Growing Jersey Tomatoes
Jersey tomatoes are an older hybrid variety known by several names, including New Jersey and Ramapo. Recently reclaimed by Rutgers University, this old breed is beginning to become available once again as seed in catalogs and as young transplants at local garden centers. Jersey tomatoes are known for their larger size and for their juiciness. They make excellent tomatoes for canning or other forms of tomato products such as sauce or ketchup.
List:
Jersey or Ramapo seeds or plants
Peat pots
Potting soil
Plastic wrap
Garden space
Garden spade
Aluminum foil
Tomato cages or trellises
Starting with Seed
Fill peat pots 3/4 full of a good quality potting soil.
Water the soil and pots until they are moist.
Place two Jersey tomato seeds in each pot and cover with approximately 1/4 inch of potting soil.
Place the pots in a warm area and cover with plastic wrap.
Remove the plastic wrap when the seedlings become visible in the pots.
Allow the seedling to grow for approximately a week to 10 days and then remove the weakest looking plant from each pot leaving only one plant per pot.
Water the pots often enough to keep the soil moist. Transplant into the garden when all chances of frost in your area have passed.
Planting in the Garden
Choose a location in your garden that receives full sun. Prepare the soil by adding compost or fertilizer to give the tomatoes the nutrients they need to flourish.
Use the garden spade to dig a hole twice as large and twice as deep as the peat pot.
Crumble the peat pot in your hand and then place the entire plant, along with the dirt, into the hole. Fill the hole with the dirt you removed.
Make a collar for the young tomato plant by using a 1 inch strip of aluminum foil folded into a circle. Place this around the base of the tomato plant. This will help to prevent cutworm damage as the plant grows.
Surround the plant with a tomato cage. This will help support the plant as it grows and keep the fruit from lying on the ground where it will rot easily.
Water the plant in, using a garden hose. Apply water until the ground no longer absorbs the liquid.
Words to the Wise:
If planting from seed, start the seeds indoors 6 to 7 weeks before the last frost date for your area.
Plant tomato plants eighteen to twenty four inches apart.
You can use a starter fertilizer on the plants when transplanting to give the plants an extra boost. Starter fertilizers are available at any nursery or garden center.
