Tomato Harvest & Management

It is the peak of harvest for tomatoes.  With a hot July and cooler August, it has taken some of the tomatoes a little longer to ripen than expected.  I should have a good supply of them till almost the end of September, or first frost.  I eat the sweet cherry ones as a sweet snack.  Never place them in the fridge,  the texture becomes mealy.  BLT's, Caprese salad, and chips and salsa are all I really eat this time of year!  The vine ripened tomatoes are best picked a few hours before they are to be eaten.

Some things I have learned this tomato season...
Weed Management
To manage the weeds, place old newspapers all around the plants and cover with hay.  I do this when I transplant the young plants into the ground in May.  This is a cheap mulch.  It helps to keep the ground moist and water constant.  It helps to minimize the amount of watering needed. (Thanks Nancy Quigley)

Trellising
To trellis the tomatoes use bamboo sticks.  Don't use tomato cages!  They are expensive.  Bamboo is green and cheap.  Packages of them can be procured at and garden supply store.  I like to use three of them per tomato plant, forming them in a tipi like structure.  I then tie them with twine at the top.  I can tie the tomato plant as needed to the bamboo sticks.