Tomato and Food-Garden Q+A with Ontario Backyard Plant Growers

Q+A Day

We dig into tomato and food gardening questions from members of the Ontario Backyard Plant Growers group on Facebook.

The Ontario Backyard Plant Growers Facebook Group is a group that shares information about growing plants in Ontario. It's a passionate group with broad knowledge on propagating, growing and harvesting, and tools and amendments.

We Tackle Tomato Questions

Why do some tomato seedlings just stop growing?

If you had to pick three tomato varieties to grow this year, and only three, which would they be? (SPOILER ALERT…Emma picks 5 varieties!)

There are so many methods for staking and propping up tomatoes. Which one works best for you? If you had a small space - room for 6 or 8 indeterminate plants - what system would you use for the most production?

I Love tomatoes - one in particular: The Starfire and cannot find any seeds for it anywhere, anymore - It was not very big but it was Tough - it would give nice, fist-sized (woman fist that is) ... bright red, not too wet fruit I could freeze whole and eat in February in soup and sauce - Loved it! Where is now?

Is it helpful to pinch off some first flowers off tomato plants to promote growth?

How much sun do tomatoes REALLY need.. The minimum I seem to see is six hours direct sunlight but would it be worth it to still plant them if you don't have quite that much sun?
Which tomato varieties yield the most fruit?

Choosing Crops

What indoor food plant would you say gives you the biggest bang for the time and effort put in?

What are the best melon varieties for southern Ontario?

What are the best fruit-bearing shrubs for southern Ontario?

What are the first things you plant? What are the last you harvest?

My 3rd year asparagus has turned into 6-foot trees! I was told not to pick any asparagus until the 4th year....help

What plants do you recommend for succession cropping?