Tomato Supports

One way that people find my blog is by doing a Google search. Besides Googling One Love Farm, the most common keyword phrase is "Tomato Supports." In the past I have posted about various attempts I have made to keep tomato vines off the ground. Of all these methods, the old reliable, low tech bamboo stake works the best.

Today, Karen and I planted 200 heirloom tomato plugs. I put the stakes in the ground now even though they obviously don't need them yet. The reason is because once the plants get bigger, their roots will spread out. Putting a stake in the ground will disturb the roots. While the picture above shows a very small tomato plant, it was actually several inches tall when I planted it. I plant tomatoes deep in the ground because the stem will send out roots below. This means a stronger root system, and therefore, a stronger, more productive plant. I also worked in a small handful of organic fertilizer in the soil with the plant.

All these tomatoes are heirloom varieties. Some, like Black Cherry, Valencia and Striped German, we have planted in the past. Others, like Black Prince, we are trying for the first time. Throughout the season, I'll update you on how they progress and the taste of each variety of tomato.