Grow stronger plants and tastier tomatoes
It’s tomato season, and Arkansans love homegrown tomatoes! The No. 1 garden plants comes in a range of sizes and colors and everyone seems to have their own personal favorites. There is nothing like eating a homegrown tomato fresh from the garden. But if you aren’t growing them, they are available at any farmers market across the state.
Tomato plants can grow from April until frost, but summers can take their toll on plants. Scout your garden daily to spot problems before they take over. Diseases can be a problem, especially if you plant in the same spot each year. It is best to rotate your tomato plantings to lessen disease issues. Watch for tomato hornworms and fruit worms, which can wreak havoc seemingly overnight. The sooner you can diagnose a problem, the less a problem it usually becomes.
High temperatures can also reduce fruit set. We often see plants slowing down when the daytime temperature exceeds 95 degrees and nighttime temperatures stay above 75 degrees. Keep your plants watered and lightly fertilized; once the temperatures calm down, they will continue to set fruit. If you are growing plants in an in-ground garden, you won’t need to fertilize as often as if you are growing in a container or raised bed. Frequent irrigation will leach out the nutrition, and you will have to feed more regularly. Try to keep moisture levels as even as possible.
Most tomato plants benefit from staking. Staking supports a heavy fruit load and keeps plants off the ground, which can lead to disease issues and sunburn. You can use wooden stakes for each plant or tomato cages.
There are hundreds of varieties of tomatoes, but these are some of the most popular. And there is still time to plant for a late-season harvest.
| Variety | Attributes | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet 100 | Prolific producer of small red, cherry tomatoes. Great flavor. | Small Fruited |
| Super Sweet 100 | Similar to Sweet 100, but even more prolific. | Small Fruited |
| Sun Gold | Prolific producer all season with small, round yellow fruit. Sweet flavor. | Small Fruited |
| Yellow Pear | Vigorous grower with tons of small yellow pear-shaped fruits. | Small Fruited |
| Early Girl | One of the earliest producers with good-quality fruit. | Medium Fruited |
| Green Zebra | Heirloom variety with yellow- and green-striped fruit. | Medium Fruited |
| Patio Tomato | Bush-type plant that ripens over a shorter period of time. Good for containers. | Medium Fruited |
| Roma | Canning tomato with oval fruit. | Medium Fruited |
| Traveler | Pink tomato developed in Arkansas. Excellent flavor. | Medium Fruited |
| Beefsteak | Fruits up to 2 pounds, can be prone to cracking. | Large Fruited |
| Better Boy | Red, round fruits up to 1 pound. Good producer. | Large Fruited |
| Brandywine | Heirloom variety, pinkish-red at maturity. Excellent flavor. | Large Fruited |
| Celebrity | Bushier plant. Readily available variety. | Large Fruited |
| Cherokee Purple | Pinkish-purple fruit at maturity. Excellent flavor. Heirloom variety. | Large Fruited |