As far as tomatoes are concerned, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, writes Jane Powers
I bought some tomatoes from the organic vegetable stand in my local market a couple of weeks ago. And when I sliced one of them open, I was instantly transported forward in time to my own modest, but eagerly-awaited tomato harvest. For a start, the tomato smelled: an aromatic, sharp, almost smoky and almost resinous perfume - as redolent of summer as the whiff of a newly-mown lawn. And when I tasted it, all the scents translated to flavours, but more intensely, with added sweet and sour tones, and wrapped in a pulpy, juicy package.
To some eyes, that tomato would be an ugly thing - rumpled, squat and stocky, like a flabby old bulldog. It would never pass the quality control test in a supermarket, especially as its corpulence was barely contained by its thin skin. Drop that on the floor, and you'll know all about it. But fat bulldog tomatoes - usually beefsteak and marmande varieties - are often the best tasting. And to my eyes, and those of other tomato fans, there is no such thing as an ugly tomato - provided it has flavour.
For real flavour, nothing beats a home-grown tomato (although the market-bought ugly duckling, mentioned above, came close). Grow the plants in pots or grow-bags if you must, but a soil-bed is best, with added garden compost, and perhaps a sprinkling of pelleted poultry manure. Many tomatoes (although generally not beefsteak varieties) will grow in a warm and sheltered place outdoors - with small-fruited, cherry types being most successful. Remember that they belong to the same family as potatoes, and should not be planted before or after them in a crop rotation, as they are susceptible to some of the same diseases, including blight.
In my garden, however, the worst scourge of outdoor tomatoes are the sneaky little slugs that crawl up the stems and take bites out of the fruits, just as they ripen. Because this is so discouraging, I usually grow my toms in our little greenhouse, with dwarf French marigolds interspersed between the plants. They are supposed to deter whitefly, and, in my experience, they do. In 11 years of greenhouse growing, the only time I had whitefly in residence was the year the slugs ate the infant French marigold plants. Now, I offer the greenhouse slugs containers of beer from spring onwards: they drink, they get drunk, they drown. This checks the population before they start breeding - although rogue individuals do wander in through the vents, in plants, or as eggs in compost.
Vegetable expert Joy Larkcom suggests tomatoes should be given a weekly feed of a high potash fertiliser, such as seaweed extract or comfrey tea. I have to admit, though, that I am not that assiduous: my plants are lucky if they get fed once a fortnight. But that's probably better than their being mollycoddled (of which Joy Larkcom disapproves), as an over-rich diet and too much water causes the flavour to suffer.
Watering, however, should be regular if your tomatoes are in a greenhouse or tunnel, and are denied natural rainfall. Not enough moisture at the roots can cause the distressing condition known as blossom end rot - a result of the plant being unable to take in calcium. This mineral is as essential to plants as it is to humans. A deficiency causes the cell walls to collapse, and dark, leathery patches to appear at the base of the fruits. Not a pretty sight. And it ruins your precious tomatoes.
They're so precious, to me at least, that if I could grow only one food plant, it would be a tomato. Yet I would hate to have to decide on a single variety, especially nowadays, with the seed catalogues so full of tomatoes of all shapes, sizes, colours and flavours - including some of the heirloom kinds that used to be available only from specialist organisations.
Actually, it's a little unfair to whet your appetite with talk of seeds, as it is too late to sow them. You can, however, pick up young plants in a garden centre, where you're likely to find Ailsa Craig, Alicante, Moneymaker, or the popular cherry tomato, Gardener's Delight. And check out local plant sales, where gardeners might be selling off their surplus plants - which could be more unusual kinds.
The tomato - like its good cousin the potato - is a native of the Andes, mainly Ecuador and Peru. It was first domesticated in Mexico and Central America, and was brought to Europe in the early 16th century by Spanish conquistadors. Yet, for centuries, both northern Europeans and North Americans viewed it with suspicion. Its botanical handle Lycopersicon, meaning "wolf peach" didn't help its cause, nor the fact that its family, Solanaceae, contains many poisonous plants, including deadly nightshade, datura and the magical mandrake. But it's also the clan that gives us aubergines, peppers and potatoes, all delightful things - although, none, in my opinion, can hold their own against a sun-warmed and succulent wolf peach.
TOMATO CARE - THE BASICS
Tomatoes have one of two growth habits: "indeterminate", and "determinate" (also known as "bush"). Indeterminate varieties are grown as cordons: a single, main stem is tied to a bamboo cane, or wound around a stout string attached to a sturdy overhead support (a tomato-laden plant is quite a weight). Side shoots should be pinched out, as they detract from the vigour of the main stem. Determinate, or bush, varieties need no training or removal of side shoots. Heavy trusses may need support. A layer of straw, or other dry mulch may be necessary to keep lower fruits off the soil.
Plant tomatoes 35-45cms apart. They can be submerged about five to eight centimetres deeper into the soil than they were in the pot. The underground portion of stem will sprout extra roots, which will help feed and anchor the plant.
Determinate varieties should be "stopped" (i.e. have the growing point nipped out) after five to seven trusses have set fruit (for indoor plants), or four to five trusses (outdoors).
ADVANCED WISDOM
Side shoots removed from cordons can be treated as cuttings (and rooted in a week or two) for extra plants.
British organic gardener Bob Flowerdew often trains three stems as cordons on a single plant (the main stem and the two strongest side shoots). The resulting plant does not grow as high as a single cordon, and so suits a domestic greenhouse's dimensions. And as it is less inclined to produce side shoots, it requires less attention. Such multi-stemmed cordons, however, need generous spacing.