- As of 2017, China, India, and Turkey are the three leading tomato producing countries in the world. The United States ranks fourth in this category.
- The tomato plant was probably first introduced to Europe by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.
- In 2017, the worldwide production of tomatoes totalled 170.8 million tons. ...
What to feed Tomatoes for really fast growth?
Which fertilizer nutrients does a tomato plant need?
- Phosphorous is crucial for the growth and development of roots as well as fruit. ...
- Nitrogen takes care of the foliage, but too much nitrogen leads to bushy plants with little or no fruit.
- Potassium helps the plant grow rapidly and produce flowers and fruit. But it's very important when it comes to photosynthesis and tolerance to some diseases.
What is the easiest tomato plant to grow?
- Disease Resistance: Not susceptible to blossom end, but can develop early blight
- Growth Type: Indeterminate
- Time to Maturity: 75-80 days
- Taste and Texture: Tangy yet mild with a slightly firm and mealy texture
- Light: Full sun
- Plant Size: 6-12’
- Spacing: 24-36” apart
- Staking: Yes – Cage or stake
Do these 9 things to grow the best tomatoes ever?
Tomato Gardening Tips
- Start early inside. If you are starting with seeds, plant them indoors so you can get a jump start on planting outside as soon as the last frost has ...
- Place the seed trays in a warm area. This will help your tomato seeds grow into seedlings more quickly. ...
- Use new potting soil for seedlings. ...
- Label your seedlings. ...
Where should you plant Tomatoes?
Why we bury the tomato stem
- Stronger, deeper root system means your plant is more hardy
- More roots mean better uptake of water and nutrients, and that equals yummier tomatoes.
- Access to water and nutrients deeper in the soil means less watering and fertilizing input from you.
Do tomatoes grow on trees?
The tomato tree (Cyphonandra betacea) is a perennial shrub, he said. If planted in the proper region, the tree produces fruit from flowers in three months. Tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) are annual vines that produce fruit in weeks, not months.
Where do tomato plants grow naturally?
When asked where tomatoes originated from, Caicedo replies, “All wild tomatoes are from western South America. There are only 13 species of wild tomatoes occurring in different habitats in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.
Is tomato from Africa?
The species originated in western South America and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word tomate, from which the English word tomato derived. Its domestication and use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Mexico.
How did tomatoes grow in the wild?
First, native people in South America cultivated blueberry-sized wild tomatoes about 7,000 years ago to breed a plant with a cherry-sized fruit. Later, people in Mesoamerica bred this intermediate group further to form the large cultivated tomatoes that we eat today.
Where did the tomato originate?
The species originated in western South America and Central America. The Nahuatl (the language used by the Aztecs) word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word tomate, from which the English word tomato derived.
What is the name of the tomato plant?
In 1753, Linnaeus placed the tomato in the genus Solanum (alongside the potato) as Solanum lycopersicum. In 1768, Philip Miller moved it to its own genus, naming it Lycopersicon esculentum. This name came into wide use, but was technically in breach of the plant naming rules because Linnaeus's species name lycopersicum still had priority. Although the name Lycopersicum lycopersicum was suggested by Karsten (1888), this is not used because it violates the International Code of Nomenclature barring the use of tautonyms in botanical nomenclature. The corrected name Lycopersicon lycopersicum (Nicolson 1974) was technically valid, since Miller's genus name and Linnaeus's species name differ in exact spelling, but since Lycopersicon esculentum has become so well known, it was officially listed as a nomen conservandum in 1983, and would be the correct name for the tomato in classifications which do not place the tomato in the genus Solanum .
How does the anther of a tomato flower work?
The pollen moves through pores in the anther, but very little pollen is shed without some kind of externally-induced motion.
How big are tomato flowers?
The flowers are 1–2 cm ( 1⁄2 – 3⁄4 in) across, yellow, with five pointed lobes on the corolla; they are borne in a cyme of three to 12 together. Although in culinary terms, tomato is regarded as a vegetable, its fruit is classified botanically as a berry.
How tall do tomato plants grow?
Tomato plants typically grow to 1–3 meters (3–10 ft) in height. They are vines that have a weak stem that sprawls and typically needs support. Indeterminate tomato plants are perennials in their native habitat, but are cultivated as annuals.
What is the UC Davis tomato?
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) became a major center for research on the tomato. The C.M. Rick Tomato Genetics Resource Center at UC Davis is a gene bank of wild relatives, monogenic mutants and miscellaneous genetic stocks of tomato.
Why are tomatoes red?
The poor taste and lack of sugar in modern garden and commercial tomato varieties resulted from breeding tomatoes to ripen uniformly red. This change occurred after discovery of a mutant "u" phenotype in the mid 20th century that ripened "u"niformly. This was widely cross-bred to produce red fruit without the typical green ring around the stem on uncross-bred varieties. Prior to general introduction of this trait, most tomatoes produced more sugar during ripening, and were sweeter and more flavorful.
Where do tomatoes come from?
Tomato plants are from tropical regions in South America (Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and the Galapagos Islands). From America, tomatoes were brought back to Europe by Spanish explorers. They soon spread throughout the world to Italy, England, India, China, the U.S., and beyond.
Where did tomatoes originate?
They are thought to originate from the countries of Chile, Ecuador, and Peru (possibly in the Andes mountains). The original tomato plants grew in tropical parts of South America, with fruit no larger than cherries. Tomato plants have 16 wild relatives that are native to a coastal area of northwestern South America that includes Ecuador ...
What family is tomato in?
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a member of the genus Solanum within the Solanaceae family (nightshade). The nightshade family also includes: Peppers are a member of the same family as tomatoes (nightshade), along with eggplant, potatoes, and more!
Why was the tomato plant feared in Europe?
The tomato was feared in Europe because it was thought to be poisonous. This was a reasonable fear: the leaves and roots of tomato plants are in fact toxic (they contain solanine). Tomato leaves and roots contain the toxic substance solanine, but the fruit does not.
Why did Europeans eat tomatoes?
According to Smithsonian Magazine, wealthy Europeans ate tomatoes from lead plates. The acid in tomatoes would cause the fruit to take up lead from the plate. The result was sickness or death from lead poisoning. The cause was the lead in the plates, but the tomato got the blame for many years.
What are the colors of tomatoes?
This may also be perfectly reasonable, since there are tomatoes of every color available today, including: red, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, and white! There are lots of tomatoes with various colors today, including yellow (which may have been the original color of the fruit).
When did tomatoes spread?
The Aztecs and Mayans grew tomatoes for thousands of years before Europe or Asia ever saw the plants. Tomatoes were domesticated in America about 7,000 years ago .
Where are tomato plants native to?
A perennial plant in its native tropics, tomato belongs to the nightshade family (Solanacae) and is native to Central and South America.
How long do tomatoes need to grow?
Because of their long growing season and temperature requirements, tomatoes must be started indoors six to eight weeks before being moved permanently into the garden. When purchasing tomato seedlings, select stocky plants with thick, straight stems and bright green leaves.
Why do my tomato leaves have spots on them?
The fungi that cause Septoria leaf spot ( Septoria lycopersici) and early blight ( Alternaria solani) overwinter on plant debris in the soil. Both are common causes of spots on tomato leaves, with symptoms usually beginning on the lower leaves.
How to grow tomato plants in a container?
Although any large container will work as long as it provides adequate drainage; a general recommendation is to plant one tomato plant per four or five-gallon container. Grow containerized tomatoes in artificial potting mix; do not use regular garden topsoil or homemade compost. Pay special attention to water and fertilizer needs, as container-grown tomato plants have no access to the deep soil reservoir of water and nutrients. Most containerized tomato varieties require a stake, trellis or other support.
How to keep tomato seedlings from losing water?
Remember that seedlings lose water much more rapidly outdoors than inside and will need more frequent watering during the hardening off process.
How to transplant tomato plants?
About ten days before transplanting, set plants outdoors for a few hours each day to acclimate them gradually to outdoor conditions. Start by setting plants in filtered light in a setting protected from strong breezes. Each day, prolong the period the tomato seedlings spend outdoors, exposing them gradually to direct sunlight and wind. Remember that seedlings lose water much more rapidly outdoors than inside and will need more frequent watering during the hardening off process.
What is the best mulch for tomato plants?
Tomatoes can be mulched with a thick organic mulch of straw, pine needles or leaves, spread two to four inches deep around plants.
How tall do tomato bush varieties grow?
Determinate tomatoes, better known as “bush” varieties grow 2 to 3 feet tall. These varieties tend to provide numerous ripe tomatoes at one time, do not put on much leaf growth after setting fruit, and tend to fruit for a (relatively) brief period of time.
What are the different sizes of tomatoes?
Tomatoes come in many sizes, from tiny “currant” to “cherry” to large “beefsteak.” There are thousands of tomato varieties to suit different climates and tastes. We recommend looking for disease-resistant cultivars.
How much sun do tomatoes need?
In northern regions, tomato plants will need at least 6 hours of sunlight daily; 8 to 10 hours are preferred. In southern regions, light afternoon shade (natural or applied, e.g., row covers) will help tomatoes to survive and thrive.
How many calories are in a tomato?
One medium-sized tomato provides 57% of the recommended daily allotment ( RDA) of vitamin C, 25% RDA vitamin A, and 8% RDA iron, yet it has only 35 calories.
What is the difference between indeterminate and paste tomatoes?
Most paste tomatoes are determine (which works well for making sauce and canning). Indeterminate tomatoes, better known as “vining” varieties produce the largest types of mid- to late-season slicing tomatoes all summer and until the first frost.
How to help tomatoes survive drought?
To help tomatoes through periods of drought, find some flat rocks and place one next to each plant. The rocks prevent water from evaporating from the soil. Fertilizing. You should have already worked compost into the soil before planting, and added some bonemeal to the planting hole when transplanting.
What is the best color for tomato plants?
Choose young tomato plants from a reputable nursery. Good starter plants are short and stocky with dark green color and straight, sturdy stems about the size of a pencil or thicker. They should not have yellowing leaves, spots, or stress damage nor have flowers or fruits already in progress.
Overview
Botany
Tomato plants are vines, initially decumbent, typically growing 180 cm (6 ft) or more above the ground if supported, although erect bush varieties have been bred, generally 100 cm (3 ft 3 in) tall or shorter. Indeterminate types are "tender" perennials, dying annually in temperate climates (they are originally native to tropical highlands), although they can live up to three years in a greenhouse in …
Names
The word tomato comes from the Spanish tomate, which in turn comes from the Nahuatl word tomatl [ˈtomat͡ɬ] pronunciation (help·info), meaning 'swelling fruit'; also 'fat water' or 'fat thing'. The native Mexican tomatillo is tomate. When Aztecs started to cultivate the fruit to be larger, sweeter and red, they called the new variety xitomatl (or jitomates) (pronounced [ʃiːˈtomatɬ]), ('plump with navel' or 'f…
History
The wild ancestor of the tomato, Solanum pimpinellifolium, is native to western South America. These wild versions were the size of peas. The first evidence of domestication points to the Aztecs and other peoples in Mesoamerica, who used the fruit fresh and in their cooking. The Spanish first introduced tomatoes to Europe, where they became used in Spanish food. In France, Italy and norther…
Cultivation
The tomato is grown worldwide for its edible fruits, with thousands of cultivars. A fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 5–10–10 is often sold as tomato fertilizer or vegetable fertilizer, although manure and compost are also used. On average there are 150,000 seeds in a pound of tomato seeds.
Tomato cultivars vary widely in their resistance to disease. Modern hybrids foc…
Consumption
Though it is botanically a berry, a subset of fruit, the tomato is a vegetable for culinary purposes because of its savoury flavour (see above).
Although tomatoes originated in the Americas, they have become extensively used in Mediterranean cuisine. Ripe tomatoes contain significant umami flavor and they are a key ingredient in pizza, and are commonly used in pasta sauces. …
Nutrition
A tomato is 95% water, contains 4% carbohydrates and less than 1% each of fat and protein (table). 100 g of raw tomatoes supply 18 kilocalories and are a moderate source of vitamin C (17% of the Daily Value), but otherwise have no significant nutrient content (table).
There is no conclusive evidence to indicate that the lycopene in tomatoes or in supplements affects the onset of cardiovascular diseases or cancer.
Host plant
The Potato Tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella) is an oligophagous insect that prefers to feed on plants of the family Solanaceae such as tomato plants. Female P. operculella use the leaves to lay their eggs and the hatched larvae will eat away at the mesophyll of the leaf.