How do you choose which is the best tomato for you?

For our short season in Minnesota, it is best to stick to hybrid varieties. Disease tolerance is usually shown on the plant tag as VFN (V-Verticillium Wilt, F-Fusarium Wilt, N-Root Knot Nematodes).

Determinate plants set fruit on terminal shoots at approximately the same time stopping any further growth of the plant. They are generally compact and bushy. Their harvest is usually confined to a shorter period. Indeterminate plants continue to grow and blossom showing all stages of fruit development at once. The plant size can become quite beneficial. Keeping tomatoes off the ground will make the harvest easier and prevent sun scald.

Mulching is a great benefit for your garden in the short and long term. Mulching holds in moisture, reduces the growth of weeds, and raises or lowers the soil’s temperature. It also produces a compost of organic matter which your garden will benefit from for years to come. Sources of mulch are readily available as lawn clippings, news papers, straw, wood chips and bio-degradable plastics. It is best not to mulch your tomatoes too early - we suggest mulching in late June to allow soil temperature to become warm enough to encourage growth.

Feed your tomatoes at the time of planting; fertilize again when the fruit is setting and thereafter twice a month.

We have a large selection of tomatoes we believe are best suited for our area, and we are sure to have the right tomato suited for you!