Growing Tomatoes in Cowlitz County Washington
Tomatoes grown here in the Northwest are some of the best tasting Tomatoes you will ever find. I think they are the most grown garden vegetable there is. Just look in the garden departments in the stores. You will find tons of varieties, and more of them than any plant attesting to their popularity.
The easy way to grow Tomatoes in this area is to start out with starter plants. Choose a few different varieties as they mature and ripen at different times, ensuring a longer season. After choosing a few varieties, choose a sunny location and plant them in a well composted and amended hole. Dig the hole at least twice as big as the root ball and add compost to the soil you return to the hole. After you plant the tomato plant, water it to pack down the soil and to remove air. Tomatoes like the soil to be at least 65 degrees. That is hard to do in the Longview and Kelso Washington area. I always plant to early and have to wait till they warm up to take off! When the Tomato plants are starting to grow make sure you have a cage available. Tomatoes are vines and like to grow in all directions. If they start to out grow the cage feel free to remove some of the branches.
Tomatoes require little maintenance to ensure a good crop. In Longview Washington and surrounding areas here in the northwest they grow like weeds. I once had a Beefsteak Tomato plant that fed three families all by its self! It was the craziest plant with a stalk that was two inches around! This is not a fishing story. Tomatoes like to be watered directly to the soil. They can develop fungusif the leaves remain wet all the time. I like to use a soaker hose. They like to be watered every other day. Tomatoes like water. Fertilize every three to four weeks. I also like to put a layer of mulch around the plant when they get larger as this helps the soil to remain wet, and adds some nutrients.
Here is some history on Tomato’s. They are native to the Americas. There is a lot of evidence that they in fact originated in Mexico. Europeans did not discover Tomato’s until the 16Th century. Cab you imagine Italian food without Tomatoes? LongviewBiz
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