The Complete Guide to Growing Tomatoes: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply-Including Heirloom Tomatoes

by Cherie Everhart

The average tomato farmer has more than 100 varieties of tomatoes, ranging from the sweetest, juiciest strains available to the smallest, easiest to grow options out there. Tomatoes are found in thousands of dishes across the world and they are notoriously expensive, especially in years when bad weather can destroy anywhere between 10% and 60% of the crops harvested in the United States annually. For all these reasons and more, many people have taken to growing their own tomatoes, setting up containers in their kitchens and digging plots in the back yard. But, effectively growing tomatoes is more than just a hobby for most. It is a challenge and without the right knowledge of how tomatoes grow and what they need, it can be downright frustrating. Growing tomatoes is a task anyone can accomplish and enjoy and this book strives to provide every possible resource and tip needed for you to become one of a growing legion of tomato growers. You will learn the fundamental basic aspects of all tomato plants that have helped growers around the world master their craft and create the largest tomatoes around. You will learn the basics of composting and fertilization and what each tomato plant benefits best from. You will also learn how to select your garden location and the seemingly complex but ideal task of starting from seed with your new tomato plants. You will learn what kinds of support systems are best for each kind of tomato plant, including the kinds of watering, cages, and nets that your plants might benefit most from. Tomato experts who have created a livelihood for themselves in growing and mastering the tomato plant have been interviewed around the country and their responses added to the book, helping you to know how to set the plants, prune them effectively, read a tomato plant at various times during the season and even to combat the various trials and tribulations of tomato growing, from pests and disease to frost and storms. Everything you could possibly need to know about tomatoes, how to grow them and how to effectively start a new hobby and possibly create secondary income, is included in this guide for you.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being new to growing tomatoes, I was looking for a basic book to get the fundamentals (and maybe a little more) on how to successfully grow tomatoes. This book ticked all the boxes: good information, good layout, good advice. My only complaint was the lack of editing, which is the reason why it's four and not five stars. ☹

That being said, there are a lot of good tips throughout these pages—my favorite was the garden journal. What a great idea!

Other topics include best growing conditions (light, soil, wind, and water), companion plants to help with soil and pests, how to grow from seeds, what to look for if you are buying plants from a garden center, and so much more.

Informative read. Highly recommend for beginner gardeners!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good advice on feeding.

[B.J. Burgess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been taking an interest in growing vegetables at home for the past few years. Last year, I had a terrible time with growing tomatoes. So, I was very eager to review The Complete Guide to Growing Tomatoes.

I wasn’t aware of the different types of tomatoes - slicers, stuffers, sauce tomatoes, small tomatoes, and many other varieties. This book gives you a brief history on the origins of the tomato, the history of the tomatoes in Europe, North America, and the modern history of the American tomato.

You will learn about the light requirements, wind protection, erosion control, soil testing and plant testing. Chapter 4 teaches you about starting a tomato from a seed, while chapter 5 teaches you how and where to plant your tomato plants.

The Complete Guide to Growing Tomatoes is an interesting read for any new or advanced gardener. I will keep in mind some of the tips when I plant tomato plants this year.

[Laura Leaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty handy reference that goes a bit beyond the "how" of growing tomatoes by giving you the migratory travels of the fruit at the hands of its human growers and eaters.

All of the information is helpful, especially with regard to light, soil, and wind information - but I would have loved more on pests and disease. Everhart lists the usual culprits but makes no mention of flea beetles or leafminers. Also, I think wasps need a nod as well, as they are a great control for the ghastly hornworm.

Also, more photographs would have been wonderful. This isn't to say that I can't get off my can and search the internet for what catfacing or verticillium wilt looks like, but still..............

A good book, nevertheless, and one that will help with my plan for next year's larger crop.

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reference book, particularly if you are new to gardening. I read the 2011 edition and it seems a bit dated to me. There was lots about tilling your soil when now, over a dozen years later, experts say tilling an established bed disrupts the microbiome that exists in the soil and that tilling should be avoided. But, I was looking for specifics to improving soil and it was here. Editing could be better, as could more photos, and much better illustrations (which were very meh).

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love tomatoes. I grew up living next door to my grandparent’s farm and as a child helped them pick bushels of tomatoes – for selling, for canning and for eating. My own family also had a garden where we grew tomatoes, other vegetables and fruit. Later when I had my own home, I had a garden and tomatoes have always been a big part of it. Therefore, when I saw this book I could not wait to read it. The subtitle is Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply- Including Heirloom Tomatoes and I feel it lives up to that.

While most people will use this as a reference tool, I wanted to read the entire book and found it very readable. It really is a complete guide, for the novice and for those who have been growing tomatoes for years. Looking at the Table of Contents, you can see the book is well organized and arranged in a way that makes sense and makes it easy to follow. I would suggest if you are just getting started growing tomatoes, start at the beginning and work through the book. I think that even the seasoned grower will learn things as Everhart includes natural methods for growing and information about newer species. She also gives information about Heirloom tomatoes, though not new there has been a resurgence of their use in family gardens. They taste delicious and add much color to recipes. I also like the Case Study sections that are included throughout the book giving firsthand accounts from experts in the field and other growers who have unique information to share with growers. The thorough index will be a handy reference tool for your future use.

In addition, to the selection, planting and caring for tomatoes, there are also ideas for what to do with the fruit of your labor: not just eating, with some great recipes, but preserving, and pickling. The Appendix includes other sources to help you in growing tomatoes: websites, extension offices and other books.

This book is part of Atlantic Publishing Group’s Back to Basics Growing series and I encourage them to add to this series as more people are gardening today. The book has many photographs but I wish they were not in black and white so you could see the different colors of tomatoes especially the beautiful heirloom varieties. However, I highly recommend this book for all of you who love tomatoes and want to learn more about growing your own.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine going out into your garden in the back yard or to your container garden and picking a warm sun-ripened tomato off the vine. Yes, it can be done regardless if you have an acre of land, a small plot, or a bunch of containers; all will give you the opportunity to grow tomatoes.

This book is perfect for a first-timer gardener or a novice. You will learn the difference between hybrid and heirloom tomatoes, how to select the proper site, how to start seedlings, how to plant outside, how to support the vines, what other plants companion with the tomatoes, all about pests and diseases, as well as how to care for the plants. For those that don't have garden space there is a great section on container and raised bed gardening. And, then there is the award - harvesting.

I've been a long time tomato grower and have yielded wonderful crops. Cherie H. Everhart covers every aspect you need to know and she does so in lay terms. This step-by-step guide is sure to yield a bountiful and delicious crop for you and the end result will be one to savor. It's time we return to basics and nourish our bodies with wholesome homegrown foods.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually do not read books that teach me anything but after my debacle of tomato growing this yr I was in search of a good book. I am a new gardner and this book gave me the ins and outs of tomato growing. I have learned so much and I cant wait for next season to put my new knowledge to the test.

[Nanci]

Good book. Need to look at again.