The Naked Truth about Tomatoes
Hello and thanks, for stopping by. In this article, we will be looking at the naked truth about the tomato plant, even though we may not cover all that pertains to tomatoes there are some cool facts that we will discover.
Believe it or not, tomatoes are fruits, I know you are surprised I was too when I found this out many years ago. Tomatoes are a popular fruit and are used worldwide
in salads, steamed, baked, broiled foods, omelets, rice, add them to grill foods, and even on sandwiches. You can pick them, wash them and eat them just as they are. Where would the famous ketchup be without tomatoes if there is one thing I know for sure many people love to use ketchup on their fries and burgers. The world is a much better place because of these fruits or at least I think, what do you think?
Growing a tomato plant
Before we talk about how to grow a tomato plant there are so many varieties. Trying to remember them all would have your head spinning, not really, but there are sure a lot of them. Here are just a few names to ease your curiosity.
1. Green Zebra 5. Carmello
2. Sunrise Bumblebee 6. Cherry
3. Sun Gold 7. Valencia
4. Black Zebra 8. Early Girl
Again these are just a few of the many tomatoes that are grown worldwide. Don’t you just love them I know that I do.
Some of these tomatoes have different requirements or conditions in which to grow. I live in Nassau which is an Island within the Bahamas chain of Islands.
We have sunny days almost year-round, talk about a garden paradise. It is a tropical island and very beautiful with white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. In fact, one of the islands that are known as Harbor island believed it or not has PINK sand, miles, and miles of pink sand.
Tourists travel from around the world just to walk and play even build sandcastles with this pink sand and that is very unique.
Growing tomatoes
The soil should be a nice rich organic soil, place the soil in a plastic or grower’s pot. The size of the grower’s pot should be anywhere from 2-3 gallons. Next, gently moisten the soil to settle it then add your seeds by gently pressing them into the soil.
Give seeds enough space for each one to germinate. Then add another layer of soil on top of the seeds. within a few weeks, seeds will germinate and upspring your tomato plants.
Prepare your garden area for where you want them to be planted. Make sure that the soil is well cultivated and organic-rich. It is also a good idea to install stakes that are about 6-8 inches in diameter or plant them near a fenced area because tomatoes are vines and they tend to climb, this also makes an organized garden and will support your fruit on the vine.
Once the plants reach anywhere from 6-8 inches gently remove each one from the pot. be very careful not to damage roots or stems, don’t plant seedlings too deeply, only the roots of the plant should be below ground, the stem from the base of plants should be above ground.
Keep soil moist not waterlogged, as your plants mature they will produce flowers. In order to increase fruit production and to allow fruits to ripen remove side shoots and restrict each plant to 5 trusses
Then stop the plant by removing growing tips. A few more weeks and your plants will be ready for harvest as they turn that beautiful rich color.
The tomato plant exposed
The Vitamin content includes Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, dietary fiber, potassium, phosphorus manganese, molybdenum, copper, niacin, folate, antioxidants, beta-carotene, and biotin.
Here are some benefits of a diet that is rich in tomatoes.
1. Tomatoes have antioxidant that helps to fight free radicals.
2. Helps to prevent gallstones.
3. Aids in heart health.
4. Helps to improve vision.
5. Helps to promote good digestion.
6. Helps to fight hypertension.
7. Aids in the fight against cancer.
8. Strengths your bones.
9. Promotes beautiful skin.
10. Helps with kidney health.
11. Aids in weight loss.
12. Has been known to lower blood pressure.
13. Aids in good bowel movement.
These a just some of the benefits of the tomato plant.
The final word
Tomatoes are an excellent choice to add to your diet because of all the benefits they contain, why not include this fruit in your diet and live a healthier and happier life? Now let’s get started on that garden.
About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
The tomatoes on your site looks very delicious and healthy. I am a fan of tomatoes. When I was younger I use to watch my grandmother pick a big pail of tomatoes from out in the field. My grandmother’s side of the family lived in Virginia and on nice sunny days when the family would gather around, they would slice the tomatoes and put mayo, salt and pepper on it and omg that made me love tomatoes so much and I can eat them with any type of meal. It’ s crazy that there are so many types of tomatoes and I can imagine what they would look like in Nassau! Thank you for the information on tomatoes.
Hello, Brenda so nice to meet you, tomatoes are truly amazing and is of great benefit to our bodies. Thanks a million for sharing your childhood days that sounds very wonderful. Oh, how time flies but is good to have and cherish those memories.
All the best to you and have a wonderful day.
Sometimes i find tomatoes bland i have to empty half the spice cabinet to make it tasty in a dish.
My 2 year old ate a whole batch bless her I was so happy as she’s a fussy eater and my girl friend was mmm’in the whole way thru the meal lol. I make it with rice with steamed sweet potatoes mash with melted European olive tree oil butter over it. I also added red lentils and a dash bolt of chilli flakes.
Hello, Deano so nice to meet you and thanks a million for commenting. All the best to you and have a good day.
I absolutely love, Tomatoes! 🙂
I don’t know what it is about them, but I can eat them like sweets, especially cherry tomatoes. But I think baby plum tomatoes are definitely my favorite. However, the only ones I’m not fond of are salad tomatoes because there’s just no flavor to them.
It would be great to grow a few tomato plants, and I didn’t realize there are so many different types to choose from. Having so many health benefits, also makes the fruit/veg more appealing.
Neil
Hi Norman,
I loved reading this article, I’ve found it very informative!
I am completely crazy about tomatoes, not just because they are so tasty but also because they are beautiful!
I used to grow tomatoes in my garden and I found it very easy to take care of them. Also, they grow fast, you don’t have to wait for ages to pick up some tomatoes. However, I’ve read somewhere that tomatoes need to be planted separately from other plants. Is that right?
Thank you for this excellent post!
Hello, Daniella my good friend so good to hear from you, hope all is well with both you and your family. Tomatoes are truly amazing and are of great value to our health. Tomatoes grow on a vine and it is good to plant them alone or give them enough space to grow because they can choke other plants
What you can do also is plant them near stakes or a fence this way you can more direct the way they run without them invading other plant space. Hope this helps, thanks again for commenting and have a good day.
Norman,
Thanks very much for this great post The Naked Truth about Tomatoes! I grew up in the northeast of the United States where you can only grow tomatoes outside during the summertime.
I later moved to the Tampa Bay FL area and found things to be more like where you are Norman in Nassau.
In Tampa, you don’t start growing tomatoes in the springtime like up north. Do you find that is also true in Nassau Norman?
Thanks also for all the great health benefit information, most all of us need to eat better.
CannaGary
Hello CannaGary so good to meet you, Tomatoes are very beneficial and is an amazing fruit. The time for planting some of our crops is just before the spring comes around so that the plants can be more establish and get all of that nice spring rain. I am glad that I could help, all the best to you and have a good day.
Yum. This post makes me want to grab a fresh tomato. I love vine ripen tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes on a piece of bread with mayo, or stewed with zucchini. I also love tomatoes with basil and buffalo mozzarella. So many fantastic ways to eat them. Even fresh salsa, so delicious!
Hello, Millie, it is so good to meet you, the way that you eat tomatoes sounds very healthy and that is so wonderful. Tomatoes are so beneficial and including them in our diet surely work wonders. I am so happy that I could help thanks for commenting and have a good day.
Mmmm my favorite!! We have a few early girl and cherry tomato plants growing at the moment, I am anxiously awaiting the day they are ready, but in the meantime I am going to keep reading your post and imagining all the different types of awesome tomatoes!
Thank you for the great bit of information!
Hello, so nice to meet you, tomatoes are truly awesome with all of its great benefits. It is good to hear that you are enjoying the benefits of these fruits. I am so happy that I could help. All the best to you and have a good day.