Kelsey Hansen
28.09.2024 - 17:29 / theprovince.com / Helen Chesnut
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Q. The two cherry tomato plants I was given to grow in pots on my patio are producing far more fruits than I can use. Can you suggest any quick and easy ways of using this abundance?
A. I use them in large quantities by placing washed, halved fruits in a broad, shallow roasting pan topped with chopped onion, minced garlic and basil, drizzled with olive oil and roasted at 325 F until the mixture no longer runs with juice. I stir a few times during the roasting, and freeze the resulting product in small containers to use in winter on cheese-topped crackers.
In northern Italy, halved cherry tomatoes are added to hot cooked pasta.
Q. Some of my staked tomatoes have developed golden yellow areas at the top, stem ends. Are there ways of preventing these golden, hardened areas on the fruits?
A. This condition, called sunscald, is caused by direct, hot sun on the fruit. Affected tomatoes remain useable, with the discoloured parts cut away.
Though this differs among tomato varieties, most plants develop a leaf canopy adequate to shield the tomato tops from direct sun. The problem is that some plants react to hot sun by shrinking back somewhat, leaving more of the fruits exposed.
We can expect future summers to be hot. To address your issue, first look to the soil. To create soil conditions that will help to produce the most robust, heat-resistant plants, make sure the soil is well supplied with organic matter such as a nourishing compost. Coconut fibre (coir) enhances moisture retention and acts as a buffer against temperature extremes.
Plant tomatoes with
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