Homegrown Tomatoes

Posts Tagged ‘how to grow tomatoes’

In my previous post about germinating tomato seeds, I mentioned that I had planted quite a few seeds that were at least 10 years old.  While I expected some of these seeds to germinate (I do have some rare seeds in my collection), I wasn’t expecting a high germination rate.  At most, I was hoping 25%.

Wow, have I ever been surprised!  For some of  the varieties, the germination rate has been in the neighborhood of 75%.  Brandywine is one of them; Yellow Cherry another.  Then there are varieties in the 60% range, like Pineapple and White Bush.  Of all the varieties I planted, only Big Rainbow has had a low germination rate.  Then again, it might be that it’s been slower and more seedlings will start popping their heads above ground today or tomorrow.

I’m trying to decide if the Terracycle I sprayed on the soil on Sunday helped the germination, or at least hastened it.  Sunday hadn’t shown much action with the seeds, but Monday a whole bunch showed up.  Tuesday a whole lot more.  And even today I see some more new seedlings starting through the soil.

The next batch of seeds, I’ll remember to spray the Terracycle sooner (my fault, my plant sprayer had disappeared and I had to go get a new one…and was a bit slow about it).  But now I have a new sprayer.

There’s a Problem, Though…

I have a problem now, but it’s a good one to have.  I planted way more seeds than I had needed, because I thought the germination rate would be really low.  Yikes!  I now have way more tomato plants than I have containers, by a large margin.  Time to gift my family and friends with some seedlings, or maybe take them to a farmer’s market to sell, in another month or so (after the second transplant).

So, don’t throw out those old seeds without giving them a try, and keep in mind that they may take somewhat longer to germinate than newer seeds.  Remember, when germinating, tomato seeds like warmth and humidity. 

I’ll give another update next week on how the seedlings are faring.

Hybrid tomatoes sometimes get a bad rap.  While I will agree that most heirloom tomatoes have a better overall taste, let’s face it – any homegrown tomato will taste better than one from the grocery store!

So why are hybrid tomatoes looked down upon at times?  Are they truly worth growing?  And what makes a hybrid different from an open-pollinated tomato?

What Are Hybrid Tomatoes?

As you probably know, a hybrid is a cross.   The hybrid tomatoes are simply crosses between two different varieties to create a third.

So why make these crosses?  Here’s one reason — a particular tomato variety may have superior disease resistance, but the tomatoes produced aren’t very tasty.  Since disease resistance can be crucial for some growers, a cross is made to a tomato with great taste.  The resulting cross will include better disease resistance combined with better tasting tomatoes.

Another reason for a cross might be to create a tomato specifically for a very warm or very cool climate.

Here’s something important to note; if you plan to save seeds from your crop, don’t bother with a hybrid.  This is because the seeds can resemble the “grandparents” more than the parent plant — in other words, they might be great or they might be tasteless.  The magic only happens when the two varieties are combined.

(On the other hand, an open-pollinated tomato is a stable cross over many generations and reproduces itself.)

Hybrids and Taste

I’ll be the first to admit that most hybrids aren’t as sweet as most heirlooms.  But if all you’ve ever had are the plastic-tasting tomatoes from the grocery store, a homegrown hybrid tomato will taste like heaven!

A lot of hybrids are bred for disease resistance or for being early or something like that.  Not many hybrids are bred for taste alone, but they are out there!  I have the tomato Glory on my list of tomatoes to try this summer, when I grow most of my hybrids.

Why Grow Hybrids?

I live in South Florida, and our summers are brutal here — strong sunlight, very hot and very humid.  The combination isn’t great for setting tomato fruits, but is just right for bacterial and fungal diseases.  When I grow tomatoes in the summer here, I need the extra properties of the hybrids to keep me in tomatoes!

But if you live in a cool, short-summer climate, you’ll likely be wanting a hybrid that is bred for a cooler climate.  An early-season tomato variety bred for cooler weather, like Early Girl.  Most heirlooms are later-season plants, and won’t grow fast enough in a short-summer climate.

A good percentage of determinate tomatoes are hybrids, and if you want most of your tomatoes ripe at the same time (like for preserving), then determinates are what you need.

If you plan on growing tomatoes, I suggest that you grow hybrids and heirlooms.   Try them both and see what you prefer and what grows best in your particular climate.  Like me, you may end up growing both!

Here’s to homegrown tomatoes, no matter what variety!