Tomatoes

There is a specific kind of joy in walking out to the garden in late August and finding tomatoes still ripening on a vine that refuses to quit. That is the whole appeal of indeterminate tomatoes. Unlike their compact cousins, indeterminate tomato plants keep growing, flowering, and setting fruit until frost finally stops them. According…

If you have ever planted a tomato vine that grew taller than your fence and never seemed to stop, you already know why determinate tomatoes exist. I have grown both kinds, and there is something satisfying about a plant that knows when to quit. Determinate tomatoes are bred to stay compact. They flower, set fruit,…

I still remember the first heirloom tomato I ever sliced open. It was a Cherokee Purple, dusky and almost bruised-looking on the outside. Inside, it was deep garnet red, sweet, smoky, and nothing like the tomatoes I grew up eating. That single slice changed how I thought about tomatoes entirely. Grocery store tomatoes are bred…

Roma tomato plants produce small red fruits that are oblong in shape. They are also referred to as plum tomatoes and belong to the determinate variety. They produce fruits that are meaty inside with fewer seed,s ideal for making sauces, paste and canning. You’ll tell if a tomato plant is determinate or indeterminate through observing…

Tomatoes dropping off the vine prematurely is one of the frustrating things that many gardeners go through. It’s commonly a sign that your plants are stressed or that they are missing something important. To save the situation, let’s understand why this happens, and you can fix it. Some of the main causes of this problem…

Have you noticed a dry black or brown sunken spot of decay appearing on the blossom end of your tomatoes. This problem is common, especially on the first tomatoes of the season that you may have struggled to nurture after an extremely dry period.  Tomatoes rotting on the vine is commonly caused by blossom end…

Tomatoes split or crack on the vine due to inconsistency in the amount of water they receive. When you grow tomatoes in dry conditions or with little supply of water, they are likely to split after a heavy downpour. Irregular watering can also cause this problem. An excess amount of water causes the inside tissues…

Are your tomato plants blossoming but failing to set fruit? This can be a frustrating experience, especially after putting in a lot of effort. Many gardeners are experiencing this problem without knowing the causes or what to do. So, why are tomato flowers not setting fruit?  Tomato plants may produce flowers but fail to set…