Craig LeHoullier, a retired chemist from Raleigh, N.C., can take credit for introducing us to the Cherokee Purple tomato, one of the most popular heirlooms grown and sold today. You'd be forgiven if your first impression of this fruit, with its ungainly bulges and tones of brown, green and purple, was dismissive. But its flavor consistently knocks socks off, with its balance of sweet, acid and savory even a hint of smoke.
One day in 1990, a packet of tomato seeds arrived in LeHoullier's mail with a handwritten note. The sender was John Green of Sevierville, Tenn., who wrote that the seeds came from very good tomatoes he'd gotten from a woman who received them from her neighbors. The neighbors said that the varietal had been in their family for 100 years, and that the seeds were originally received from Cherokee Indians.
Sowing Tomatoes
Sow seeds or plant seedlings in Summer. January is an excellent time to grow tomatoes sow in succession and enjoy a harvest through-out summer.
The only problem with choosing which variety of tomato to sow is choice! Do you go for the big, fleshy ones; so good on your favourite burger? Or a smaller, bushy cherry tomato for salads and snacks? Oh, but what about the irresistible Roma for your favourite pasta sauce?! And surely you should consider one of the very trendy heirloom varieties perhaps a black one? The choice is yours and our advice is to choose what you know you will use and what is suitable to the space you have. Happy hunting!
Another important consideration when choosing tomatoes is the growth habit. Tomatoes either have a determinate or indeterminate growth:
Indeterminate tomatoes
have a vining habit that continue growing throughout the growing season and can become very tall,
start forming fruit later in the season, but fruit will ripen steadily and continuously through the season until the first frost and
need taller, sturdier supports and stakes.
Determinate tomatoes
have a bushier habit and will grow to a fixed mature size,
start forming fruit earlier in the season and all fruit ripens within about a 2 week period, after which the plant will die off and
need support in the form of lower stakes or cages. These are good to grow in confined spaces and containers. For tips on Balcony gardening click |HERE|
Tomato seeds can be sown 6 8 weeks before the last average frost date (in Gauteng that is the 27th of August), provided they are kept in a warm space indoors or in a hothouse. When they are big enough, and all danger of frost has passed, they should be hardened off for at least a week before transplanting them into beds or containers.
Planting Tomato Seedlings
Choose a site that receives at least 6 hours of full sun per day with our hot summers morning sun is preferable to the very hot afternoon sun.
Good soil preparation is key! Prepare in advance for planting by mixing a generous layer amount of compost and earthworm castings and organic 2:3:2 fertiliser into your soil or potting soil. Also add a dash of dolomitic lime as this will make more calcium available to the plant; important in the prevention of blossom end rot.
Good drainage in beds and pots is very important.
Transplant your seedlings when they have at least 4 true leaves and have been hardened off.
Choose the type of support you would like to use and install prior to planting to avoid damage to the young seedlings.
Plant your seedlings on a cloudy day or early in the morning when it is still cool. Water the seedlings 15 minutes before planting and carefully remove from the cavity, keeping the soil around the roots intact.
Plant seedling 60cm apart and, if planting in rows, allow 1m between rows. Tomato seedling should be planted a little deeper than they were in the trays. Pinch off a few of the weaker, lower shoots and plant to a depth of just below the first leaves. This ensures strong root development.
Water well along the root zone after planting. Avoid watering tomato plants directly on their leaves.
