My Tomato Garden Trivia Quiz

Answer: less disease resistance

Hybrid tomatoes are generally bred to be more disease resistant and to travel to market over longer distances. However, the seeds and/or plants for these will need to be purchased every year. If you did save the seeds and plant the following year, the plants would most likely revert to the parents of the hybrid plant.

Heirloom tomatoes are open-pollinated so that the plants are the same year to year (as long as they don't cross pollinate in your garden). In addition, they are known for their varieties of both color and taste. These plants can require more care as they are more prone to pests and disease.

Answer: determinate

A determinate plant is generally a smaller plant and all of the fruit ripens in one short period of about two weeks. An indeterminate plant usually produces fruit throughout the season, but can grow very large. "Big Boy" is a hybrid indeterminate first sold in 1949. "Brandywine" is an heirloom indeterminate, and Burpee claims that it was offered in their 1886 catalog.

Answer: four to six weeks before last frost

Starting from seed can increase the fruiting season by starting the plants early. In addition, you generally have a larger selection of plants to choose from. Many folk are happy to purchase seedlings from local garden centers because it is easier and less time consuming.

Answer: 5.5 - 6.8

Tomatoes prefer the soil to be slightly acidic (a pH below 7). With preparation, the soil in your garden plot can be treated regardless of whether it might be too acidic or too basic. Lime can be added to a soil that is too acid, and alkaline soil can be amended to reduce the pH by the decomposition of compost and/or manure.

As a side note, the amount of sun varies widely depending on where you are. In some areas the sun will be so strong that the plants will need shade during the hottest parts of the day. Or if the sun is weaker, the plants might benefit from being planted next to a wall or fence to soak up the sun during daylight hours and keep the soil warm at night.

Answer: pre-warming the soil

Tomatoes prefer the warmth. If you're moving plants from an indoor environment, you may want to harden them off by starting with a small amount of outside exposure and gradually increasing the daily exposure. In addition, pre-warming the soil can also lessen the shock. It can be warmed by laying down a black plastic several days in advance.

Answer: shading the ground

Providing support for the plants should generally be provided at about the same time as planting. If you're using a method that requires driving prongs for stakes or cages in the ground, you would be less likely to interfere with the roots.

Many sites recommend that the plant is set into the ground with only the top leaves above, thus planting the roots and part of the stem. The buried stem will become part of the root ball, and provide additional nutrient absorption.

Answer: keeps moisture in

It is recommended that the plants be started for several weeks before mulching. This allows the ground to get warm. The mulch will then help keep moisture in and regulate the soil temperature. If you're using an organic mulch, it can be plowed or tilled into the soil at the season's end.

Answer: don't weed the garden bed

There is no fool-proof method of preventing damage from disease or pests. However, regular watering, weeding and monitoring the garden can help to prevent issues. Damage can be seen on the leaves, stems, roots or fruit. Early detection can help to determine whether it can be treated or whether the plant should be weeded out (trashed, not composted) altogether.

Answer: fertilizer touching plant stem

Both spray and granule fertilizers can be used. Before fertilizing, a soil test should be done to determine the correct mixture of nutrients. In addition, rotating the plants from year to year, or planting companion crops that are tilled into the soil at season end can also help to fertilize.

Answer: sucker

A sucker is the growth between the main stem and the branches on the tomato plant. It is generally believed that by pruning these on an indeterminate plant that there will be fewer fruit but they will be larger. It is also claimed that pruning allows for better air flow around the tomato, decreasing the humidity under the plant and reducing the possibility of some disease and pest problems.

Many folk do not prune and have healthy plants with beautiful and tasty fruit.