Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Description:
Tomato plants can spread from 24- 72 inches wide, and generally have multiple branches. The plant’s flowers are yellow with five petals. They are almost an inch across and come in clusters. Tomatoes can range vastly in size depending on the type of tomato plant you are growing. The smallest have a diameter of .6 inches and the biggest have a diameter of 3 inches. They are typically red although variations can be found in scarlet, yellow, green, and purple.
Cultivation Tips:
Tomatoes require full sun and warm weather, making them the perfect summer plant. Keeping tomatoes in a cage may be helpful as this keeps fruits off the ground. Tomatoes require consistent watering in order to prevent rotting and cracking of the fruits.
Uses:
Tomatoes can be used in an abundance of recipes from pasta sauces, salsas, soups and many more.
Friends:
Tomato and basil grow great with one another as basil is an insect repellent and prevents tomatoes from being eaten by flies and hornworms. Some even say that planting basil with tomatoes makes them taste better. Tomatoes also grow well with parsley, garlic, squash, marigolds, nasturtiums, asparagus, and chives which serve all sorts of purposes from insect repellent to increasing soil nutrients.
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