Fragrant Tomatoes from Your Own Garden

Fragrant Tomatoes from Your Own Garden

Tomatoes - are a type of fruit vegetable that began to be cultivated on our continent only after the discovery of America, when they were brought over together with potatoes. Their origin is therefore in Central and South America. The edible tomato, or tomato nightshade (lat. Solanum lycopersicum), is an annual herb belonging to the nightshade family. The fruit is a berry - the tomato.

Tomatoes are very popular in gardens, grown in all their forms - varieties:

• small cherry tomatoes, which are especially popular among children
• yellow designer tomatoes
• pear-shaped varieties
• tomatoes with pepper-like shapes
• beefsteak tomatoes
• varieties suitable for growing on balconies.

Types of Tomatoes

There are approximately 7,500 types of tomatoes in the world.

Tomatoes are divided into:

• Indeterminate - suitable for outdoor beds and greenhouses. They are grown on supports. Side shoots are removed to increase yield. Flowers and fruits grow from the main stem. For example, Perun - a vigorously growing low variety with high yield of pear-shaped tomatoes, Start - a proven tall and productive variety with oval and bright red fruits.
• Bush varieties - low varieties are suitable for growing on balconies, while taller varieties work well in beds. Tomatoes don't need pinching out, they have their own shoot terminated by inflorescence. For example, Cherolla - a medium-yielding variety, Vilma - the best bred balcony variety of cherry type.

According to shape, we divide them into:

• pear tomatoes - have a pear shape, suitable for homemade mustard, jams or ketchup
• cherry tomatoes - smaller, round-shaped, sweet, suitable as a snack for children, in salads
• cocktail tomatoes - for salads, smaller round tomatoes
• grape tomatoes - small, sweet tomatoes
• banana tomatoes - interesting variety with decorative appearance, suitable for cold and hot cuisine
• melon tomatoes - beautiful juicy tomatoes for direct consumption and heat treatment
• currant tomatoes - decorative, sweet tomatoes, a treat not only for the eye

If we want to grow organic tomatoes without fertilizing and spraying, definitely shelter the tomatoes under a roof. The harvest always depends on the weather. It's necessary to time the sowing well. The soil around tomatoes should be mulched.

If we grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, we can choose any variety. When growing in outdoor beds, we use black non-woven fabric for covering. Tomatoes thrive in warmth and fresh air - therefore, we ventilate the greenhouse sufficiently. We grow staking varieties in the greenhouse traditionally on supports, or on nets suspended from the greenhouse ceiling. If plants reach the ceiling and haven't set flowers yet, they need to be trimmed.

Growing Tomatoes

We always grow tomatoes according to the instructions on the package, depending on the variety we choose. Generally, there are several fundamental guidelines to help us easily grow this crop in a greenhouse, outdoor bed, or even in a planter or container on a balcony.

If we grow tomatoes outdoors, we need to choose field varieties. Plants thrive in warm, sunny beds with roots in warmth. Fungal diseases may appear after rain, so remove affected leaves. Effective prevention includes spraying against mildew and powdery mildew, and watering at the roots.

Tomatoes have a relatively long growing season from germination to harvest, so they require proper care.

We sow seeds as early as March, keeping them warm until the last spring frosts pass.

The tomato is a hardy plant that can withstand cool temperatures, but right after germination, it's better to provide warmth. Ideally, we pre-grow them for 2 months. The seedling should be approximately 20 cm tall. It should be nicely bushy, not thin and elongated from lack of light.

Now we prepare the bed. We loosen it to a depth of 25 cm. We work compost into the soil. We then add compost directly into the holes for seedlings. We plant tomatoes at spacing according to variety type, approximately 5 cm deep, so the plant is more covered and can develop additional surface roots.

We fertilize with available tomato fertilizers or granulated organic fertilizers.

Beware of over-fertilization with nitrogen, as this leads to leaf growth, not fruit production!

We perform watering moderately, preferably in the morning; we water mature plants every 2-3 days. It's undesirable for the soil around tomatoes to be waterlogged or for water to stand at the stems. We can gently loosen the soil. We don't water the leaves.

Balcony tomatoes - are very easy to grow in containers. They are a practical and modern addition to any balcony. We pre-grow the tomatoes and then plant them in containers (self-watering planters), or containers that have a diameter larger than 25 cm. We choose bush/balcony tomato varieties, for example VILMA type - we grow 3 plants in a 100 cm planter, and 2 plants in a 60 cm planter. Even tomatoes grown on balconies should be watered at the roots and, if possible, grown near walls, sheltered from rain. If we want a truly abundant harvest, don't be afraid to fertilize, even just with mulch or compost, or if we don't like the appearance, with organic or commercial fertilizers. However, never exceed the recommended dosage.

Tomatoes need very nutritious soil, so we provide them with composted soil, and we can also add a little organic fertilizer.

Health Benefits of Tomatoes

Tomatoes contain large amounts of antioxidants. They are therefore a healthy protection for our body's cells against cancer cells. They also contain lycopene, which works against the aging process of cells, strengthens our immunity, lowers cholesterol, rejuvenates the skin, promotes healthy growth of nails and hair, and reduces the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. Lycopene remains in tomatoes even after heat treatment. Tomatoes contain large amounts of vitamin C and beta-carotene.

Tomatoes are composed of 90% water and contain almost no fat, and contain a high proportion of fiber, so they are suitable for weight loss diets. They also contain potassium, which helps the body with drainage, and thus also affects blood pressure regulation.

A delicacy is dried tomatoes, which we can prepare/dry simply at home, either naturally in the air or in a dehydrator. We consume these dried tomatoes as chips. Or we can crush them in our palm as a spice for pasta, or mix them with olive oil and serve them marinated this way with meats and pasta.

Tomatoes in the Kitchen

Tomatoes are generally a tasty side dish for fried foods, which they balance out. We can prepare a tomato salad in a sweet and sour dressing. Shopska salad is popular, where tomatoes are an integral component. We also prepare stuffed tomatoes with cheese mixtures, or we can bake them stuffed with ground meat. The more skilled preserve tomatoes, make puree, or process them into homemade ketchup. We can prepare and preserve a base for Italian sauces, for soup, for Bolognese spaghetti. Who wouldn't love tomato sauce or soup, especially sweet and beautifully colored from home-grown tomatoes.

For children, cherry tomatoes are appealing - small balls of red and yellow color, which we can grow with their help on the balcony if we don't have a garden.

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