Tomatoes
Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable grown in Kansas gardens. They are easy to grow, productive in small garden areas, and used in a wide variety of ways. Tomatoes require a location that is fairly fertile, well drained, and sunny, getting at least a half day of sun or more. Smaller vine tomatoes can be grown in containers.
Tomatoes are available in a wide range of colors, shapes, sizes, and growth habits. Most modern tomato varieties are hybrids with disease resistance, although there is also a strong interest in heirloom varieties. Increasingly, new varieties are being developed that combine desirable characteristics of heirloom varieties with increased disease resistance and yield of hybrid varieties. Not all varieties will perform well in Kansas, and some varieties that perform well in one year will not perform well in another year. Small-fruited tomato varieties, such as cherry, grape, cocktail, and paste tomatoes will often perform more reliably during extremely hot and dry years than larger slicing tomatoes. Very large-fruited varieties, especially large-fruited heirlooms, can be challenging in Kansas due to low yield and late fruit set.
There are dozens of characteristics that could be considered when selecting a good variety for your garden. In general, varieties that exhibit good crack resistance and are relatively early maturing (less than 75 days to maturity) are good choices for most of Kansas. Early maturing varieties are more likely to set fruit before the summer heat reduces fruit set. Many gardeners, especially those who are not able to rotate their planting locations or those whose gardens have a history of disease problems, will benefit from choosing varieties with strong disease resistance characteristics.
- Determinate types. These tomatoes are sometimes called “bush-type” or “compact” plants. They typically stop growing at about 3 feet tall and produce a larger number of fruit during a more concentrated time period. They can be a good choice if you have a very small garden, plan to use containers, or want a large harvest at one time for canning.
- Indeterminate types. These tomatoes continue growing for the entire season, which can result in a very large, tall plant that is 5 feet tall or more. Because of this vining growth habit, cages, stakes, or trellises are necessary. The plants will set fruit on side branches along the stem throughout the growing season, with smaller numbers of fruit ripening at one time.
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