Lycopersicon esculentum Tomatoes

Planting position: Full sun. Ideal for regions with warm, frost-free seasons. Spacing of 50 cm between tall-growing plants, and 80cm between spreading varieties.
Requires regular watering or drenching (less during germination period). Well-draining, compost-enriched loamy soil and generous layers of mulching (avoid the stem). Added 2:3:4 to preparing beds, of 100g.m ² and 30g of 3:1:5 per plant, every week until Harvesting. Scatter snail- and slug bait around seedlings. Provide staking for tall-growing varieties and prune the plant to two main stems. Single out the side-shoot directly underneath the first flower support of the main stem. Prune all else. Tie the stems to the stake, by gently twisting the stems for the flower supports to face outwards. Pinch out the growing tip, once the stem’s reached the stake’s top.
Propagate from seed sown in situ.
Harvesting is done when tomatoes turn reddish, are firm and when the stem break cleanly.
Pests, diseases and their cures: Blossom end rot - add lime to acidic soil. Fruit fly - spray with fenthion. Thrips and Tomato caterpillars - spray with mercaptothion. Tomato blight and leaf spot - spray with mancozeb. Tomato mite - spray with demthoate. White fly - spray with carbaryl.

The much branched, sprawling tomato plant bears clusters of round, and other shaped, juicy fruit. Tomatoes are eaten in salads and many dishes, raw, cooked, fried or baked.