All About Home and Garden

There are literally thousands of different tomato types out there and anyone who is new to the hobby of tomato gardening is sure to be confused as to what all of these classifications mean, and more importantly, which variety of tomato should they be planting? Fortunately, only a basic knowledge of the way tomatoes are classified is required to make an educated decision on a particular species that is right for you.

Determinate vs. Indeterminate

The first basic way tomato types are broken down is by the manner in which the plant grows. Determinate tomato plants are those that grow only to a specific height, and no higher. They are also known as bush tomato plants due to their appearance. Determinate tomato plants produce their crop of fruit during a short period of time, and then cease to produce any more tomatoes for the rest of the season. A good characteristic of these plants is that since they don't continue to grow to taller heights, they don't need to be supported by staking or caging. You can also get by skipping the pruning ritual too. Overall, the determinate tomato plant requires less maintenance by the gardener.

The indeterminate tomato plant, on the other hand, will continue to grow wildly and need to be supported by stakes or cages. One of the things many people prefer about the indeterminate is that it produces tomatoes all-season long. When you pick ripened tomatoes from this plant, you can be sure that it will continue to give you nice, delicious tomatoes throughout the rest of the growing season. These plants also commonly require more care and should be regularly pruned.

Heirloom vs. Hybrid

The next breakdown in tomato types is heirloom and hybrid. Everyone has surely heard of heirloom tomatoes, but most people don't know what it really means. To put it simply, it is a tomato variety that has been grown continually for 50 or more years, and has not been cross-pollinated or mixed with any other tomato species. The seeds are saved from the tomatoes and planted season after season to preserve the tomato's desirable properties. They are known to be the tastiest tomatoes around, and every tomato gardener longs to have a garden full of delicious heirlooms. Unfortunately, heirloom tomatoes are more susceptible to problems, such as fungal diseases and insect infestations. They usually don't produce as bountiful of a crop as hybrids do either.

That brings us to the alternative to the heirloom, which is known as a hybrid tomato. These tomatoes have been "engineered" to contain many of the best qualities of several different species of tomato by cross-breeding them together. They have been bred this way to be more disease resistant, less vulnerable to pests such as nematodes, and to produce a more reliable crop of the fruit. Hybrids were first designed by commercial growers, and are most likely to be the type you buy in the grocery store. I don't' have to tell you what you already know, store-bought tomatoes don't taste near as good as a home-grown heirloom. That's the negative of hybrids, but there are quite a few that have been developed that are quite flavorful, and you can try planting several to see which ones you like the best.

There are lots of factors that may influence which tomato types you ultimately decide to plant. Things to consider are your experience in gardening, how much time you have to tend to your tomatoes, and your priorities in the fruit that is grown. Some people want tomatoes all summer long for sandwiches and salads, and some like to jar all of their tomatoes for sauces and winter consumption. You should consider these and many other priorities when deciding on a type of tomato, but nobody says you can't plant 4 or 5 different types and enjoy them all!

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Buying plants from grower or nurseries is an easy way to start or enhance your garden. But, you don't want to buy problems. Taking a few minutes when you are picking out your plants, can save you lots of time and money. Buying unhealthy plants can either be a waste of money because they don't survive the transplanting, or they can bring insects and disease to your garden and cause you more time and expense to treat these on all your plants. Take a few minutes and look at these 7 areas to make sure you are getting healthy plants for your garden.

1. Leaves - This is the first and easiest area to look at to tell how healthy your plant is. Look for well formed leaves, a compact bushy growth is best. Yellowing leaves can be signs of pests, disease, or nutrient deficiency. Wilted leaves could be a temporary condition, possibly stressed by lack of water, but it could also be from regular neglect from nursery staff.

2. Color - A healthy plant should have consistent color across all the leaves. Look for the proper color for the plant. Not all plants leaves are green all year round. Do some research ahead of time and compare with other plants of the same variety at the nursery. Yellow or discolored leaves can be signs of pests, root problems, fungal infections and others. Avoid plants that don't have fresh properly colored leaves.

3. Stems and Branches - Check for scars or nicks in branches or stems. This can show damaged plants that could be future sites of disease or weakness. For bushy plants, you want to see lots of short stems and lots of leaves. Plants with spindly growth are indications of poor light conditions, poor pruning, or it has outgrown its pot.

4. Roots - A healthy plant should have a good set of roots, but not too many for the current pot. Don't be afraid to look at this before buying the plant, most reputable nurseries will be glad to help you with this if you are not sure how to check. Roots should always be firm, well formed and hold the soil together. There should be a good balance of roots to soil. Too much soil and little roots, means recently repotted. Very little soil and mostly roots means the plant has outgrown its container. Either case will put increased stress on plant when it is transplanted.

5. Soil - The soil for a healthy plant should be moist. Poke your finger into the soil about 1 inch and check below the surface. If the soil is too dry or too wet, you may already have root damage. As mentioned in the roots section, you need to make sure of a good balance of roots to soil. Avoid plants that are either 25% or less soil as this is a sign of too many roots and 75% or more soil as this is a sign of too few roots.

6. Pests and diseases - Look for signs of pests or disease like chewed leaves, sticky residues, webs, or leaf distortion, spots and mushy leaves. These are all signs of stressed plants that will not transplant well, but they can also bring these bugs or diseases back to your garden.

7. Buds or Flowers - Ideally, you want to buy your plants before they start to flower. Plants expend a lot of energy to create the flowers, so transplanting them during this time will create additional stress on the plant. The best time to buy these plants is just before they start to bud, or with a few buds.

With these tips, you should be able to find strong healthy plants that will quickly adapt and be a welcome addition to your garden. If there is any doubt put it back and keep looking. This advice will save you money and time and allow you to enjoy your garden for years to come.

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Your work is not done once you have planted your vegetables. Now you must deal with the many different vegetable diseases and problems. There is no shortage of problems that Mother Nature can bring that can affect the health of your plants. Some gardeners get so frustrated they resort to herbicides and pesticides.

Before you follow suit and start using poisons on your vegetables remember that you plan to eat your harvest. Please take into account the many safer forms of combating pests and weeds instead of harmful chemicals. Another thing to consider is that the "pest" that you are about to kill may actually be a beneficial bug that can help you maintain your garden.

Watch for the tell-tale signs your plants use to alert you a problem exists in the garden.

Yellowing or Dropping Leaves

A good indicator that your plants are not getting enough water is yellowing leaves or leaves dropping of the stems. Controlling humidity outdoors can prove difficult. In addition to an adequate supply of water try misting the leaves ever-so-often. Improper air circulation and a large drop in temperature can cause leaf loss also. Both of these can cause your vegetables not to flower which translates to no harvest. To ensure that your plants have good air circulation be sure you remember to plan for their full grown size when planting. To protect from dips in temperature add a 34" layer of mulch between the rows. The mulch will keep the soil warm and prevent root shock.

Brown Leaf Edges

If you find that the leaf edges are browning and dry your vegetables are too hot. One cause is the sun. Try making shade for your plants until the cooler weather comes. Another cause is over fertilizing, check that you are using the correct measurements for your garden. Your water might be causing the browning edges. Check the chemical composition, if you have too much salt or chlorine you will have to let your water set for 24 hours before putting it on your plants. One last thing to check, when the other causes are not the problem, is pH. If the pH in your soil is not proper for your vegetables you will have to amend your soil to return your plants to health.

Yellowing Bottom Leaves

Tomatoes have this happen when they are watered too much. It is a sign of root damage. Other vegetables will show this when they are not getting enough sunlight. A good rule of thumb for most vegetables is six hours of partial to full sunlight every day for a good harvest.

When it comes to vegetable diseases, problems, and pests there are many that can show up. Local wildlife can munch on the tender shoots; fungus problems can affect leaves, and dozens more. This article cannot possibly address every issue you may face. However, if you start with a well planned and prepared garden spot you will have fewer problems. Remember to properly till and amend the soil, provide good irrigation and drainage, keep plant families separate and clean and weed your garden frequently. Proper attention to these practices will save you a lot of problems later.

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When it comes to gherkins you either love them or hate them, you either like the taste of them or you do not, there is no middle ground. Many people dislike the taste when they are younger but then grow to like them when they are older.

In the shops you only tend to be able to buy pickled gherkins and not fresh ones.

So if you want fresh gherkins to eat or to pickle yourself then you will most likely have to grow them yourself.

They are actually part of the cucumber family, and whilst they taste far different they are basically mini-cucumbers and so not unsurprisingly they are grown in the same way as cucumbers.

This means that you do not have to live in an exotic climate to grow them. If you can grow cucumbers where you live then you can grow gherkins as well.

You may well have to buy the seeds online as they are hard to come by even in large gardening shops.

Planting your gherkins - they like a sunny position and will grow their best in full sunlight, although they will still do okay if slightly in the shade.

You will need to start them off indoors, ideally in a propagator and then prick them out into 3 or 4 inch pots when they have four leaves on them.

Like cucumbers they are sensitive to over watering and this can kill them faster than under watering them can.

As they grow larger they can be planted out in the garden, but only after all risk of frost has gone.

The gherkins should be planted out in to soil that has had well rotted manure dug in to it.

You will need to support them with canes as they grow taller, lightly tying the plants on with string. Do this as soon as possible as they are sensitive plants and do not like being battered by the wind.

Harvesting your gherkins

When the fruits appear they will grow thick and fast, so for best results then pick them when they are no more than 4 inches long.

They can be eaten straight away or pickled for using over the year. To pickle the gherkins simply use a large glass jar and normal pickling vinegar. Once pickled they will last for years although personally I would only pickle as many gherkins as I would use in the next year.

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