We offer a myriad of tomato flavors, colors, shapes, and sizes. Tomatoes offer more distinct flavors than many could ever imagine. Vocabulary doesn't seem to come close to being able to describe the taste treasures that are available. We savour and enjoy each variety, coming to us like a gift that is awaited upon yet unknown until that moment of final reward. Sharing with our neighbors from our many varieties over the summer leaves them stating, "I never knew tomatoes came in so many flavors."

With starting often hundreds of plants, success is critical so time isn't lost to restarting and to helping them to germinate. Here are tips and ideas that I follow in order to be successful. (these tips generally apply to peppers, ground cherries, and tomatillos as well!)

1. Clean soiless mix is needed that is moist. 

2. Put seeds into soil 1/4 inch and be sure they are lightly covered. Many people mist the soil at planting time (after the seeds go in and are covered) with a 1:10 bleach to water solution to decrease the chance of damp off.  Now is when you mist if you choose.

3. Use plastic wrap or plastic bags over the soil to keep in the moisture and then place in warm place -- at least 80 degrees F. I like oversized clear bread bags that are sold very inexpensively, as they are light and can be "fluffed" up off the soil to provide some breathing room and not too wet/damp.

4. Check daily, morning and night, for just the bend of the plant to show and the leaves will follow. As soon as I see the bend even, I place the container with the plastic still on it under the light, about 2 to 3 inches below. Why leave on the plastic? It keeps it moist in there so the seed cover will slide off better. If it tries to come out and that seed coat dries, it is more prone to get stuck in it.

5. If the seed gets stuck in the coat, a drop of spit or drop of soapy water used on the coat to moisten it often helps. However, if you use the plastic bag technique and leave it on until the seed coat is about off, you shouldn't need to moisten the seed coat. With seed coat coming off, remove plastic bag and now it is critical to keep lights 1 inch from the plants!! I use cheap shop lights with flourescent lights, 1 warm and 1 cool colored.  For watering, bottom water so that it soaks bottom to top and the entire container is moistened. Overwatering is deadly, so be sure and let them get fairly dry before watering again or you will get damp off and dead plants.

6.When plants develop their 1st set of real leaves, plant into a larger, deeper container with potting soil (with a hint of compost). Remember that tomatoes do like to be planted deeply.  Keep 1 inch under lights. At this point, each plant should have it's very own container for growth. The more in a container, the thinner the stems will be. With planting deeply, aim for a moderately oversized container, because they will grow much faster than you realize and the roots will be wanting to stretch out. 

7. 16 to 18 hours of light is needed per day, and having a fan on as well will strengthen the plants for when they go outside.

8. Some people will find "volunteers" in the garden from last year. If variety doesn't phase you, just let them grow. In regards to size, they often outperform the ones we work over in the house!! The biggest risk is if they carry some disease from the year before and have kept it.  For our garden, we pull all extras and treat them as unwanted plants -- weeds -- to protect the new varieties.

9. With getting the baby tomato plants used to going outside, be sure and do the transition very gradually or they will burn up from the sun and dry out from any breeze. Starting with an hour, then two, then 4 (avoid 10 to 2 for these first three days since the sun is so strong then).... Easing them into the outdoors really toughens them up and makes them do well. After 6 days of transition, they should do super well. If a cold snap comes, cover them up with lightweight material to protect them. A string of lights under the material will also provide warmth to help if needs be.

10. Plant again deeply into the soil in the garden when the weather has warmed up. They do not like cold feet, so not starting too early in the season is very important. Aim for plant out 1 week AFTER last date of frost and count back 7 weeks from there. Your plants will be more successful and less worry about a freeze will occur. Additionally, if they are not too big, you won't feel the need to rush them out the door.  Using Wall O' Waters and other protective covers does allows quite successfully for plants to go out earlier. Often people put out some early varieties and protect them to try and get some early tomatoes without risking the entire crop. Definitely something to experiment with to get those early homegrown tomatoes!

Experiments with growing onions from seed!

     What a fascinating experiment it has been, so we are eager to share our learning. We put onion seeds in the classic 2x2 square pack by Jiffy. Generally two seeds germinated per square.  On the flip side, we put a fairly liberal amount of onion seeds in a 3 1/2 inch square. MANY germinated in those (two of them loaded up and experimented with).

     Now, several sets of instructions that were read say to trim the green portions to keep the bulb getting bigger. Interestingly, the onions that were packed in tight (3 1/2 inch) grew to approximately 4 inches tall and that was it. Small bulbs.  They were just soaked to separate for plant out and evaluate, and they were in too tight that after soaking for 15 minutes, the middle of the square was still bone dry. We are supposing that that is part of why they didn't grow much, as the water could not impregnant the middle at all with a normal watering routine. Tremendous long roots were on them and much of the roots were just at the bottom of the container.

     As for the ones in the 2x2 pack, those did need to be trimmed multiple times and have very nice starter bulbs on them. Absolutely gorgeous, lots of greenery on the top per onion. This is the picture that is included.

So, we don't know everything here, but we do want to help those starting from seed to plant very thinly so they have room to develop the roots and absorb water. Plus, the top will be thicker stemmed and stronger! The other plus occurs with very thin seeding -- you get to eat the trimmed tops as a wonderful treat until the time comes to put them in the garden. Aim for thin seeding and deeper containers, since their roots do like to stretch down most eagerly.

With placing in the garden, be sure and give really good care to hardening them off. We found them more sensitive at planting time and quite a few were "baked" when we thought they had been hardened off.

As a final note, we also did plant and water straight into the garden a bunch of seeds since onion seeds have a very short shelf life (keep longer if refrigerated or frozen). With consistent watering, those definitely have come up, but size-wise, they are so very much smaller than our indoor starts.  Thinning again is supposed to help them grow in size. Additionally, they are 10 weeks younger than the plants started in the house.

Thus, starting indoors, giving the seeds lots of space from it's neighbors and a good deep pot --  and  plenty of time before plant-out, it is really easy to start onions indoors and have a very successful outcome!  And, remember to trim to 3 inches to keep them from flopping over and damaging themselves.

TASTE
Grandpa Poss was a sweet corn farmer.  Once a year, he would call us with that frantic excitement that could only mean one thing.  The sweet corn was ripe.  He insisted that we only had about 48 hours to get there and get our share of the corn frozen or it wouldn't be worth feeding to the pigs.  The same holds true for tomatoes.  A tomato that is picked from the vine when perfectly ripe is like precious candy compared to those tasteless red lumps that are sold at the grocery store and called tomatoes. 

HEFT
When holding a ripe tomato in your hand, it will feel much heftier, weightier and denser than an unripe one.  Gently slip your palm under a tomato while it is still on the vine and lift it just a bit.  Then do the same with different tomatoes on the same plant.  The ripe ones have an unmistakable feeling of heft to them.

GIVE
Let your hand wander around the different tomatoes on the vine and barely press against the flesh of each of them.  There will be different amounts of "give" to each tomato.  Under ripe ones will be firm and stiff to the touch.  The flesh of the ones that are perfectly ripe will "give" under the gentle pressure of your finger.

COLOR
Even non-red tomatoes show a color change when they are ripe.  The color change may not be as apparent as it is with red ones but it is there.  As you get to know the different varieties of tomatoes, it will become quickly obvious as to when they are ripe.

GRAPE
Grocery store classic shape for smaller ones. Often these are clusters sold on the vine. This grape-like shape has carried across into the tomato world where tomatoes have that same shape.

BEEFSTEAK
These are larger tomatoes that are somewhat irregularly shaped and often flattened down a bit. They can have many lobes or sections.

      
PASTE, ROMA, ELONGATED
Roma – this is not an official shape, but because the roma tomato is so well known, it has been used as a reference. 

       
CHERRIES, MARBLES
This descriptive word is for smaller tomatoes described as marbles are ½ inch to one inch in size that develop in clusters. Most are very prolific and produce much earlier than the larger tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes can have many shapes and generally are full of many seeds.

PEARS
Yet another word used to describe the shape from the original fruit! Pear is not limited to a specific size, as they can be from small cherry varieties (like yellow pear) to very large pears. This is a recessive trait in tomatoes.

TUMBLER
 These are tomato plants that don't grow much vertically, but these grow more horizontally -- allowing the greenery and fruits to hang gracefully off the edge of the pot and down the side of the hanger, planter or container.

OXHEART
This descriptive word actually not only explains a shape, but generally a growth habit of the overall plant. The shape is a large deep heart for the fruit, but the plants can look rather wispy and sparse. Sunscald can happen more with some of the fruits with less foliage coverage, but these varieties usually have stunning flavor that makes it worth growing them!

RUFFLED, FLUTED
These will have many bumps around the top of the fruit. The picture of yellow ruffles will help you envision the appearance. Some variations will occur as varieties with this can fluctuate between one mater to another.

 
ROUND, GLOBE

SLIGHTLY FLATTENED/ OBLATE

SALADETTE
 – a size that is a bigger cherry and generally there is no way to fit it in your mouth.  These are large enough that using for fresh eating requires cutting it into at least a couple of pieces. They go great in a salad, and thus the name.

STITCHING
The tomato will have lines running either vertically or concentric that look like someone has stitched onto the tomato skin. This can be a genetic trait as to where and how on the fruit it shows up.  Sometimes, nibble trails left by bugs will look like stitching and vice versa.

STUFFERS

These varieties have very hollow interior portion for the fruit. The seed will hug the middle.  Where you expcet to see the the juice and meat, it is open. The best way to envision is to picture a green pepper that can be stuffed. There are only a few of these out there  in colors such as red and yellow.  As friends chopped up some stuffers to add to a salad for a dinner party, they asked "What are these?" because they looked like peppers but tasted like tomatoes.

These really are more of a burgundy or mahogany tone, but are called “black” in the tomato community. These tomatoes have a deep rich flavor. Some people love them and some who really like sweet tomatoes may not. They are robust and almost earthy and salty. I just love them. Even though their look is quite different, do realize that the dark shade comes from the fact that the gel around the seeds tends to stay green even when fully ripe. This green shows through the red of the outer layer making a darker color referred to as “black.” They are definitely worth giving a try to see if you find them as terrific as we do! The black varieties come in many sizes from cherry to beefsteak. Be sure and let them get their full dark color to get their best flavor.

The best way to start to explain where these fit in is to share a story.  My son was over at a friend’s house, and they were having green fried tomatoes. They told him they were green tomatoes. So, he proceeded to ask, “Are they ripe?”  They looked at him like he was nuts. He caught their glances and realized his question didn’t make sense to them. Thus, he explained how we grow green tomatoes that ARE ripe and are still green.  He told them that they are a special variety and that his mom grows lots of different colors.

Hopefully this hilarious situation helps you to understand the amazing nature of the tomato! Various shades of green occur on the outside when it is a “green” variety, including zebra striped. The outside can be a bit softer to hint at the ripeness and still fairly green -- all the way to the ones that have a yellow cast and an incredible chartreuse interior. Overall, they tend to be spicier and tangy.  These are terrific in a mixed variety tomato salad – gorgeous to have then morsels in with the whites and yellows and oranges and pinks and purples and reds and blacks….   A beautiful spicy green salsa verde made with green tomatoes instead of tomatillos can be fun! Picture opening a jar of green tomato sauce for St. Patrick’s Day.  Have a friend over and enjoy a green tomato dish making for a memorable meal for all.

The primary difference is the color of the skin between reds and pinks/purples.  For a red tomato, it will have a yellow skin.  For pinks/purples, it will have a clear skin.  The end result is simply the outer appearance of the tomato but not the interior color.

Most people get confused and nervous to try these. After all, tomatoes are supposed to be red when ripe, right?  Well, we think that after you try some of these flavors you will see why different colors are wonderful to grow and provide exciting flavor variations! In other catalogs you may see these colors described as "mild or less acidic“ but that is not to mean flavorless.  It really should be interpreted as gentle, not harsh or sharp (although there are definitely some exceptions that are zingers, like Flammee and Kellogg's Breakfast). Many have vigorous flavor, but they tend to be fruitier. Undertones of melon or citrus can even be noted lingering on the palate after a taste of most of these. A sweetness that many of these have can also be misunderstood for less acidic when they are usually just as acid based as the other colors.

 It is believed that this occurs with the bloom being fertilized in cool weather. Some websites also believe it has to deal with soil fertility and watering habits. This website is terrific for information to assist in understanding tomato growth concerns:  http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02949.html

With excessive watering, the tomatoes can crack open. Often they will scar up and heal over and be very edible, but there are times when the split can be dramatic and bacteria and spores can enter and the fruit will be lost. Some of this is tied to the genetics of the variety being grown. However, after a dry spell and then getting excessive rain for a long period of time, very few varieties can make it through that without some cracks and splitting.

In the early flowering stage of the fruit, the flower has a deformity and is not pollinated properly.  Instead of developing into one fruit, it can be two or three "stuck" together.

I am including this because it is often referred to and needs to be understood. Consistent even nutrition with even watering is important for the plants. If needs are not met of the plant, it will be stressed. When this occurs, nutrient placement in the fruit will be withheld. When this occurs with calcium, the blossom end of the fruit will appear blackened and bruised. Some varieties are more prone to this than others. Many will “outgrow” this and do better as the season progresses. Plum/paste tomatoes are especially prone to this. For more information, this link is very helpful.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1471.html

Cutworms can be an extreme nuisance at the beginning of the growing season. Items such are newspaper collars and toothpicks against the stem keep the worm from wrapping around and eating through the main stalk, right at ground level usually. I've included a picture so you know what it looks like and what to squish should you find one. Their damage placement can destroy the plant unless you can get the top asap back into moist soil and try to get it rooted to start again. As you can see, this is a fat one. It had just taken down a basil plant. So, yes, not just tomatoes with these guys!!

Finding these little guys you'd think they can't do much damage, but early on when plants are small, these can defoliate in just a couple of days! The leaves will look like a mini shot gun blew a huge bunch of holes through the leaf, dessimating it.  Some people ignore and figure the plant will outgrow their damage. However, this is one time that I do my best to destroy them. I asked another excellent gardener on organic options and here is her reply:

" Did you find anything organic for flea beetles?  Colorado State Extension suggests floating row cover for one thing http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05592.html "Diatomaceous earth is one of the more effective repellents, applied as a dry powder  to the plants. Horticultural oils and some neem insecticides also have some repellent effect on this insect."   Another suggests white or  yellow sticky traps http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/fleabeetle.html. I would also suggest trying Neem organic insecticide, miticide and fungicide.
These pests are especially bad on my eggplants just as soon as I set them out.  I've seen them occasionally on young tomato plants but they haven't bothered them as they get bigger.  Young seedlings are most at risk "Flea beetles are favored by stable warm spring weather and hampered by alternating periods of hot and cold temperatures with intermittent rains. Seedlings of crops are most vulnerable to flea-beetle feeding when stressed, particularly by inadequate moisture. Providing good nutrition and favorable growing conditions aids in shortening the vulnerable early-growth stages and helps plants survive flea-beetle attack. The literature suggests that organic  fertilization may make crops less attractive to flea beetles."  I've read that fertilizing with fish emulsion or similar make plants less tasty to insects. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/fleabeetle.html

Hopefully this will help. If you are not organic, items such as rotenone powder spread around the bed and soil (some do a light powdering on the plants as well) to kill them off. This must be repeated with rain or sprinkling.