Tomatoes

Tomatoes are great plants for beginners! Delicious off the vine they can be used as a versatile ingredient in the kitchen. Tomatoes love sun and are best grown outdoors in summer. They do not tolerate frost, so it is important to plant after the soil is warm. In most regions this will not be until April or May. Tomatoes take 60 to 80 days to mature. Many growers typically purchase transplants rather than growing from seed. Wonderfully, there are many types of tomatoes to grow and enjoy!

Fast Facts

1. Tomatoes are technically a fruit (not a vegetable) because they have seeds!
2. In 2014 tomatoes were voted the World’s Most Popular Fruit  and continue to lead fruit consumption annually.
3. There are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes of all different shapes, sizes, and colors from red, yellow, and green to shades of orange, pink, and purple.
4. Tomatoes have many health benefits including aiding skin health and protecting against heart disease and certain cancers.
5. Despite its popular in Italian cooking, tomato plants originated in Central America (learn more about the history of tomatoes).
6. The tomato is the official State fruit of Ohio (Ohio loves tomatoes)! Tomato juice is Ohio’s  official State beverage.
7. Fresh Tomato Day is celebrated on April 6th, an odd time of the year since the plants will not be ready for harvest for another 40 – 50 days.
8. The Guinness Book of World Records has many awards for tomatoes including heaviest tomato, tallest tomato, most tomatoes harvested from one plant in one year, and number of varieties awards.
9. The World’s Largest Tomato Fight happens on the last Wednesday of August in Valencia, Spain at the La Tomatina Festival.
10. There is a World Tomato Society for those who share a fascination with all forms of the tomato plant.