So we would like to try growing them ourselves. But, holy moly, browsing through Park's catalog makes it seem so complicated.
Yes, we're rank beginners. Actually we're what beginners were before they became beginners.
So... What is the best short and easy guide to growing tomatoes? Thx!
I had really good success growing Park’s Whopper Improved a couple of years ago - the ‘regular’ Park’s Whopper, not so much. I bought some small “PW Improved” plants at the local hardware store.
Best tomato tip I’ve ever gotten - using dried milk to prevent blossom end rot. The calcium in the dried milk is easily taken up by the tomatoes. I mix 2 or 3 tablespoons in the dirt I get out of the hole I’m digging for the tomatoes, then put it back in around the plant. A cousin of mine top dresses his tomatoes with it & waters it in. He’s the one who told me about the dried milk - an old farmer at the country store told him that was his secret to beautiful tomatoes. It’s worked well for my cousin & also for me.
I would do a search and find some videos to watch on growing tomatoes.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=easy+ways+to+grow+tomatoes
From there, decide what you want to DO with your tomatoes - just slice and eat them? Do some canning? Do you want to dry them? Make Salsa? And choose varieties from there.
(We can help you with that - we all have our favorites!)
Pro Tip? Unless you are feeding an army, ONE cherry-type tomato plant is MORE than enough, LOL!
I usually plant two; a red and a yellow, because Beau will eat them by the handful all day long, and twice on Sundays, but I don’t care for them all that much, other than as a salad topping.
I would also recommend getting a copy of ‘Square Foot Gardening’ by Mel Bartholomew. It’s a great system for growing anything, and you can expand it as needed to larger growing beds.
Also, ‘The Month By Month Gardening Series’ of books, based upon your state, are just excellent for beginning gardeners. They tell you what to do when, based upon where you live/garden. Highly recommended.
I’ve been ‘in the biz’ for 20 years and I still read gardening books in the winter months - they keep me sane, and I always find something new to try. Start slow and don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. There is a ‘learning curve’ so once you’ve mastered one part of it, move on to the next thing that interests you. I can’t recommend a better ‘hobby’ than growing food and flowers. :)
I agree with Diana. Videos are the best.
Also concur with dried milk suggestion and I will add Liquid Kelp fertilizer.
All of my plants of every type LOVE that stuff.
I mix up about 4 tablespoons with a gallon of water. Put a splash on the ground at each plant about 1x week at transplant time and beyond...along as I am trying to promote green growth.
My tomatoes and peppers, notorious for not growing well or fast here in the PNW, would grow 25-40% larger in the 36 hours after giving the plants this fertilizer.
When I had to go through these plants every other week when they were mature and hack out 60% of the vines and branches they were growing so much.
When you are trying to get fruit set I stopped giving the kelp to them.
As an example...my neighbor and I both have South facing gardens and planted tomato plants at the same time.
I had some Black Krim plants and Sweet 100 cherry tom plants that I transplanted into raised beds 18 inches deep and later I had to chop a foot off of the top of each plant when they were reaching 7 feet high. My bamboo poles I staked them to were not tall enough to let them get tha high