the plant nursery. Starting early helps to avoid worms, a year-round pest. If you are not able to nurse your tomatoes through the summer heat, fall tomato plants start becoming available in August and September.

Tomatoes come in two different varieties: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate plants bear one heavy crop and then they are done. Indeterminate tomatoes are continuous bearers and get extremely large with many people cutting them back to harvest from again in the fall. Tomato growers will want to pay special attention to maturity dates to find a variety that best suits them.

When growing tomatoes, beware of blossom end rot. This is a common problem caused by a lack of calcium. Weed barriers are necessary to keep all of your water and nutrients going to the tomato plants. Some gardeners prefer raised beds or use recycled molasses tubs. Another necessary element are bees and butterflies. They pollinate the flowers and do the dirty work for good production. In addition, soil samples hold the key to ensuring a balanced soil that will grow an abundance of beautiful tomatoes. Some of the smaller varieties you will find at Take Root Plant Nursery are great for salads, snacks and pasta salads. Look for these varities: Sweet 100, Cherry, Juliet/Grape, Yellow Pear, and Sungold.

Varieties that growers choose for salsa, sauces, and grilling inlcude: Roma #2, Yaqui (a favorite), Better Boy/Big Boy, San Marzano, and Homestead.

Larger tomatoes are farm favorites. The following are good for salsa, hamburger slices, and sandwiches: Celebrity, Black Krim, Phoenix, Lemon Boy, Beefsteak, and Early Girl.

Heirlooms are classic beauties. In addition to being a great choice allaround, they are also popular for canning. At Take Root Plant Nursery you’ll find Brandywine, Old German, and Cherokee Purple.

In addition to tomatoes, Take Root Plant Nursery also carries bulk garden seeds, vegetable starts, herbs, and plants that attract pollinators. To support the garden, they also carry bagged compost, organic and nonorganic fertilizers, landscape shrubs, seasonal colorful plants, indoor plants, and patio containers. Fruit trees arrive in December or January and citrus trees show up in late March.

Take Root Plant Nursery is located at 180 Oak Cluster Drive in Columbus.