Lycopersicon esculentum – Tomato Tips & Plant Care

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

You mean TOMATO ?

RTed Heirloom Tomatoes from our gasden

Tomatoes !!!

DESCRIPTION

It originated from and was domesticated in western South America.  Introduced to the Old World by the Spanish in the Columbian exchange in the 16th century. The tomato plant makes a fruit that is an edible berry, yet we eat it as a vegetable. It’s in the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and peppers. Its name was recently changed to Solanum lycopersicum.

Freshly harvested fingerling potatoes in a colorful mix of red, gold, and purple.

Potatoes are closely related to Tomatoes !

Macro image of a brown marmorated stink bug, a common garden pest in NYC.

Peppers are related to tomatoes and potatoes !!!!!!

Closeup of a delicate yellow tomato flower, ready to bloom into fruit.

Tomato flower

Name

The word tomato comes from the Spanish “tomate”, which in turn comes from the Nahuatl word “tomatl”. More precisely, “tomatl” comes from the Nahuatl words “tomohuac” (swelling, roundness, fatness) and “atl” (water). The genus name lycopersicum, means "wolf peach" and esculentum means "edible". 

Environment

The wild ancestor is the red-fruited Solanum pimpinellifolium, which is native to western South America. It was first domesticated 7,000 years ago. The resulting plant was probably the cherry tomato. It’s unclear how humans may have been involved in the process.

Cluster of fresh red tomatoes on the vine, ideal for NYC rooftop gardens.

Cherry tomato

Plant

Tomato plants are vines, largely annual and very vulnerable to cold and frost. They sometimes live longer in greenhouses. The flowers are able to self-fertilize. There are thousands of cultivars, varying in size, color, shape, and flavor. 

Colorful assortment of heirloom tomatoes in different shapes and hues.

A variety of Tomato varieties !!

Introduction to Europe

The Spanish first introduced tomatoes to Europe in the 1540’s, where they became used in Spanish food. They distributed the tomato throughout their colonies in the Caribbean, then brought it to the Philippines, from where it spread to Asia. 

Elsewhere its first use was ornamental – as it was known to be related to the nightshades and assumed to be poisonous. Italians named the fruits as pomi d'oro, or "golden apples".  Il pomodoro !

Map of The Bahamas and Caribbean

Caribbean basin

BUGS

BE READY - Tomatoes are attacked by many insect pests and nematodes. 

Common tomato pests include the tomato bug, stink bugs, cutworms, tomato hornworms and tobacco hornworms, aphids, cabbage loopers, whiteflies, tomato fruit worms, flea beetles, red spider mite, slugs, and Colorado potato beetles. 

Gardener spraying leafy plants with nutrients or pest control in a green space.

Spray spray spray ! Organic please !

Closeup of a spider mite on a green leaf, a common threat to healthy foliage.

Spider mite

Green aphid feeding on a plant stem, often seen in NYC urban gardens.

Green Aphid

Macro image of a brown marmorated stink bug, a common garden pest in NYC.

Stink bug

DID YOU KNOW - After an insect attack tomato plants produce systemin, a plant peptide hormone. This activates defensive mechanisms, such as the production of protease inhibitors which slow their growth ! The hormone was first identified in tomatoes.

Diseases

They are vulnerable to diseases caused by viruses like TMV (Tobacco Mosaic Virus) and by mildew and blight fungi like Erwinia. Soggy wet soil or poor drainage and they can get root rot from Phytophthora. 

Close-up of powdery mildew spots on a green garden leaf.

Mildew ugh!

White rose bloom and buds showing signs of blight damage in a landscaped garden.

Erwinia - causes the spots and blotches

Close-up of root rot affecting the base of a plant, showing blackened and decayed roots.

Root rot

Tomato plant leaf with yellowing and mosaic pattern from virus or deficiency.

Tobacco Mosaic Virus

Tips on Care

Plant seedlings deep. Use stakes – it allows the plant to climb as it grows to keep away from slugsNot planning to keep the bugs away – they are coming – lots of them !

BE READY - Use companion plants like calendula, chives, black-eyed peas and sage because they repel various insects - mint, marigold, chives and cabbage too! 

Close-up of healthy mint plants with vibrant green textured leaves.

Mint

Encourage pollinators by using plants like Zinnia, sunflowers and lavender nearby. 

Striking deep red sunflower in full bloom under bright sunlight.

Sunflowers !!!

Close-up of blooming French lavender flowers with vibrant purple petals in a sunlit garden.

Lavender is a great repellant !

Plant Oregano, parsley and cilantro to increase positive insects like ladybugs 

Macro image of oregano herb with soft fuzzy green leaves.

Oregano

Ladybug on a green leaf, a natural predator of garden pests.

Lady bugs - we love them !!

  • Give your plants enough space or they will fight for water and nutrients.

  • Planting too late is a mistake - sow seeds late winter indoors bring them outside when they are 6” tall.

  • Not giving your tomato plants enough sunlight is an error.

  • Watering the leaves instead of the ground can encourage pests or lead to diseases.

  • Not watering container tomatoes often enough or not letting them drain stresses them.  

Tomate   Tomatl   Tomato   Tomat   Pomodoro   Tomaat   Takkali  Domata   Solamen   Xitomatl   Banadoura   Pomidor   Paradieser   Tamatim   Agvania   Yaanyo   Tomatea   Tomaquet   Tratai   Paradicsom   Kamatis

Whichever way you call it – it’s delicious !

Oh ! and call us !

PLANT SPECIALISTS

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 53 YEARS !

Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBA

All photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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