Landscaping involves planning the layout for your plants and choosing the right plant. Choosing the wrong plant ruins the aesthetic of your yard. It is, therefore, important to choose the right plant. Tomatoes are one of the best plants that can be used for landscaping.
How do you choose a tomato plant for landscaping? Based on the hundreds of varieties and different qualities of tomato that exist, it is not easy to make a decision. Explained below is a guide that will show you how to choose tomato plant for landscaping.
How To Choose Tomato Plant For Landscaping
Select The Variety
As mentioned above, there are many varieties of tomatoes that exist. It is mind-boggling to make a choice on which variety is good for your garden. Choose a hybrid variety because they are disease resistant, uniform and vigorous. Hybrid varieties do well in most parts of the country. Certain varieties like Heirloom varieties are only adapted for specific regions. However, they have different shapes, color and even taste.
Ask for a recommendation for the best seed to plant, from a seed company near your area. If you prefer dwarf varieties, choose the 'Patio Hybrid'. Other varieties include the determinate varieties and indeterminate varieties. Determinate varieties grow up to a specific height while the indeterminate ones grow until they are stopped by a disease, pests, weather etc. They need most support but produce many fruits. Determinate varieties require little support because they only grow to 2 ft high.
Time of Maturity
Some varieties mature earlier than others. Some of them mature in 60 days while others can take up to 90 days to mature. Check if you will be available when they start maturing. To know how long the seeds will take to mature, check the seed packet for the date of harvest.
Disease Resistance Plants
Tomatoes are vulnerable to a number of diseases. If attacked by a disease, your yield will be lower. The most common diseases that affect tomatoes are Fusarium wilt and Verticillium. They are soil-borne diseases. Check the seed packet to see if the variety is resistant to these diseases. Other diseases that affect tomatoes include Late blight, Root knot nematode, Alternaria, and Tobacco Mosaic. If these diseases are prevalent in your area, choose a tomato plant variety that is resistant.
Fruit Characteristic
Some tomato varieties are sweet while others are not. Some of them are good to just eat out at hand, making salads and sandwiches etc. Select a tomato plant that suits what you want to use it for. For kids, choose the sweet variety.
Conditions
Tomatoes do well in areas that have good well-drained soils. The spot should also receive enough sunshine. When planted in heavy clay soil, or under a shade, they will be more prone to diseases. To avoid disease build up, it is advised to plant them in different parts of the garden each season. If it is impossible to grow them in different parts of the garden each year, use containers. Look for a larger container that is about 12cm in diameter. Make sure that you use a high-quality potting mix.
Tomatoes do well in areas that have good well-drained soils. The spot should also receive enough sunshine. When planted in heavy clay soil, or under a shade, they will be more prone to diseases. To avoid disease build up, it is advised to plant them in different parts of the garden each season. If it is impossible to grow them in different parts of the garden each year, use containers. Look for a larger container that is about 12cm in diameter. Make sure that you use a high-quality potting mix.
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