Ode to a Tomato

It would be safe to say that tomatoes are the most popular home-grown “vegetable.” Any garden department or nursery this time of the year has a huge array of varieties. You can become positively confused with numerous names, sizes, and descriptions.  As a Master Garden I will attempt to demystify some this for you.

The tomato, commonly called a vegetable, is a fruit botanically, and hard to believe but the tomato was the center of a U.S. Supreme Court decision, Nix vs. Hedden. Now, this is a fascinating bit of historical trivia. In the 1800's there was a tariff that put a tax on imported vegetables. Well, a business owner in New York City named John Nix wasn't too happy about this. He sued Edward Hedden, the “Collector of the Port of NYC” (tax collector). Mr. Nix declared that since tomatoes are a fruit, he was owed back taxes.

Now, Mr. Hedden and the Port of NYC did not wish to return any money, so eventually this case landed at the U.S. Supreme Court. Final decision, although the tomato is botanically a fruit, a seed-bearing structure grown from the flowering part of the plant, the Court ruled unanimously that they are used as a vegetable so consequently it is considered a vegetable, and that was that.

In Stanislaus County from early July and for months afterward, you'll see tomato truck gondolas on the road 24 hours a day filled with red, ripe tomatoes rushing to processors. We have perfect tomato growing conditions.

A tomato is not too picky. That's another reason it's so popular to grow.  All that is required is full sun, an area (container or ground) with some soil, a support of some type, some water, some fertilizer, and a little love.

If you are a container/patio gardener, look on the label or tag for the term “determinate,” as these plants work best in containers. Also, anything named patio or pixie. Cherry tomato varieties are indeterminate but work great in a container.  Use at least a 5-gallon bucket-sized container (with holes in the bottom). Your plant will need some support, but not as much as the indeterminate varieties.

If you are planting in the ground, you can use determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. Indeterminates can get quite big and need a sturdy support system. Most heirloom (very popular right now), cherry, and the traditional requested varieties such as 'Beefsteak,' 'Big Boy,' and my personal favorite, 'Sungold' are in this category.

To ensure your plant is planted correctly, make your hole as wide and deep as the root ball of the plant. This is the area of soil and roots that you remove from the original container. The cool thing about tomatoes is you can plant them as deep as you need to if they are leggy.  

To plant, carefully remove the root ball, and gently loosen the root mass and with gardening clippers or scissors remove lower branches. You are going to plant about 1/3 of the green plant below the soil. Gently pat the soil around the plant . Don't forget to place your support around or next to the plant now so you don't forget. Water gently and stand back and admire your gardening expertise. And imagine those delicious tomatoes gracing your salad, sandwich, or as I like to do, eat them out of my hand with a few napkins to catch the juice.

As the growing season continues you may run into a few questions or issues. This is when the Master Gardeners of Stanislaus County can come to the rescue. We are there with sound, scientific advice and information about plant health, pests, and growing problems, all at no cost. 

I hope you plant at least one tomato plant this season and send us pictures of your successes to ucmgstanislaus@ucanr.edu. Happy gardening and enjoy those dirty hands.

Be sure to join Rho on Wednesday, April 15 at 6 p.m. for Spring Container Vegetable Gardening. Sign up on our class website at https://ucanr.edu/sites/stancountymg/Classes/