Enjoying Arkansas tomatoes - and staying safe

By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The tomato is the No. 1 crop grown in home gardens.

ADVERSTISMENT

Summer officially arrives when you take the first bite from a homegrown Arkansas tomato, as Janet Carson writes in Saturday's HomeStyle section. The tomato is the No. 1 crop grown in home gardens, and with the economy like it is, there are more home gardens this year than ever. Whether you are growing tomatoes in a big garden or in a container, there are ways to make sure you get the most tomatoes per plant.

In light of recent news reports, bear in mind that cherry tomatoes are easy to grow and salmonella-free, as are all other homegrown tomatoes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises that, in order to avoid possible exposure to salmonella, tomato consumption should be limited to cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached. Avoid commercially grown tomatoes from the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

There are hundreds of varieties of tomatoes on the market, from new cultivars with disease resistance to old-fashioned heirloom varieties. There are also two different types of tomatoes: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes are often sold as bush tomatoes. Once they bear their fruit load, their season is pretty much done. Celebrity, Roma and Rutgers are some commonly grown determinate varieties.

Indeterminate tomatoes, also called vining tomatoes, continue to grow throughout the season with proper care, blooming and setting fruit until the first frost. They require pruning and staking. Indeterminate varieties include Better Boy, Big Boy, Early Girl and most of the cherry varieties.

Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

Thank you for coming to the Web site of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. We're working to keep you informed with the latest breaking news.