Tomato, tomatoes & pomodoro in a profile

Tomatoes don't always have to be red and round! Here you can find out everything about the variety of varieties, cultivation, harvest and storage.

Even if many do not believe it: The so popular tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) has come a long and arduous road to its present day distribution. The plant, which belongs to the nightshade family, originally comes from the South American Andes. In Mexico, the Spanish sailors discovered the as "xitomatl“Designated plant for the first time. It was brought to Europe on ships, where it was cultivated as an ornamental plant in the gardens of the aristocrats.

So far, historians have been unable to explain why the tomato took so long to find its way onto the local menu. Since the late 19th In the 19th century the tomato found its way via Italy, Austria and finally to Germany. It is now one of the most commonly consumed vegetables.

TGrowing tomatoes in your own garden: this is how it works

The vast majority of the 22 kilograms of tomatoes that Germans eat each year come from abroad. Well below 10% of the tomatoes sold in the supermarket and vegetable market were grown in Germany. Especially in the winter months, it should come as no surprise that many tomatoes taste like little more than a watery fruiting body.

Of the Growing tomatoes on the terrace or balcony, or in your own garden, is easy and provides an easy way to harvest tomatoes that are particularly aromatic and intensely tasting. The good old varieties are particularly aromatic and sweet. You only get young plants of special varieties extremely rarely, which is why your own sowing is inevitable. Growing tomatoes yourself is, however, easier than often thought. From the end of February to mid-March you start with the Sowing tomatoes on a window sill that is as bright as possible. That Tomato seeds is inserted about 1 cm deep and lightly poured on. For cultivation, it is best to use high-quality potting soil that promotes root formation, such as our Plantura Organic herb & sowing soil. If the plant pots are above a radiator, this guarantees quick germination. Because tomatoes germinate best at temperatures above 20 ° C. After about 10 days the time will come and the seedlings will gradually appear. The soil should always be slightly damp and never dry out completely.

As soon as the plants form the second regular pair of leaves, the young plants can be carefully pricked out into a larger pot. Experts like Robert Meier recommend again using potting soil for the pricked out plants. Since this soil is particularly poor in nutrients, two to three weeks after pricking it must be fertilized very carefully and in low doses. Otherwise the leaves will turn yellow. By the Prick the tomatoes you not only create new space for the plants, but also harden them. Plants that have been pricked out once or twice grow particularly well later. You have to be careful when pricking. It is best to use a prick stick to damage as few of the roots as possible. Since the plants can only go outside after the ice saints, you usually have to fertilize with a liquid fertilizer every two weeks from the end of April. One Tomato fertilization is necessary when the lower leaves turn slightly yellow.

After the ice saints, the time has come and the plants can go outside. Tomatoes are classic heavy eaters and like it as sunny as possible. The plants need nutrient-rich soil and also regular fertilization.

You want more about that Growing tomatoes outdoors Experienced? Have a look here.

Grow tomatoes in the pot

If you want to cultivate tomatoes on the balcony or terrace, you need a flower pot with a volume of at least 10 liters. Tomatoes that remain compact, such as the yellow traffic light tomato, can also be grown in 5 liters. Use a special tomato soil that can meet the plants' high potassium requirements. Our peat-free one, for example, is ideal Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil.

When planting, you should put a sturdy plant stick directly into the container. Most types of tomatoes have to be tied up. In the tomato house this can also be ensured by using cords attached to the ceiling.

You should start fertilizing your tomatoes around three months after planting. The best way to do this is to use a primarily organic bio-fertilizer with long-term effects like ours Plantura organic tomato fertilizerthat gently transfers its nutrients to the tomatoes and ensures a rich harvest in the long term.

You can find out why a crop rotation also makes sense with tomatoes here: Tomatoes: Crop rotation, crop rotation and mixed cropping.

Skimming tomatoes: a question of faith

Time and again we get questions from eager hobby gardeners who are not sure about the scraping. When pruning, the side shoots are removed so that the plant can put more energy into fruiting. In our opinion, you can max it out, but you also risk disease. If you break out of the shoot, this area has to heal first and is a gateway for pathogens such as fungi. This is especially true if the tomato is not covered and gets wet from time to time.

Instead of pricking out, you can also provide more root mass. Not only potting soil and a double pricking ensure a good root system; you can also carefully remove the lower two pairs of leaves and plant the tomato horizontally and raise the upper third (which has pairs of leaves) on a stick. If you pour in soil, the shoot that has not yet been rooted will also form roots. The total root mass is significantly higher thanks to this trick.

Types and varieties of tomatoes

The possibilities are endless Varieties of tomatoes to categorize. The color is definitely an option: tomatoes come in white, yellow, green, purple, red, brown-red and almost black. Tomatoes can also vary greatly in size and weight. The variety here ranges from cocktail tomatoes weighing a few grams, to date tomatoes, normal tomatoes, meat and giant tomatoes weighing over a kilogram. Tomatoes also differ in their growth habit. Some varieties grow almost indefinitely (indeterminate type), others tend to form a bush and do not have to be stabbed or tied up. More important now than a decade ago is susceptibility to disease. A distinction is made here between resistant, tolerant and resistant varieties. While resistant varieties are less likely to get sick, resistant varieties are completely immune to a particular pathogen.

In total, there are projections of over 35,000 different types of tomatoes. You can find some of our all-time favorites here. A detailed overview of various Varieties of tomatoes You will find here.

• Yellow traffic light tomato: very tasty cocktail tomato with a very compact growth. Particularly suitable for cultivation in a container or a traffic light; very good yield.
• De Berao: very vigorous tomato with good tolerance to brown rot. In a study by Dr. Bernd Horneburg (University of Göttingen, Department of Crop Sciences) has been chosen as one of THE outdoor varieties. Good taste (although not quite as aromatic as other varieties) and high-yielding; a great strain for outdoors and for anyone who absolutely doesn't like spraying.
• Green zebra: a very conspicuous variety with a sweet and sour taste; when ripe, the fruits are green with yellow stripes. Green zebra is a real feast for the eyes.
• Romei’s Sugar Egg: light yellow, egg-shaped tomato; excellent and very sweet taste; slightly thicker skin that makes the tomato extremely crisp.
• Black-red ball: a visually very interesting bi-color variety; on the sunny side, the fruits turn black, while the side turned away from the sun remains red; also very good taste.

If you've got the tomato but don't know where to get suitable seeds and fertilizers, here is an overview of good ones Where to buy tomato seeds and fertilizers.

Harvest and storage of tomatoes

From mid-July you can harvest in climatically favorable areas. Much of the tomato harvest occurs in August and September. When the garden is cleared towards the end of October, all tomatoes should also be harvested. If the fruits are still green, they can be ripened in a cool and dark place. This works without any problems and with the right procedure does not significantly reduce the aroma.

Tomatoes, like many other nightshades, contain the poisonous solanine. In the case of ripe tomatoes, however, it is broken down to such an extent that there is no danger to humans. Because it is mainly found in unripe fruits, the stem base and the leaves. When ripe, green tomatoes such as Green Zebra also contain the poisonous solanine in negligibly small amounts. It is an old wives' tale that boiling or freezing, for example, breaks down solanine or makes it harmless.

Even if it happens again and again: tomatoes are not allowed in the refrigerator. If it is too cold for the sun-bathed tomatoes, they lose their aroma. Tomatoes should also not be stored together with apples or bananas. Because these give off ethylene, a ripening gas that the tomatoes spoil very quickly. If you want to preserve larger quantities of tomatoes, you can either dry them, pickle them or process them into a tomato sauce.

more on the subject Harvesting and preserving tomatoes You will find here.

Ingredients and uses in the kitchen

Tomatoes are very low in calories with 20 kcal per 100 g. In addition, the nightshade fruit is rich in vitamins (especially A, B1, B2, C & E) and minerals such as calcium and iron. Due to their red color, many tomato varieties also contain high amounts of the carotenoid lycopene, an antioxidant. This is supposed to counteract cell aging and cancer cells.

There are no limits to the use of tomatoes. The tomato should not be missing in Italian dishes such as spaghetti al pomodoro or a pizza. Vegetables are also a must for bruschetta or tomato mozzarella. Frequent flyers often appreciate the spicy taste of tomatoes in the form of a Bloody Mary.

You can find even more interesting information about protecting your tomatoes here: Protect tomatoes from disease.