Already cultivated in the 5th century then spread in the 16th century by the Spaniards, the tomato, this queen of the vegetable garden, is the most cultivated fruit* in the world and is now the subject of a very profitable industry.
The tomato is known to be easy to grow, but its maintenance can intimidate new gardeners: it is a greedy plant that requires certain special care. However, the patient and caring gardener will be generously rewarded with a bountiful harvest.
The taste of a tomato freshly picked from the garden is in no way comparable to that of a tomato bought at the supermarket, it is well known!
* In botany, the tomato is considered a fruit since it is the product of a flower.
Which tomato to choose?
Talking about all the varieties of tomatoes is impossible: there are thousands of them for different uses and to suit all tastes. Certain cultivars are traditionally produced in Quebec, but new varieties appear each year in Quebec nurseries in order to broaden the range of flavors offered.
To choose the variety of tomatoes that suits you best, you need to ask yourself a few questions:
How much space is available?
Some varieties will stay smaller and take up less space. Micro tomatoes can even be grown inside the house!
What use do I want to make of my tomatoes? Is it for eating in salads or making sauces?
Some tomatoes are juicier while others will be meatier and more suitable for processing. If your goal is to eat fresh tomatoes in salads, you risk being disappointed by an Italian tomato intended for making sauces or by a storage tomato intended to be dried: the texture of these tomatoes, when unprocessed, can be be pasty, even floury, and their flavor rather ordinary.
Do I want all my tomatoes at once or would I like to be able to enjoy them over a longer period of time?
It can be profitable to have a single large harvest (for example to make sauces) rather than having several small harvests until the first frost.
Do I want a traditional tomato, similar to what I find on the grocery store shelves, or do I want to discover new flavors?
There are countless varieties that are not always available in supermarkets, such as the white tomato. This choice is entirely personal.
The calibers
Currant tomato
They are tiny! Very small tomatoes (only 3 to 4 g) very sweet which are carried by an extremely productive plant and so generous that it will be difficult to harvest everything. They are eaten fresh as a snack.
Variety to try : Little Sparrow (red, pictured)
Cherry tomato
Meant to be eaten fresh, this little tomato is generally very sweet and makes a great accompaniment to salads and dips. Round, elongated or pear-shaped, it is particularly popular with children.
Varieties to try : Super sweet 100 (red in the photo) , Sugar gloss (red) , Cupid (pink).
Cocktail tomato
Larger than the cherry tomato, this tomato is fleshy, juicy and has a sweet and fruity aftertaste. They can be enjoyed fresh or cooked in sauce, stuffed or roasted.
Varieties to try: Black cherry (black, pictured) , Little Napoli (red)
Italian tomato
These are very fleshy tomatoes, with firm and dense flesh, not very juicy, and which contain few seeds. With a tangy and pronounced taste, they are perfect for being transformed into a sauce. They are usually elongated and have the disadvantage of being susceptible to apical necrosis (also called black ass).
Varieties to try : Roma (red, pictured) , Gladiator (red) , Big Mama (red)
Standard tomato
Available in different shapes and colors, this tomato is fleshy and juicy. These tomatoes generally have a good taste balanced between sweet and acidity. This is usually the type of tomato that is purchased at the grocery store.
Varieties to try : Super Fantastique (red) , Rose de Berne (pink, pictured) .
Tomato beefsteak
These are large, fleshy, juicy tomatoes with an excellent mild flavor. They are ideal in salsa, sauce, dip, in sandwiches, eaten fresh or on the grill. However, they are extremely demanding in fertilizer and less productive than other types.
Varieties to try : Beef Heart (red), Marmande (red, pictured)
The different colors of tomatoes
Red tomatoes
They have a high level of lycopene accompanied by a good tomato taste. Some varieties are less sweet and can be a little sour.
Variety to try : Sugar gloss (cherry, pictured)
Pink tomatoes
They have a sweeter taste and are less acidic than red tomatoes. They are usually juicier and are eaten fresh.
Varieties to try : Pink Brandywine (beefsteak), Pink girl (standard, pictured) .
Black tomatoes
They have an even higher level of lycopene with a very strong taste.
Varieties to try : Chocolate sprinkle (cherry) , Paul Robeson (standard, pictured) .
Green tomatoes
These are the mildest tomatoes and are very sweet. They are a good acid-sugar balance.
Varieties to try : Green Zebra (standard, pictured)
Variegated tomatoes
They have a fruitier taste with a good acid-sugar balance. They are sure values as an aperitif and salads.
Varieties to try : Bumble Bee (cherry) , Pineapple (standard, pictured)
Orange tomatoes
These are those with the highest levels of vitamin A and carotenoids. They are known for being sweet.
Varieties to try : Chef's Choice Orange (standard) , Sungold (Cherry, pictured) .
Yellow tomatoes
They have a low level of lycopene and are more acidic than red tomatoes and oranges.
Varieties to try : Yellow Pear (cocktail, pictured) , Gold Mine (standard) , Lemon cherry .
Plant with determinate or indeterminate habit?
All tomato varieties are classified into two categories: determinate or indeterminate. It is important to know what type your tomato plant is because its growing condition will be affected.
Determined
These are plants with a known maximum height. The plant will produce a set amount of flower clusters before stopping growing, so the tomatoes are ready all at once. A set plant is ideal for those with limited space, as most plants will be less than a meter high at full maturity. For the production of sauce or other processed product, it can be interesting to have this type of plant so that the tomatoes are ready all at the same time and in the right quantity.
Varieties to try : Little Nappoli (Italian red) , Manitoba (standard red) .
Undetermined
Most common type. The plant can grow to over 1.5-2m tall and will produce tomatoes over a longer period (usually until the first frost), but in smaller quantities at a time.
Varieties to try : Marmande (Standard rouge) , Summer cider (Apricot beefsteak) .
There are now tomatoes with a semi-determinate shape: they behave like determinate ones, but can take on the dimensions of an indeterminate tomato like the Celebrity variety (red standard).
For growing in the house or even in a hanging basket, there are micro-tomato plants that are 30 centimeters tall when fully mature. They have a determinate habit and usually give an early harvest. Even though the plant is described as “micro”, the tomatoes are cherry sized and are very tasty! Try the varieties Red Robin (red) , Pinnochio Orange ( orange) , Birdie Rouge (red) , Yellow Canary (yellow) and Rosy finch (pink). Be careful, you must protect the foliage from rain if planted outside. Since the plant is small, it is close to the ground and more susceptible to fungal diseases caused by excess humidity.
Tomatoes in the vegetable garden
Once all risk of frost has passed and the nights are at least 10°C, you can transfer your tomato seedlings to the vegetable garden.
Acclimatization
Your plants left in the house, even under the best grow lights, are not used to the power of the sun. If you put your plants out directly into the strong sun, you risk burning them and losing all your work. Acclimation of plants outdoors generally takes 7 days. Start with a cloudy day, without strong winds, and place your seedlings in the shade before putting them back inside the house for the night. The next day, increase the duration to a few hours and, as the days go by, expose your seedlings more and more to the sun until you place them in their final location in the vegetable garden. If you don't have a shaded space (e.g. under a patio table or near a tree), you can use floating canvases that you fold into a few layers to protect your plants.
The plantation
Tomatoes can be grown in pots (minimum of 5 gallons, but ideally 20 to 25 gallons for tomatoes with an indeterminate habit), but they are even better in the ground. Choose an appropriate potting soil for your type of planting ( Soil container for urban vegetable garden 30 L for growing in containers or Passion Jardin planting soil 30 L for growing in the ground) and add a generous quantity of compost, such as Peat and Shrimp Compost 30L to the mixture (in a pot, the compost makes up 1/3 of the final mixture ). Do not put the compost in direct contact with the roots at the risk of burning them: mix evenly with the potting soil.
Bury your plant up to the first leaves. You can remove the leaves from the bottom of the plant to bury the plant deeper. Tomatoes have the advantage of being able to develop roots on their main stem. By burying them deeper, the plant will develop more roots, be more firmly anchored to the soil, be in a better position to obtain nutrients from the soil and will more easily resist diseases such as apical necrosis .
Tomatoes are particularly rich in calcium. To combat apical necrosis , a disease linked to a calcium deficiency, add Bionik marine calcium to the bottom of the planting hole (according to the quantities recommended on the package). Finally, add a dose of granulated chicken manure such as Natural Flower and Vegetable Fertilizer 4-5-7 , or another good vegetable fertilizer, around the plant according to the manufacturer's directions to avoid any nutrient deficiencies.
Don't forget to stake your plants, particularly if they are varieties with an indeterminate habit. In nature, tomato plants are a species of creeping ground cover that can spread over several meters (in greenhouses, tomato plants can reach more than 10 meters!). It is therefore necessary to stake them in order to contain them and make picking easier. Choose a sturdy tomato cage and install it immediately after planting so as not to disturb the roots. As your plants grow, guide them to contain them in the tomato cage. It may be necessary to add a bamboo stake during the summer if the plants take on an unexpected size and it is necessary to keep them upright (otherwise they may break under the weight of the fruits!) . Use specialized ties and do not overtighten them to allow stem growth and to avoid severing the plant under pressure.
Watering
Watering is the key element in successful tomato cultivation. If the plants lack water or, conversely, if they are constantly flooded, the roots will deteriorate and the plant will no longer be able to feed itself properly. Quickly, the plant will present diseases, deficiencies and will gradually weaken, compromising the harvest. The ideal is to maintain humidity in the soil without the soil becoming soggy. Before watering, wait until the surface soil is 5 to 10 cm dry. A hygrometer can be useful for measuring the humidity level in your soil. In order to avoid certain deficiencies such as apical necrosis (or black tomato cull ), it is important to be regular in your watering: the plants must not dry out completely or receive too much water.
If the plants are outside and can be watered by rain, still check if they have received enough water: the soil on the surface can be deceptive. It is also important to plant tomato plants in well-drained soil that does not accumulate rainwater in a particularly rainy summer.
Finally, to avoid thermal shock, you should not water with cold water on an afternoon of a day at 35°C. Prefer to water your plants in the morning: they are then able to assimilate water thanks to photosynthesis. It is also possible to water in the evening, but there is a greater chance that the water will stagnate in the soil and cause damage to the roots.
Fertilization
As mentioned earlier, tomato plants are very nutrient-intensive plants and draw a lot of energy from the soil. It is therefore necessary to fertilize them and add fertilizer regularly.
First, what is the difference between fertilizer and fertilizer? Fertilizer is usually sold in liquid or granular form to nourish the plant and soil, then will gradually disappear. Fertilizer is used on the soil to help improve it; for example, compost helps to aerate the soil and gives it a texture more conducive to the development of the plant. It is therefore necessary to provide the plant with both to meet all its needs.
During planting, it will have been provided with fertilizer in the form of granules, calcium and a good quantity of compost; the first needs are therefore met. Thereafter, once a month, add a dose of the fertilizer of your choice (granulated chicken manure works very well). You can supplement with a seaweed fertilizer every two weeks.
In mid-summer, add a layer of compost around your plants, or to the surface of your pots, which you mix with the first centimeters of soil. This action can be combined with adding fertilizer at the end of July or the beginning of August.
Gourmands
Suckers have been the subject of controversy among gardeners since the dawn of time: should we remove them or leave them on the plant? The suckers are secondary branches which form between the ramifications of the main stem. Although they eventually produce fruit, they also consume the plane's energy. On the other hand, the leaves of gourmands participate in precious photosynthesis. A recent scientific study showed that removing or not removing the suckers did not change the quantity of tomatoes that the plant would produce. You can therefore remove or not the gourmands according to your preferences. Note that it may be wise to remove some suckers in order to ventilate the plant and avoid fungal diseases.
August
In mid-August, cut off the tops of your tomato plants with indeterminate growth habit. This will have the effect of stopping the growth of the plant and will allow the plant to concentrate its efforts on ripening the fruits.
The main tomato diseasesSeveral diseases and deficiencies can affect tomato plants. Here are the most common:
Apical necrosis
Caused by a calcium deficiency (which comes from a lack of calcium in the soil or a lack of regularity in watering), apical necrosis is the most common imperfection in tomatoes. It can be recognized by a brownish spot under the tomato, which softens and collapses. It is not a disease in itself since when you add calcium and monitor watering, the problem disappears. Fruits affected by apical necrosis are still edible by removing the affected part.
Mildew
Downy mildew is a fungal disease that first attacks the foliage and then eventually the fruits when the disease is advanced. Firstly, it is characterized by yellowish spots which turn brown as they dry on the foliage. Then, downy mildew attacks the stems, forming irregular brown spots. At the same time, the fruits will begin to show spots similar to apical necrosis. This disease can lead to crop failure. To avoid this disease on your plants, space your plants so that air can circulate between them (mushrooms love humidity!). Make sure the soil is well drained and never water the foliage. Finally, opt for cultivars resistant to this disease.
cat face
It is a physiological disorder which causes malformation of the tomato, particularly where the tomato attaches to the stem (the apex). Affected fruits become deformed with brown cracks that extend deep into the flesh. It is generally the large-fruited tomato varieties that are the most sensitive. These deformations often occur when tomato flowers are exposed to temperatures below 15°C. Too much nitrogen fertilizer during flowering or the use of a herbicide/pesticide can also cause these deformations. However, it is not a disease and other fruits, produced in warmer weather, will not be affected.
In summary, growing tomatoes is not that difficult: give it rich, but well-drained soil, add calcium, add fertilizer monthly and water your plants regularly (preferably in the morning). If you follow these tips, you will have a fruitful harvest this summer.
