In the Garden: Tomato Starts
With the weather turning warmer and the trees and bushes popping out fresh green foliage, we're happy we got a head start planting some seedlings indoors.
We decided to start out with three different tomato varieties: Roma, Brandywine and Beefsteak. With so many tasty tomatoes out there, it's hard to decide between them. Here are a few pros and cons to consider about each variety.
Roma
A few things we love about Romas is that you get one big late-in-the-summer harvest. This is ideal for preserving tomatoes either through canning, freezing, drying, etc. We also love how few seeds they have and how sweet the flesh is. Romas are my personal favorite for slicing up on quesadillas or dicing for pico de gallo.
Romas are great in small spaces, like containers. They could even be grown inside under the right conditions.
Unlike some other varieties, Romas are disease resistant. They fair much better than some varieties when it comes to wilt, though fungus can be an issue if the plants are exposed to severely wet and humid conditions.
Romas are also resistant to nematodes. They wield no special powers against larger pests, however.
Brandywine
This delicious heirloom is hardy, fleshy, easy to grow, and loves the hot weather in Missouri.
It's also another variety that can be grown in containers or raised beds, which is a plus for many gardeners.
On the downside, diseases can be an issue, and insects love these juicy fruits as much as we do! Not to mention, if you have a cold, wet summer your plants are bound to suffer. Even so, this tomato is a popular pick, as the shortcomings are overshadowed by the promise of tempting fruits!
Beefsteak
Another tantalizingly meaty variety, Beefsteak tomatoes thrive in Missouri's hot, humid summers. They are a great choice for those wanting to try vertical gardening, as they are a vining type. These thick tomatoes are also perfect for containers and raised beds, so there are many planting options.
That being said, these tomatoes are also quite disease prone, and even under ideal conditions, may experience some issues later in the summer. But, the benefits outweigh the costs, or so they say. We shall see for ourselves I suppose!