Learn To Grow Your Best Tomato Garden

Tomatoes are an excellent source of potassium and vitamin C. They also pack plenty of the phytochemicals that provide disease prevention benefits. Tomatoes are high in lycopene (a powerful antioxidant) and phenolic compounds. In our diet, 95% of lycopene intake comes from tomatoes and tomato products. It is also found in watermelon, pink grapefruit, papaya and rosehip.

Lycopene is better absorbed by the
body when cooked with oil.

Lycopene is the carotenoid that makes tomatoes red. It appears that lycopene can reduce the risk of certain cancers, the eye disorder age-related macular degeneration, atherosclerosis and sun damage to the skin.

Men who eat two or more servings of tomato products average a 35 percent reduction in prostate cancer risk.

Lycopene helps women guard against cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia, (CIN), tumorous tissue growth in the cervix according to research from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Lycopene is a powerful inhibitor of the growth of breast, endometrium (inner lining of the uterus) and lung cancer cells.

Lycopene is better absorbed by the body when it is cooked with some oil. The cooking helps to break down the cell walls of the tomato releasing the lycopene and the oil helps increase its absorption. Japanese scientists found that mixing tomato juice into the drinking water of mice completely prevented them suffering emphysema triggered by tobacco smoke.

Tomatoes also contain Lutein. Lutein is found in the retina of our eyes so it needed for healthy vision. Lutein also appears to lower the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Lutein may also help to prevent or slow down the thickening of arteries that is called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a major risk for cardiovascular disease.

Tomato products are beneficial in aggressive cancers that have also spread to other parts of the body.

If you plan to grow tomatoes, you will need to decide what characteristics are the most important to you, as well as the climate and disease susceptibility in your area. No one variety will perform best across all planting seasons and regions. Issues such as fruit firmness, size, shape, flavor and plant growing habits need to be considered in order to insure you find the most productive plants for your tomato garden.

You will need to decide whether you want a 'jointed' tomato variety. In other words, do you want a tomato variety that retains its stalk when picked or one that comes away cleanly from its stalk when picked. Many commercial organic and gourmet tomato growers choose 'jointed' tomato varieties because the tomato with its stalk attached looks attractive to the buyer. These can be seen at your grocery sold as on the vine tomatoes. Most home gardeners and non-organic commercial growers prefer the 'jointless' varieties.

Next you will need to decide if you would like to grow a 'determinate' or 'indeterminate' variety. A determinate variety grows to a bush about 1 meter (3 feet) high. At this stage it stops growing and sets a concentrated crop of tomatoes which can be picked over a few weeks.

Indeterminate varieties keep growing and can reach a height of up to 5 meters (15 or more feet) when fully mature. The fruit from these can be picked over a period of 12 to 20 weeks. These varieties are frequently used by greenhouse producers. Many cherry tomato varieties are indeterminate.

There are also 'semi-determinate' varieties which grow to about 1.5 - 2 meters (4 - 6 ft) and set fruit over a longer period than determinate varieties. These are the best suited to home gardens. They generally require staking because of their height and the tomatoes are harvested over two to six weeks.

Different varieties of tomatoes ripen at different times. I like to mix it up with some early, medium and late varieties to extend the harvest time. Cherry tomatoes tend to ripen a few weeks earlier so be sure to add some of those in, you'll be glad you did and they are sweet and delicious.

Also important in considering what variety of tomato to grow in your garden is your climate. Tomatoes like a sunny climate, and can die if they get too cold. They would like all of the sun they can possible get. Find the area in your yard or garden that gets the most amount of sun. Tomatoes also need lots of water and can be watered almost every day.

Good soil is critical to getting a good result with your tomatoes. Prepping to soil properly prior to planting, then fertilizing as your tomatoes grow will give you stronger plants. You can use a common 10-10-10 fertilizer but manure works well also.

Place your tomato plants about 18 inches apart to give them room to grow and then provide support as they grow. This is very important as they will topple over and the stems will break before the fruit has a chance to set. Just about anything can be used to do this. Tomato cages can be purchased from your garden store for about a dollar each and can be reused every year. Once the plant has grown a bit, you slide the tomato cage over your plant and the wires will provide support on all sides. You can also use stakes and twine. I like to grow my tomatoes along a fence and use twine to guide them upright along the fence.

Detailed information on hot climate and cold climate varieties as well as 100 popular varieties provided in How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes.