Tomato
June 9th 2006. Today I was given 16 tomato plants by our friendly neighbour. They are very welcome as we only had three tomato plants planted.
I was shown how to plant them. And I am pleased I was, as I would have planted them as they were, with the same amount of soil covering them.
Each plant had the lower leaves taken off, and the soil dug, manured with rotted horse manure, mixed with soil, and the plant put in and the lower part of the stalk covered with soil too. The reason: to promote root growth from the lower stems and so make it a stronger plant.
Varieties
There are many varieties of tomatoes, from small cherry like ones to plum ones to big beafsteak tomatoes.
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This is one of our tomato plants that we were given back in June, taken July 22 2006:
These tomatoes are still green on the plant. The photo was taken July 22 2006.
Varieties
There are many varieties of tomatoes, from small cherry like ones to plum ones to big beafsteak tomatoes.
How to grow
If you grow from seeds make sure that the chance of frost is over before transplanting to the garden. Plant in a fertilised area and when planting cover the bottom bit of the stem to force more root growth. Water the plants daily to allow the plants to establish a good root growth. If there is the possibility of frost protect the plants at night.
Uses
Tomatoes can be eaten raw or cooked in a variety of ways, from adding to salads, to cooked in stews, or used on the base of pizza.
Where found
It is native to the Andes region of Chili, Colombia, Brazil and Peru.