(One-crop Wonder)
(How to grow a tomato garden that’s destined for pantry greatness)
(by Matti Hart)
Starting your own full-blown backyard garden is an attractive idea. But if you dig headlong into
a multiple-crop project that demands you manage plot space and keep up with a wide variety of
growing needs, the endeavor could quickly become more hassle than the homegrown produce is
worth.
Get your thumb just a little green by planting one crop with a specific endgame in mind: raising
tomatoes fit for processing into homemade sauces at summer’s end.
<<<bold What to Plant>>>
Tomatoes for processing and canning should have firm flesh and few seeds — their low moisture
content will make thick, rich sauces. Garden suppliers refer to these as “paste” types, but you
know them as plum tomatoes. Varieties like Romas or San Marzanos, and their hybrids, are good
picks — though originally hailing from Italy, these star sauce tomatoes are successfully grown in
the States.
For May and June plantings, pick out seedlings that are four to eight weeks old. They should be
dark green, sturdy, and not flowering or fruited. Plan on raising three plants for each person you
expect to feed, or two plants for each quart of sauce you’d like to end up on your pantry shelf.
<<<bold When to Plant>>>
This January, the United States Department of Agriculture released a new version of the Plant
Hardiness Zone Map. The multicolored, squiggly-lined map of the states — you’ve seen it on the
backs of seed packets and plant identification tags — uses average low temperatures to help
gardeners determine which plants will thrive in their region, and when to get them in the dirt.
If you’re familiar with your zone based on the old USDA map — circa 1990 — you may find
you’ve shifted a half-zone warmer or colder on the updated version.
Your Zone
1+2
3+4
5+6
Plants Meet Soil
mid-May – early June
mid – late May
mid – late May
7+8
May’s too late! But you can plant peppers up
until June 1
Consider an indoor pot of tomatoes
9 + 10 + 11
<<<bold How to Plant>>>
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Tomatoes thrive in warm, well-drained, thoroughly tilled soil. Pick a spot for your plot
that sees at least six hours of direct sunshine each day, doesn’t pool up when it rains, and
is easily cultivated with a spade or tiller.
Work compost or low-nitrogen fertilizer into the soil about a week before you transplant
your seedlings.
Place your seedlings in a row with 3 feet between plants. If you choose to use tomato
cages, which keep plants from sprawling and can prevent disease and spoilage, closer
spacing will work.
For each seedling, dig a hole twice as wide as its root ball and deep enough for most of its
stem to be buried.
Bury plants’ stems horizontally and leave just a few sets of leaves exposed; the
underground stalk will sprout roots and create an extra-sturdy system for water and
nutrient uptake.
Water your seedlings as soon as you plant them, and then whenever their soil starts to dry
throughout their growth. The dirt around each plant’s roots should always be moist, never
bone-dry or soggy. Try not to soak leaves.
If your zone gets really hot come July and August, add straw or leaf mulch around your
plants to help them retain moisture.
Pick your tomatoes once they’ve passed their hard, green stage and are red but still firm.
Don’t worry if some don’t reach that ketchup hue — they’ll continue to ripen even off the
vine.
Your planted tomato seedlings should mature and start producing in 70 to 80 days. Have
your sauce recipes and canning gear ready by August!
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Sidebar:
Hed: Kitchen season(ing)
Nothing complements tomatoes in sauce or sliced raw quite like basil. So while your one-crop
garden does its thing outside, set up a few herb pots in your kitchen, and be on your way to big
flavor come harvest season.
You'll need: basil seedlings, one 4-inch pot per plant, well-drained high-nutrient potting soil
(enough to fill each pot), organic house plant fertilizer, a soil pH test kit, water, and a sunny
windowsill.
-Purchase seedlings that are about 3 inches tall. Remove from nursery flat and loosen roots.
-Transplant to new pot, adding soil until the seedling is covered to the same height as in its
original container.
-Water immediately, moistening all the soil without making it soggy. Let excess water drain out.
-Set pots on a south-facing windowsill — the plants will need at least six hours of direct sun each
day.
-Water whenever the soil begins to dry, allowing excess to drain from the pot.
-Check soil pH once a month (the ideal level is between 6 and 7.5). Adjust with fertilizer when
necessary.
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-Allow at least four sets of leaves to grow before harvesting. After this point, you can pick basil
every other week. There’s nothing like cooking with fresh basil, but if your pots produce more of
the fragrant herb than you can use just-picked, consider saving the surplus: hang leaves in small
bunches to air dry, or spread them on a sheet pan for a few minutes in a warm oven to dehydrate.
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