It’s time to plant tomatoes
With so many varieties, it might be difficult to pick just one
Did you pot up the new Rodeo Tomato, Thunderbird, when you obtained them in February or early March? We know at least 80 gardeners who attended the “Potting Up” events at Milbergers and the Dreamhill Estates Education Center did. Well, it is time to start planting them in the garden and or the large containers (10 gallons or larger). They are a determinate selection, so they concentrate on growing to a full-size plant and then concentrate on producing fruit so they can beat the hot weather. Thunderbirds are large, bright red fruit with a slightly flattened shape that have been described as being exceptionally tasty.
I have not tasted Thunderbird, but two of my favorite tasting tomatoes are on the market and ready to be planted. BHN 968 is a round cherry tomato that has been my favorite for several years. It has a firm interior and delicious tart taste. If your favorite nursery offers them for sale, invest in one or more transplants. BHN 968 is semi-determinate variety that is a fast and long-season producer.
My second favorite tasting tomato is a pear-shaped selection called Ruby Crush. Ruby Crush is another determinate variety that reaches fruit production very quickly, and it is delicious. It appears that Ruby Crush is going to receive some special recognition for its fruit production and growth capabilities. David Rodriguez, our extension agent for horticulture in Bexar County, expects the Ruby Crush to be recognized for its status as an easy to grow, productive tomato plant that produces tasty fruit statewide. Ruby Crush produces
high quality fruit in both the garden and containers; make sure you try it out.
It is not entirely clear which tomato varieties will eventually be available on the retail nursery market, but watch for the selections Celebrity, BHN 968, Tycoon and Valley Cat if you have nematodes in your soil. Other tomato varieties that have reached status as a Rodeo Tomato include Red Snapper, Red Deuce, HM8849, Phoenix and HM 1823. Plant tomatoes in full sun after fertilizing the soil in the bed with 10 cups of 19-5-09 slow release lawn fertilizer for every 100 square feet
of bed.
Tomato gardening is the big topic now but it won’t be long
before the topic of monarch butterflies move into the forefront. If you want to learn more about monarchs, join me for two upcoming events.
On April 22, from 9:30 to 11 a.m., I will present “Attracting Butterflies Including Monarchs in the Garden” at the Dreamhill Estate Education Resource Center, 3802 Dorothy Louise Drive, in the San Antonio Medical Center area. For more information, call 210-382-4455.
On April 29, I will cover the same topic from 10 to 11:15 a.m. during the big open house at the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Open House, 325 Resource Drive, in New Braunfels. Visit https://comal.agrilife.org/ or call 830-620-3440 for more information.