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If you ’re looking for a tomato variety with a classic flavor balanced between odorous and tart , look no further than the ' Better Boy ' Lycopersicon esculentum . ' good Boy’tomatoesresist disease and produce high - lineament yield of large , smooth - skinned yield .
Start Them Indoors
For some gardeners , one of the former sign of fountain is getting a head initiate on your vegetable by starting fromseed indoors . Your ' Better Boy ' tomato plant are no exception . start up them from seed indoors at least six to eight workweek before the last hoar . Because these tomato take between 70 and 75 days to harvest , planting them indoors protect the seedling from the other spring frost .
For fast germination , ensure your seeds are planted ⅛ inch inscrutable in the soil with temperatures between 75 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit . allow your seedlings with plenty of sunlight orgrow lightsif six or more hours of sunlight is not possible . By the time your seedlings are quick to be transplanted out of doors , they ’ll be able-bodied to flourish in warm temperatures , ideally when it ’s about 70 degrees Fahrenheit .
Ease Them Into Your Garden
To give your seedlings the sound chance at growing into delicious tomato plant , it ’s crucial to indurate them off . season offis the procedure of gradually exposing your seedlings to the outdoors and preparing them for consideration dissimilar than what they are used to .
start hardening off your seedlings one to two weeks before graft outdoors . institute seedlings outside on warm days , still in their pot . Allow them to sit in a protected spot for the Clarence Day , lento increase the amount of sunshine they receive each 24-hour interval , and contribute them indoors at dark .
Trusting the mental process and not rushing your ' Better Boy ' love apple is important . A good signal that it ’s meter to transplant is when temperatures stay on above 45 degrees Fahrenheit overnight .
Keep Away From Cabbage
If you ’re comprise a variety of vegetables into your garden this season , be mindful that not all plant act as nicely with each other . invalidate planting your love apple near any appendage of the brassica family , such ascabbage , Brassica oleracea italica , and lolly . Lycopersicon esculentum and bread , for example , both requirephosphorusandpotassiumto grow firm roots and guard off disease .
Placing these plants too close-fitting together causes them to contend for these nutrients . In the end , the dough will come through the fight for nutrients , and your tomatoes wo n’t produce the fruit you ’re hoping for . Fortunately , there are some excellent companion plants that support the growth of your tomatoes .
Basiluses its natural scent to repel harmful pests by from your tomato , including hornworms , whitefly , and aphid . Plus , you’re able to harvest these works together for a pleasant-tasting Caprese salad .
Asparagusis another great companion works because it releases a toxic chemical that deters source - burl nematodes . These pest attack the root of a love apple plant and may stunt its growth . In return key , Lycopersicon esculentum plants bring about solanine , gross out the plant - damage edible asparagus beetle .
Marigoldsare another flora that repels damage root - knot nematodes . As a bonus , they total a sensational , bold pop of coloring material to your garden .
Give Them Room to Grow
' Better Boy ' tomatoes areindeterminate , which means they continue to grow over the spring and summertime until frost hits . undetermined tomato plants grow to be large , with ' Better Boy ' plants specifically spring up between 5 and 8 feet tall when mature . Due to their large sizing , ' Better Boy ' tomatoes need to be planted with plenty of room to sprawl out , so be sure to plant your ' Better Boy ' tomato 14 to 20 column inch apart . If your industrial plant are too close together , they will have poor gentle wind circulation , and you ’ll have a more difficult time glean their fruit .
In addition , you need to incorporatestakesin your garden after transfer your tomatoes . Your love apple should be tied to a duple - stake organisation when they are about 15 inches high , with a second and third link as necessary every additional 10 inch . The stakes , which should be on either side of your flora , take into account your ' Better Boy ' to acquire vertically with proper documentation . Otherwise , the weight unit of the tomato works and vine will inescapably do your Lycopersicon esculentum to fall to the background and spoil before they can be harvest .
Don’t Forget to Prune
Because ' Better Boys ' are undetermined tomatoes , they go along to grow throughout the season and want criminal maintenance to keep up with their ontogenesis . Pruningyour ' Better Boy ' tomatoes every few weeks is all important in ensuring healthy , high up - yielding fruit over the growing time of year .
focalise on pruning the leaf sucker , which are superfluous leaves and ramification that shape between the plant ’s principal fore and limb . remove sucker when they are between 2 and 4 inch long manoeuver get-up-and-go toward the tomato ’s main base , ensure optimal yield output . If they ’re small enough , suckers can be get rid of by pinching their base with your fingers . Otherwise , they can be transfer with home scissors or pruners .
You will also need to see that the grim leaves of your plant are trimmed several inches from the ground to promote airflow . Proper airflow helps lower humidity within your crops and prevents fungal disease from spring .
Begin pruning whensuckersform and when leaves are ready to be shave by from the ground , but intercept crop between one and two week before you plan to harvest . This mode , your plants have time to grow leafage large enough to protect tomato from prepare sick blisters , also known as sunscald , due to unmediated sun damage .
Harvest and Enjoy!
' Better Boy ' Lycopersicon esculentum are versatile enough that they make a great addition to nearly any dish that bid for tomatoes . So , whatever you ’re cooking up this time of year , you could enjoy mature , juicy , and savory ' Better Boy ' tomato with it . From soup and stews to salad and burgers , the options are sempiternal !
