Tomatoes planted now mean good eating in the fall
August 26, 2004
AMY GILNER
Victoria County Master Gardener
If you are like me, the thought of doing anything in the
garden at this time of year seems crazy. But if you love tomatoes like I do,
you know that it is time to get them planted no matter how hot it is outside.
Nothing can compare with the taste of a home grown tomato. Most commercial
products are picked early before the tomato is actually ripe and gassed to
transform their color. They may look tasty, but they are not.
The tomato is probably the most popular vegetable to grow in
the home garden, but it was not always the case. Hundreds of years ago the
tomato was regarded as a poisonous crop. It was grown primarily for
ornamentation rather than for food. Tomatoes were thought to cause heart
palpitations, shortness of breath, and even cancer. These beliefs probably
arise from the tomato's association with its poisonous relatives in the
nightshade family. Other relatives of the tomato in the same family include the
potato, eggplant, pepper and tobacco. The tomato vine also can emit an
unpleasant odor when brushed and leave a yellow residue on anything it touches.
It is believed that the Italians were the first tomato
lovers and grew tomatoes for food in the 1500s. Several hundred years later
Europeans brought the plant back to the New World and established it in
It is not always easy to grow tomatoes in
Some of the best tomatoes that can withstand the heat and
humidity in South Central Texas are Celebrity, Heatwave
II, Merced, Patio, Roma, cherry and grape. A recent addition to the Texas
Superstar list of plants is the tomato 444, which has done quite well this year
and is an excellent variety to try. Compared with the Celebrity, the 444 plant
produces slightly larger fruit and a higher yield.
There are two basic types of tomato plants, determinate and
indeterminate. A determinate vine is bushy and more compact; growing from 3 to
5 feet tall or more and grows well supported in a cage. A determinate tomato
vine's terminal buds that form on the tips of the main branches eventually set
fruit, which stops the stem growth. Determinate varieties are great for a small
garden or even in pots. Determinate varieties also tend to put on a heavy crop
all at one time, which might be a better choice for fall. Indeterminate plants
are not stopped in their growth by terminal fruit setting and they grow more
like a vine. An indeterminate plant will keep growing new stems and leaves
until the first frost. They also produce flowers and fruits throughout the
season, but the yield is often much smaller than a determinate variety. Indeterminate
plants grow very tall and will need to be supported either by staking and/or
tall cages. The Texas Tomato Cage, or one made similar to it, provides perfect
tomato plant support. You may find them on the Web at http://www.texastomatocage.com/ or
by calling 1-877-983-4646.
As a rule, one needs to plant early enough to allow time for
vegetable production before the first freeze. Tomatoes grown from seed should
be planted by July 10 so that the seedlings will be ready to transplant by Aug.
10. Transplants should be set out 14 to 16 weeks before the first killing frost
of the season. Although this date will vary from season to season, tomato
plants should be in the ground no later than the end of August. If you are
going to grow your tomatoes from plants, buy the plants in early August and
transplant them immediately.
To help reduce the onset of disease as well as insect
attacks, it is recommended that your fall tomato plants not be planted in the
same bed in which you grew your spring tomatoes. Tomatoes should also not be
planted where you have grown eggplant, peppers, or potatoes the previous
season. Additional plants to avoid rotation with are carrots, okra and squash.
Plants that are good to rotate tomatoes with are grass-like crops such as corn,
onions or garlic. If you do not have much space this may seem like a difficult
task, but do the best you can.
Fall tomatoes should be planted in the evening and watered
in well. If you fertilized your garden well in the spring it should not be
necessary to add additional fertilizer. On the other hand, if your soil is of
poor quality, then a light cover of compost as a side dressing will add
additional vigor to the growing medium. Young plants should be shaded from the
rays of the hot sun until they are acclimated to their environment. They should
be watered well until they are established, which takes about one to two weeks.
Try not to let your plants wilt during this time because this will weaken the
plants and can affect plant growth, and disease and insect resistance.
If you follow these few rules you are likely to end up with
a wonderful supply of delicious tomatoes. Do not forget that tomatoes must
ripen on their vines; that they should be eaten immediately after picking, and
that they must not be refrigerated. The only thing more satisfying than growing
tomatoes is eating them.
Eating from the garden brings to mind the Victoria County
Master Gardener fall symposium and plant sale on Saturday, Sept. 18 near
Victoria Educational Gardens (VEG) at the
Finally, I want to leave you with my favorite recipe for
cherry tomatoes.
Baked Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4-6
1 quart cherry tomatoes (the sweeter, the better)
A handful of garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons snipped chives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
Place the tomatoes in a baking dish, add the garlic and
chives, and toss. Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes, followed by the lemon
juice. Toss again, season with several turns of black pepper, and place in a
350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst open and the
garlic is tender. Remove from the oven and season with kosher salt to taste.
Serve hot, warm or chilled as a side dish.
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do. If you have a lot of cherry tomatoes it is a good way to use them. Enjoy!