RADIO TRANSCRIPT
Matt Rodriguez
June 13, 2024

This is Matt Rodriguez, horticulture agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center.

Today's program is on tomatoes and the necessary information to grow this wonderful crop. To begin, it’s important to understand the two types of tomato growth. Indeterminate tomatoes are taller from 5ft to 8ft and produce “suckers” or new growth. It's important to remove any excess suckers to promote central growth for these kinds of plants.

Determinate tomatoes are shorter from 1 ft to 5ft and typically fruit will mature at the same time. Determinate types are great for canning as it provides a steady crop at once. One of the easiest types of tomatoes are the cherry varieties such as super sweet 100, black cherry, smarty, and sun gold. It's important to plant 3 feet apart and to plant tomatoes deep. Remove any lower leaves to promote air circulation and decrease the chance for soil diseases.

This has been Matt Rodriguez, horticulture agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center. For more information, call us at 828-764-9480.