Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most widely grown vegetables / fruit crops in the world. It is very popular among consumers around the globe and is quite commonly used as a salad vegetable in raw form or in sauces and ingredients for prepared dishes. The fruits of the tomato are also processed into juice, catsup, sauces, pastes, purees and soups. The tomato is the most extensively canned vegetable, and consumption exceeds other vegetables as well. Tomatoes form an important source of vitamins A and C in diets.
Interestingly, the tomato is one of the more recent plants historically to be cultivated on a large scale for human consumption. It was at one time thought to be poisonous and was most often used an ornamental plant. The perceived poisonous nature of tomato was due to great extent to its association with many other toxic plants. Tomato is a member of the family Solanaceae, commonly referred to as the ‘deadly nightshade’ family because it has many poisonous members, several of which produce toxic alkaloids, and many of which produce tiny fruits that may resemble a small cherry tomato. It was only after 1820, when Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson disproved the myth during a public demonstration in New Jersey; tomato acquired the status of a valuable food item in much of Europe and the United States.
The Tomato is a short-lived perennial plant, but is most often grown as an annual, typically growing 1-3 m in height. The stem is weak, semi woody and the plant usually scrambles over other plants. The leaves are long, pinnate, with 5–9 leaflets, and with serrated margin. Both the stems and leaves are densely glandular and hairy. The flowers are asexual in nature, off-white or yellow colored, and are generally borne in groups of 3–12. Tomato is a self-pollinated crop. Fruit size ranges from ¾” or 2 cm in diameter (cherry tomatoes) to over 6” or 15 cm (beef-steak tomatoes). The most widely grown commercial tomatoes tend to be in the 5–6 cm diameter range. Fruit color ranges from yellow to orange to deep red depending on the accumulation of a carotenoid pigment, lycopene. Fruit shape ranges from ovals to plum-shaped Italian plum tomato, to pear-shaped tomatoes. Fruit flavor also varies from very sweet to highly acidic.
Different types of tomatoes are available for cultivation. Selecting the right variety is critical and should be based considering many factors including the growing condition and market demand. Based on the growth habit, tomato varieties are of three types viz., determinate, semi-determinate, and indeterminate. Determinate and semi-determinate varieties produce stems that end with a flower cluster. Determinates are short and bushy while semi-determinate varieties grow slightly taller. Indeterminate varieties continually produce new leaves and flowers, and can grow very tall. Indeterminate varieties set fruit over a longer period. This longer harvest period is an advantage if market prices fluctuate, because income tends to even out. Indeterminate varieties should be staked and pruned and usually require more labor.
Three major market classes are important for tomato viz., fresh market, cherry and processing varieties. The fruits of fresh market varieties are usually red but vary in color, shape, and size; the cherry types are small-fruited (less than 30g) borne on long clusters and used as fresh market type; and processing varieties with fruits having intense red color and high solids content suitable for making paste, ketchup, or sauce.
The place of origin of the tomato is believed to be South America, although there is some debate, and the plant is thought specifically native to the Andes regions of Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru. Early Mexicans; likely the Aztecs were the first to domesticate tomato, and though cultivated throughout the world, the crop is particularly concentrated in Australia, Central America, and South America.
Tomato Gardening Success is written and published, to provide information on tomato gardening such as the best care for growing tomatoes, showing the proper conditions a growing tomato will need, and most all things tomato gardening related.
Dave Cape is an avid fan of vegetable and tomato gardening, he loves growing heirloom tomatoes and he writes about growing heirloom tomato varieties and organic gardening.
The tomato gardening success topics & tomato growing tips are presented for the benefit of successful tomato gardening.
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Alas, I would love to know everything about tomato gardening, but I do not.
Here are some other great articles about tomatoes and tomato gardening
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Easy Urban Gardening: Tomatoes in a Bucket at Dethroner – The only thing that might stop the urban gardener from growing his own bountiful crop of tomatoes is sunlight. Tomatoes need quite a bit of light—all day would be preferably, but at least six hours a day is a minimum. …
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Growing Tomatoes In The Home Garden-3 Things You Should Consider First – Another great method of increasing the fertility is to add organic compost to the soil as its really simple to have great tomatoes when doing organic tomato gardening. This will slowly decompose which will allow the nutrients locked …
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Why Grow Your Tomatoes From Seeds? – tomato-seeds2. Whether you are new to growing tomatoes or you are a regular when it comes to organic gardening, than at some point you may find yourself contemplating the best way to begin the growth process. …
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