Send this story Print this story

Adjust text size

Tomato planting time
Plan now, plant soon for homegrown tomatoes

Growing your own tomatoes can save money but, even better, your own garden can supply you with tasty produce. As the warm weather begins -- and hopefully that will be soon -- be ready to plant your seedings.

* Choose the tomato variety -- from among thousands! -- that you like best and that will suit your needs. Beef tomatoes are meaty, and the little Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes burst with sugary flavor. Buy seedlings at a reputable nursery or farmers market or, if you prefer, buy seeds -- they are cheaper but take more patience and attention.

* Replant seedlings soon, giving them as much space as possible. Be sure to choose an area with good drainage.

* Pick a sunny spot with lots of growing room for the vines and the roots. Tomatoes need at least six to eight hours of sun each day and full sun is best, especially in Pleasanton where evening temperatures are cooler. A south-facing wall where the ground doesn't get boggy would be ideal.

* For the first few weeks, watch out for birds pecking at the seedlings and be careful to water at least once a day, making sure that excess water drains away so the roots don't rot. The plants can be protected against birds by placing chicken wire over the top of the area but make sure it doesn't touch the seedlings. Slugs can be discouraged with salt barriers or beer traps.

* The tomatoes will be ready for picking around late summer. Until then, be patient and remember to water them more as they grow bigger. Tomato plants can get as large as 5 feet, and as the fruit appears the plants will need support to stay off the ground. It can be simple, just a couple of sticks and a few strings, but take care not to harm the branches.

* Picking the tomatoes depends on the type you have chosen but they should have some yellow and maybe a little red on them. If you pick one a little early, leave it to ripen on a windowsill and it will be ready to eat in two or three days.

If you don't have room in your yard for a garden, consider Pleasanton's community garden program at Val Vista Park, where residents pay a nominal fee to grow vegetables and fruits. Send in an application to be placed on a waitlist or call coordinator Kathy Southern at 997-3186.

--Pleasanton Weekly staff

Posted by mooseturd, a resident of the Pleasanton Valley neighborhood, on Mar 30, 2012 at 4:27 pm

Growing your own tomatoes is a most rewarding experience. BUT the second thing you must do if you live in Pleasanton is start trapping and baiting rats. Rats will destroy your crop at the first sign of ripening.

Pleasanton is known to pest control folks as "rat capital of Alameda County".

Posted by Cornell, a resident of the Castlewood neighborhood, on Mar 30, 2012 at 4:43 pm

Not only tomatoes attract rats. My next door neighbor never cuts his back lawn, and the rats hold conventions there at dusk and dawn. I went downstairs for a glass of water a couple of nights ago, and there were three rats sitting on the cutting board right next to my kitchen sink. Sitting there as big as you please. I offered them a cigarette but they scurried away without reply.