Tips on growing Tomatoes

It seems there has been an outbreak of Late Blight Fungus in the Northease and Midatlantic. There is no cure for this fungus except to pull the infected tomato plants and destroy them. DO NOT compost the infected plants as it is highly contagious!

Here are a few signs of late blight fungus white, powdery spores; large olive green or brown spots on leaves; and brown or open lesions on the stems. If this fungus is not contained we could very well see tomato prices sky rocket this year.
For more information on this fungus, please visit http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu

Have you ever noticed that today's tomatoes have a very thick skin, or they have a deformed look to them? When you try to cut into tomatoes that you buy at the supermarket, it's like cutting through a small tree limb. Tomatoes are a delicate vegetable that SHOULD be very easy to cut. Unfortunately for us today's chemicals that are being used to grow tomatoes are making them deformed and so tough that you have to buy special knives just to cut them.

I have discovered a simple way to get the most delicious tomatoes you have ever tasted. You will be the envy of your neighborhood, and everyone will want to know your secret. Most people have never seen what a tomato SHOULD look like. You to can LEARN HOW to produce more tomatoes by actually planting less plants.

When choosing tomato plants for your garden, make sure none of the leaves or the lower stalks have any spots that look like fungus. To many times have I been in a hurry and got a bad batch of plants that died soon after planting. If your new plants are real small, make sure there are some leaves right near the bottom of the stalk.

When planting tomatoes make your hole big enough to accomodate the entire root system, and set the plant to where those lower leaves are below the dirt. These lower leaves on the young tomato plants will branch out underground and create a stronger root system.
Make sure to water your plants once you set them in the ground, don't drowned them, just add enough water to moisten the soil around the plant good. Once your tomato plants have established some roots you can monitor the water amount by checking your plants mid-day to see if the leaves are wilting. Another quick method is to stick your fingers about two inches in the soil to check for moisture. The right amount of water applied will make planting tomatoes much more enjoyable.

One of the worst mistakes I hear about is people raving over how GOOD their tomato plants look, because of all the healthy leafy stems. Be careful though, to many leaves is not always a good thing. You have to realize that the fruit needs sunlight! If you have a mature plant full of nice healthy leaves, then they are hogging all the sunlight and you will end up with bitter tasting tomatoes or not as many tomatoes as you could have. The fruit needs water and airflow to produce the highest quality and quantity of fruit. Nice "pretty" leaves will restrict air from getting through the plant to the fruit. Find out more tips for growing tomatoes and hear what a leading professional has to say.

Your plants are not able to get enough Carbon from the air and they are not able to get enough water. Alot of the diseases that kill tomatoes come from the fact that all those "PRETTY" leaves are offering a place for moisture to collect. This gives fungul diseases the perfect environment to manifest. If you'd like to finally be rid of those awful diseases that plague tomaotes, then go here now.

Try these Recipes at home and see how you like them. Maybe add your on twist to them and come back and let me know, I would love to hear your ideas!

CHEESY TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS:

4 large tomatoes
1/4 cup butter melted
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup fresh bread crumbs

GETTING EVERYTHING READY:

Rinse the tomatoes,then remove stems.

Slice the tomatoes in halves.

Position tomato halves on a broiler pan.

Blend bread crumbs, butter, cheese and seasoning; spoon over tomatoes.

Broil 10 inches from heat for 4 to 5 minutes or
until topping is browned and cheese is melted.

Serve piping hot for best results, you should be able to serve about four people with tomato recipe. Double as needed for additional guest.

CHERRY TOMATOES STUFFED WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING:

INGREDIENTS
:
24 to 36 cherry tomatoes
1 8oz package of cream cheese,(soften cream cheese before mixing)
2 tablespoons milk(whole or two percent)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley(fresh is the best!)
1 tablespoon dry Italian salad dressing mix

PREPERATION:

Place tomatoes stem-side down; very carfully cut an x into tomato,making sure to leave about 1/4-inch from the bottom of each cherry tomato.

Spread carefully to open the wedges without breaking.

In a small bowl,combine dressing mix, cream cheese,and milk.Blend well.

Fill each tomato with about one teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture, or a little less for more of the Cherry tomato flavor.

Sprinkle tops with finely chopped parsley.

Refrigerate until chilled, serve and enjoy. This recipe makes a great healthy appetizer for watching the game, or enjoying the outdoors.

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know, I was recently looking for some creative recipes for using my fresh vegetables when I came across a product that is wonderful. It is a recipe guide that gives you 100's of recipes that the major resteraunts use. These are the same recipes you order when you go out to eat, AND THEY WORK! Plus the web site has a free newsletter that is great with sample recipes also, check it out HERE