Latin Name:

Solanum Lycopersicum

 

Growth:

How do tomatoes grow?

USDA Hardiness Zones 5 t0 12. Click here to view USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Tomato plants grow from 3' to 10' in height.  

The tomato plant is a perennial in its native habitat (Mexico) and an annual when grown outdoors.  It is cultivated at any time in a greenhouse.

It takes a tomato plant anywhere from 65 to 100 days to grow from seedling to blossom to ripe fruit depending on variety and temperature.  

 

43 Day Time Lapse- Tomatoes Growing

 

Two Month Time Lapse of Growing Roma Tomatoes

 

 

Propagation:

How are tomatoes propagated?

Tomatoes can be grown either in soil or hydroponically.

Tomatoes are warm weather plants that need at least 7 hours per day of full sun and do not like temperatures below 55 degrees.

 

Harvest:

When are tomatoes ready for harvest?

Tomatoes are picked when they are still ripening. They are allowed to finish ripening in storage, sometimes with the aid of ethylene gas.

Most tomatoes are picked by hand, but some commercial growers use different sorts of mechanized harvesters.

How Tomatoes are Harvested

 

Harvesting Tomatoes in Italy

 

 

Storage:

How are tomatoes stored?

Tomatoes are best stored at room temperature.  They will lose their flavor if refrigerated. 

 

 

History:

Where do tomatoes come from?

Tomatoes are native to Mexico.  In 1521, Cortez found yellow tomatoes in what is now Mexico City and brought them back to Europe.  They spread worldwide as a direct result of Spanish colonization.  A cookbook published in 1692 includes a recipe that lists a tomato as an ingredient.

In Italy, it was named a pomi d'oro, literally translated as golden apple.

Facts about Tomatoes

 

 

Top Producers:

Which countries produce the most tomatoes?

China, the U.S., India, Turkey, Egypt, and Italy

 

Varieties:

How many varieties of tomato are there?

There are over 7,500 different varieties of tomato, but two basic types of growers:

Determinate plants, usually the early ripeners, grow, set fruit and then die.

Indeterminate plants continue growing and bearing fruit until the first frost kills the plant.

Tomatoes come in a variety of sizes and colors, from multi-colored to striped.  They are bred for factors like consistent shape and taste, size, disease and pest resistance.  Commercially grown tomatoes are also bred for a thicker skin that will withstand mechanized harvesting and shipping. 

 

Products:

How are tomatoes used?

Eaten raw, plain, in salads, salsa, appetizers, and used as garnish.

Tomatoes are best in stir fries, sandwiches, pizzas, soups, pot pies, quiches, and sauces.

Tomatoes make great juice, which is low in sugar, and high in fiber and vitamins.

 

 

Top Health Benefits:

Are tomatoes healthy?

Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that helps protect skin against harmful UV rays.

They are also rich in Vitamins A and C.

 

Nutritional Value:

Click here for complete Nutritional Data

 

 

 

 

Crucial information when choosing which Tomatoes to grow: Determinate or Indeterminate?

 

What’s the difference between determinate and indeterminate varieties?

 

Determinate Plants: Ripen within a two-week period and then die.

Determinate tomatoes are also called “bush tomatoes” and grow to a height of about 4 feet.  Once the fruit has set at the top of the plant, the “bush” stops growing.  Approximately 65 days after planting the tomatoes ripen at around the same time, and then the plant dies.  They don’t need to be staked and are perfect as large container plants.   Bush tomatoes should never be pruned as it greatly reduces the size of the crop. 

Determinate varieties include: Ace 55 - Amelia - Better Bush- BHN 602 - Biltmore - Bush Early Girl - Bush Goliath - Celebrity - Container's Choice - Defiant - Florida 91 - Heatmaster - Heinz Class Heirloom - Heinz Super Roma - Homestead Heirloom - Husky Cherry - Marglobe Heirloom - Mountain Pride - Patio - Phoenix - Roma - Rutgers - Solar Fire - Sweet 'n' Neat Cherry - Tumbling Tom Red - Tumbling Tom Yellow

 

Indeterminate Plants: Ripen throughout the growing season until killed by the first frost.  They have flowers, buds, ripening and ripe tomatoes growing all at the same time.

 

Indeterminate tomatoes are vining plants that grow from 6 to 12 feet tall.  They need a strong support system of either caging or staking to keep them growing upright.  They may be pruned if necessary as the plant continues to set new fruit throughout the growing season.  These are more challenging to grow in a container, but a trellis or cage imbedded in the container will do the trick.

Indeterminate varieties include: Arkansas Traveler Heirloom - Atkinson - Beefmaster - Better Boy - Big Beef - Big Boy - Black Cherry - Black Krim Heirloom - Black Prince Heirloom - Bonnie Original - Bradley Heirloom - Cherokee Purple Heirloom - Creole - Early Girl - German Johnson Heirloom - German Queen - Golden Jubilee - Goliath - Grape (Tami G) - Indigo Rose - Jet Star - Juliet Roma - Lemon Boy - Mr. Stripey Heirloom - New Girl - Park's Whopper Improved - Pink Brandywine Heirloom - Pink Girl - Porter Improved - Red Beefsteak Heirloom - San Francisco Fog Heirloom - San Marzano - Seattle's Best Heirloom - Sun Gold - Sun Sugar - Super Fantastic - Super Sweet 100 - Yellow Pear Heirloom Cherry

Be sure to read the seed packet (or transplant instructions) to check that the variety you’ve chosen meets your needs.