Springtime means more vegetables. What’s better than to have your own production of vegetables that you will consume? One of these fruits that you can put in your salad and dishes is the pineapple tomato. It is a tasty tomato that isn’t quite different from the tomatoes that we all know.
A single pineapple tomato can weigh up to 1 kilo. Its flesh is actually sweet, meaty, and it is low in acidity. When you first look at them you might think that they look like small pumpkins. Their color is orange at the top and red at the bottom. You’ll find other colors too.
Their taste will change as they mature but they won’t have the taste of the typical tomato. Below we will give you tips on how you can plant and grow the pineapple tomato in your garden, and also check this article about the best compost for tomatoes.
Pineapple Tomato Planting
When you’ll buy your pineapple tomato seeds start by planting them indoors. Do that from 6 to 8 weeks when the last frost is about to end. What you need to do is to plant the seeds in a flat ¼ inches deep and 1 inch apart from each other. The temperature should be from 70 to 75 degrees F.
Put the seeds in a place that will have plenty of sunlight. Also, you need to keep the soil moist and ensure that the water will drain because the seeds mustn’t rot. When you’ll start to notice that the second set of leaves grow then it’s time to place them in pots.
You should place the pineapple tomato stems up to the lowest set of leaves. You need to do that because you want to create strong roots. Before you plant them in your garden make sure to expose them every day little by little in the sunlight in order to harden them.
Pineapple tomatoes can’t make it in cold weather. They need warm weather in order to grow. Make sure when you plant them that the temperature will be 70 degrees F. You need to bury the whole stem up to the lowest set of leaves. You’ll also need to space them 2 inches apart in order for the roots to spread.
Growing Pineapple Tomatoes
As we mentioned earlier you need to choose a place where the soil will be warm. Also, you need to make sure that the soil will have good drainage. You need to add mulch so as to help the moisture.
You will also need to make sure that you will remove the unwanted weeds that might cause trouble while the pineapple tomatoes are growing. Water the tomatoes 1 time every week and be careful not to wet the leaves. Additionally, you should prune the vine in order to make sure that they will produce the fruits.
Due to the fact that these tomatoes are quite big, the growing process might be a bit slower compared to the normal tomatoes. Use a fertilizer that you normally use with tomatoes. Don’t over fertilize them because they won’t produce any flowers.
Pests and Diseases
In order to have healthy pineapple tomatoes, you should watch out for pests. One of the pests that might infect your tomatoes is the cutworm. Cutworms are basically caterpillars. They chew through the stems of your plant.
You can get rid of them by using coffee cans. You can use them by sinking them at least 1 inch beneath the soil and above it. In this way, they won’t be able to climb up because you’ll have created a protective shield.
Another pest that can infect the pineapple tomato is the nematodes. The specific pests live in the soil. What they do is to infect the roots of your plant which can end up to its death. You can either use chemicals in order to eliminate it or you can also plant the golden guardian Marigold.
The specific plant will protect naturally your pineapple tomatoes from nematodes. It has 99% success within 3 months. It is a natural repellent that will protect the tomatoes. It is very easy to grow and it will be up to 2 feet tall. Plant it and you use it with your other plants too. It will help them grow without any pests.
One disease that is possible to infect the pineapple tomatoes is the blossom drop. If you start to notice that your tomatoes have a dark scar or mark at one end that might mean that the plant lacks calcium. All you have to do is to cut off the parts that are infected.
Gray mold is another disease. You will notice a gray or brown mold that will cover the stems or the leaves. Watering the tomato might have as a result, for this fungus to appear. In order to avoid it water the base and then let the soil dry. Use fungicides will help eliminate it.
Harvesting
Harvesting the pineapple tomatoes isn’t difficult at all. All you need to do is to press the flesh gently. If it slightly yields then the tomatoes are ready. Also, the color is significant. When the winter comes and you have tomatoes that are unripe you should harvest them. Keep them in a warm place that gets sunlight and they will mature too.
Conclusion
Pineapple tomatoes are unique tomatoes. Even though they weigh a lot their taste is fruity and amazing. You can use them everywhere form creating salads to making your own sauces. It’s not difficult to grow them. All you need to do is to pay attention to the first steps of the seeds that will grow.
