Growing Cluster Tomatoes

Tips for planting Cluster Tomatoes

Nothing quite compares to the joy of growing cluster tomatoes or any tomatoes varieties you've grown yourself right at home. cluster tomatoes is one rather tasty type to consider ,it comes in several varieties of reds, yellows, and oranges producing an average of six to eight tomatoes in about two months time. The exact ripening times will, of course, depend on the specific variety of tomato you've decided to grow.

Usually about half the size of the beefsteak varieties, cluster tomatoes are most often harvested all at once from the vine in clusters, hence their name. However, when growing cluster tomatoes, also sometimes called "truss tomatoes," you have the option of either picking them separately as they ripen, or waiting and harvesting the bunch together, which is usually the preferred method for the most flavorful crop.

Cluster tomatoes plant should always be left attached to their vines where they will continue to draw moisture, as well as beneficial vitamins and nutrients, for a few days before being removed and then either stored, prepared, or eaten. Leaving the tomatoes on the vine this way allows for the absolute best flavor, making it well worth the extra wait.

Widely grown in hothouses and cultivated during the off-seasons in areas where growing outdoors wouldn't be possible, cluster tomatoes are easily grown during the summer months in the garden. Some varieties of cluster tomatoes will need to be started from seeds indoors while others can be purchased already as seedlings.

Depending on your climate, the tomatoes should be sown indoors approximately six to eight weeks before the last expected frost in your area.

Plant in full sun using plenty of compost or peat most as well as fertilizer in soil that drains well for the best cultivation. Cluster tomatoes fare best with fertilizer that has a low nitrogen count, look for 5-10-10 on the label. Varieties like "Early Cascade" will produce anywhere from five to eight tomatoes per cluster and "Juliet" provides six to nine per cluster but with smaller, more oval shaped fruits.

Your plants should be in a place where they'll not only get plenty of sunlight, but air circulation as well. And, don't overwater your plants as tomatoes need to be in soil that has a steady moisture content. Excess watering will decrease their flavor as well.

As with all types of tomatoes, cluster tomatoes should never be refrigerated unless they've already been cooked or are cut up and added to a raw food dish like dips or salsa. But, if the tomato is completely ripened and on the verge of spoiling, then refrigerate until ready to eat. Otherwise, tomatoes should be stored stem side up and kept within a sealed paper bag.

Resist the common urge to keep your tomatoes on the windowsill for the sun to hasten the ripening process and instead keep them in a paper bag where they'll develop their full flavor.

Tomatoes can be eaten fresh from the vine, preserved in whole form in jars, and used in a number of sauces and healthy juices. Whatever you decide to do with your crop, you're sure to enjoy the fruits of growing cluster tomatoes.

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