Can’t get better than home-grown tomatoes

“I’ve never met a tomato I didn’t like.”

— Pete “Will Rogers” Kawaratani

What’s the biggest plant rage every year, from April until the fall? Simply red, it’s the ubiquitous tomato. With names like Early Girl, Super 100 and La Roma, tomatoes give amateur growers an opportunity to outdo the farmers. And we can!

Most gardeners start tomatoes with transplants, which are available at your local nursery. Best Laguna varieties include Early Girl and Celebrity. If you are growing in containers, select Patio. If you want large tomatoes, Super Steak and Better Boy are good choices, and Super 100 is a fine cherry tomato.

Buy plants that are bushy, not leggy. Resist bringing home plants already in bloom or bearing fruit, as they may not transplant well. Set tomatoes deep, as roots will develop where the soil touches the stem. This makes for a bushier, stronger plant.

Finally, choose a location that receives at least six hours of sunlight, and pinch off excess leaves, reserving a minimum of three pair at the top.

To prepare the soil, begin by using plenty of composted material to ensure good drainage and add a few ounces of starter fertilizer per plant. This initial fertilizer application will be sufficient for the plant until it sets fruit, and then it is time to fertilize again. Feed once a month while the fruit develops and then discontinue once they near maturity.

Tomatoes require regular watering after the fruit has set, about 2 inches a week. One can stimulate earlier fruit production by placing the plant under a little water stress early, but be careful not to over do it. As harvest approaches, cut back on watering, to get less watery fruit and increase flavor.

Left to its own design, a tomato would prefer to sprawl, and there is no doubt the yield is heavier when so grown. Most home growers prefer to save space by staking their tomatoes or to plant them in cages, allowing them to sprawl upright over the structure. Count on a yield of 20 to 40 tomatoes per plant, depending on conditions and care.

Most of the diseases and problems are in the past, thanks to the introduction of disease resistant tomatoes. Hornworms may be removed by hand picking, and eliminated by BT, Bacillus thuringiensis. Aphids are easily controlled using an insecticidal soap.

Not maintaining uniform soil moisture after fruit has set, and/or a deficiency in calcium, can bring on sunken black areas at the flower end of the fruit. Similarly, a white scald on the cheek of the fruit indicates sunburn and is prevented through good cultural practices.

It is true that one of life’s great pleasures is the tomato. I dream about Catharine’s vine-ripened tomatoes during the winter, their bright red color and perfect taste. You can’t find tomatoes like hers at the finest restaurants or even the farmer’s market.

STEVE KAWARATANI is married to writer Catharine Cooper. He can be reached at (949) 497-8168, or e-mail to plantman2@mac.com .