Tomato Guide                                                                                                           www.plantsthatproduce.com

R. Frost                                                                                                                                            2008/11/26

Legend:

m = meaty, è = paste tomato

r = round,  p = pear or plum shape,  o = oxheart shape,  u = irregular shape

d = determinate variety (one crop), all others keep producing until cold weather

w = tolerates “winter” conditions to some extent, ê = one of Richard’s favorites

	FLAVOR
SIZE	Very Sweet	Sweet	Fruity	Rich and Complex
Cherry (1” or less)	Sun Gold rê Sun Sugar r Supersweet r Sweet 100 r	Cherry Express r Grape p Red Cherry r Snow White p Sweet Olive pd		Black Cherry rê
Miniature ( ~ 2 oz. )	Yellow Pear p	Green Grape pdê Green Zebra p Juliet p Pink Ping Pong r Roma èpd Stupice wr	Black Plum èp Yellow Plum èp	Glacier wmrdê
Small ( ~ 5 oz. )		First Lady r Heatwave rd Martino’s Roma èpd Plum Lemon èp Salsa r Sweet Cluster r Zapotec uê	Early Girl mr Garden Peach r Red Zebra mr Siberia wmrdê Silvery Fir Tree wud Taxi (yellow) wmd Tigerella (not Mr. Stripey) r	Black Prince mr
Medium ( ~ 8 oz. )		Burpee Red Lightning mr Champion mr Druzba r Legend wrd Manitoba wrd Momotaro mrê Oregon Spring wmrd Palla di Fuoco mr Pearson rd San Marzano Redorta èpê	Ace rd Arkansas Traveler r Aunt Ruby’s German r Azoychka muê Ball’s Beefsteak Hybrid mr Banana Legs èpd Burpee Golden Mama p Celebrity mr German Orange mo Lemon Boy r Limmony mu Jetsetter wmr San Diego (Hybrid 6718) rd Striped Roman èpê	Black Krim r Carbon r Purple Calabash mu
Large ( ~ 1 lb.)		Abe Lincoln mr Beefsteak u Better Boy mr Big Boy mr Big Girl mrê Franchi Red Pear mo German Johnson mr German J. Potato u Mr. Stripey u	Anna Russian o Big Beef mr Big Boy r Brandywine (Red) mr German Orange mo Hillbilly muê Kellogg Breakfast mu Pruden’s Purple mr Sainte Lucie mu	Cherokee Purple muê German Red mo Yellow Brandywine mr
Huge ( ~ 2+ lbs. )		Brandywine (Suddith) mrê Bull’s Heart o Burpee Delicious mr Porterhouse Beefsteak mr Supersteak mr	Coustralee mu Dr. Neal mu Persimmon mrê Pineapple (orange) u	Black Brandywine mu Omar’s Lebanese u

Tomatoes desire full sun, at least six continuous hours per day.

HOW TO START FROM SEED

· Get a seedling tray – looks like a plastic egg carton, an old plant “six-pack” tray is fine

· Fill pockets with Sunshine Seed Starter Mix, plant seed ¼ inch below top of soil

· Water lightly.  Make sure pockets (a) drain, (b) never dry out, (c) do not remain soggy

HOW TO PLANT YOUNG PLANTS

In a pot

· Use a 15 gallon pot, fill with Sunshine All-Purpose Planting Mix

· Smash the soil down in the pot so that soil is almost 3 inches below top of pot

· Remove enough soil to place purchased tomato in pot

In the ground (any old ground, clay soil, etc.)

· Remove enough soil to place purchased tomato in ground

· Put 2-3 inches of mulch over entire area, but a few inches away from trunk of plant.

· Run common soaker hose 6” to 8” on both sides of plant(s), preferably in a loop – a “T” connector works great for this.  The 5/8 inch “tire rubber” variety is very effective.

HOW TO SUPPORT

· Install a 3’ high, 2½ foot diameter circle of plastic-coated wire fencing around the pot or plant in the ground.  Fencing is sold in rolls.  If in the ground, stake on three sides with 4’ long metal fence posts about 8-10” deep.  Do this at the time of planting and allow the plant to grow through.  Let branches flow to the ground – they will still produce.  Trim the perimeter of the plant if it gets too wide.  When the plant is spent, leave fencing in place for next year.

HOW TO FERTILIZE

· Feed with ½ cup of Gro‑Power Plus 5‑3‑1 and a ½ cup of Gro‑Power Flower & Bloom 3‑12‑12 immediately after planting – then 1 cup of Flower & Bloom every 1 month thereafter.

· Put fertilizer where water contacts mulch (alongside soaker hose near plant works well).

HOW TO WATER

In a pot, soak thoroughly when top 1” of soil is dry.  In the ground, soak thoroughly once every 4 days in spring, once every 3 days in summer.  You might need to make a basin around plants.

PEST CONTROL

            Green Light Fruit Tree Spray, or Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer

MILDEW CONTROL

            Lily Miller PolySul – use the summer spray dosage but dilute by half.

TOBACCO BLIGHT

Tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, chew, etc.) and plants are harmful to tomato plants.  Do not touch tomato or pepper plants if you have been handling tobacco products.

PLANT SOURCES (no mail order)

· Walter Andersen Nurseries, http://www.walterandersen.com

· Goto Nursery, http://www.gotonursery.com

SEED SOURCES (mail order)

· Seeds From Italy, http://growitalian.com/Qstore/

· Tomato Growers Supply Company, http://www.tomatogrowers.com

· TomatoFest, http://store.tomatofest.com/Heirloom_Tomato_Seeds_s/1.htm

· W. Atlee Burpee & Co., http://www.burpee.com