Hot peppers are typically grown as annuals, but did you know that you can overwinter these perennial plants for a larger harvest next season? With the right preparation, you can keep your favorite varieties dormant in the winter months and they’ll come back healthy in spring. Learn how to winterize hot pepper plants.
Are you wondering what to do with your end-of-season surplus of green and ripe red tomatoes? Some can be kept in boxed storage to continue to ripen and enjoy fresh. But for a bumper harvest, long-term preservation is often needed. Find all the details on how to store your homegrown tomatoes right here. Read more now.
When life gives you a bumper crop of tomatoes, you’re in luck if you have room in the freezer. But you need to be savvy. Make the most of a tomato glut without wasting time or energy, and try our tips for making sauce or concasse, freezer jam, and salsa, as well as freezing plain, unpeeled tomatoes. Read more now.
Not sure what’s plaguing your tomatoes? Our roundup of common tomato plant diseases can help you to identify, treat, and prevent a variety of fungal, bacterial, and viral ailments, as well as other issues that may arise. From Alternaria stem canker to Verticillium wilt, we’ve got you covered. Read more now.
Growing your own tomatoes is fun and rewarding for both the novice and experienced gardener. Saving the pips from your harvest is a smart and easy way to economize and ensure you get the plants that perform best in your garden. Join us and learn about the four methods to save tomato seed. Read more now.
A bountiful harvest of tasty homegrown tomatoes is a treat that shouldn’t be missed. But sometimes plants need a helping hand. Don’t let bad weather or a lack of pollinators thwart your green thumb. Learn four easy ways to hand pollinate tomatoes and you’ll always enjoy an abundant crop. Read more now.
Indeterminate ‘Mortgage Lifter’ tomatoes grow tall and produce glorious, meaty fruits over a long period. They got their name from a 1930s mechanic, Radiator Charlie, who paid off his mortgage with the proceeds. These heirlooms won’t pay the bills, but they’re a priceless way to enjoy real tomato taste all summer long.
Three types of aggressive microbes can cause tomato blight. Early blight and Septoria blight are fungal diseases, while late blight is caused by a water mold. The symptoms of these diseases all differ slightly, and this guide will show you how to prevent, identify, and treat these insidious infections in your crop.
Excessively large green tomato buds that do not develop into flowers can be a sign that your plants are infected with tomato big bud phytoplasma. This disease is incurable, so your main focus should be on prevention. Read on to learn what to look for and how to prevent this disease from infecting your tomato plants.
Catfacing of tomatoes is a physiological disorder that causes deformities in the developing fruit, caused by stressful cultural conditions. Steps you can take to prevent this condition include planting resistant varieties and ensuring your plants are not subjected to cold weather. Read on to learn more about catface.
The flavor of homegrown tomatoes is an experience no one should miss. Even if you don’t have the real estate for a vegetable patch, you can still enjoy their rich taste with fast growing and prolific container plants on your deck or patio. Learn how to grow tomatoes in containers and pots with this guide. Read more now.
Sclerotinia stem rot, or white mold of tomato lives up to its name causing brittle dead stalks filled with fluffy white clumps of fungus. This disease frequently kills tomato plants, and the fungi can live in the soil for up to a decade. Read on to learn how to recognize the symptoms and prevent it from spreading.
Roma tomatoes are beloved for their thick-walled, meaty flesh and bold taste. They’re the go-to variety for rich tomato sauces, pastes, purees, and make a delicious, dripless bruschetta or salsa. And they’re easy to grow in containers or the garden. Find all our best tips for growing Roma tomatoes right here.
They’re colorful, juicy, and oh so tasty – we know an heirloom tomato when we see one. Heirloom tomatoes come in all shapes and sizes, have been grown in gardens for centuries, and often have charming histories attached to them. Want to know what makes these tomatoes worthy of handing down? To find out, keep reading.
Do you fancy the idea of picking tasty, tangy cherry tomatoes fresh from the vine? Easy to grow and vigorous, they produce an abundance of bite-sized fruit in an array of beautiful colors. Among the earliest to ripen, they deliver a long season as well. Get all the best tips for growing cherry tomatoes right here.
Freshly picked cherry tomatoes are the perfect healthy snack, and they’re great in salads or roasted on the grill. Easily cultivated, the vigorous plants produce abundant clusters of fruit in containers on the patio or out in the garden. Don’t miss our guide to 17 of the best cherry tomatoes to plant in your garden.
Picture a red tomato ripening on the vine, perfectly plump and juicy. One day, you notice a split down the side! Are all of your gardening efforts wasted? Take a look at what causes splitting, and most importantly, whether you can salvage your harvest and safely eat tomatoes that have split or cracked. Read more.
Whether or not to compost tomatoes is a controversial topic in the gardening world. Fears that composting tomatoes will encourage pathogens, create messes, and cause trouble the following season lead many gardeners to trash their plants. Read on to examine these concerns and learn how to safely compost tomato plants.
If you are thinking of planting tomatoes in your vegetable garden, have you tried growing non-hybrid heirloom varieties? Capture the texture, taste, and colors of the past with these old-fashioned favorites. Learn about 21 of the best heirloom tomato varieties available and choose your favorites. Read more now.
The fresh taste of juicy homegrown tomatoes is one of the joys of summer gardening. Whether you enjoy them tossed in a summer salad or cooked in a classic sauce, tomatoes are a must-have in the veggie garden. Learn how to plant and grow your own tasty tomatoes and enjoy the fresh taste of summer. Read more now.
Tomato plants are commonly infected by a fungus that manifests as spots shaped like bull’s-eyes on the leaves and fruit. Your plants are likely to have early blight, caused by the fungus Alternaria. This disease is not usually fatal, but it can ruin your harvest. Read on to learn how to manage this ubiquitous disease.
Whether you like your tomatoes raw, stewed, juiced, pureed, or transformed into a sauce, we can all agree that they’re amazing veggies. Tasty to eat and enjoyable to grow, they also offer incredible health benefits and contain essential vitamins and minerals. Learn the top 10 reasons to love tomatoes – read more now.
Wondering what the difference is between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes – and what this means for your garden? From staking and pruning to harvesting, these two types of tomato plants grow differently – and understanding their differences will guide you to the best tomato harvests. To learn more, keep reading.
Ripening tomatoes sometimes develop a dark, sunken spot at the blossom end, known as blossom-end rot. But this damage to your crop is not a sign of disease – it’s due to a lack of calcium in the fruit. Read on to learn about the measures you can take to keep your tomatoes safe from this physiological disorder.
Think tomatoes won’t thrive in clay soil? Here’s where we shatter that gardening myth. Even clay can’t stop a determined vegetable gardener from growing a bounty of tomatoes. The strategies for producing top yields and great flavor from tomatoes grown in heavy soil start with soil prep, and end at harvest. Read more.
It’s so sad when tomatoes won’t ripen on the vine. Stay one step ahead of the coming frost with these tips to make homegrown tomatoes turn red. Temperature, cultivar selection, and stress all come into play. And sometimes you can bring green fruit inside to ripen. Our motto: No tomato left behind. Read more now.
Do you like hot peppers? If you can stand the heat, why not try growing ghost peppers? Once thought to be the hottest pepper in the world, the bhut jolokia packs an almighty punch of flavor and adds sizzling heat to a variety of dishes. Learn how to plant and grow ghost peppers with these top tips. Read more now.
Want to grow tomatoes from seed? It’s easy to start these delicious summer vegetables from the comfort of home, and then transplant them to your garden. We explain when to start and what you’ll need, with step by step instructions. Learn how to start your own seeds and harvest a bumper crop of juicy ripe tomatoes now.
Want to grow your own canning tomatoes for year-round deliciousness? Heirloom or hybrid, huge or snack-sized, each of our favorite varieties has its own unique taste and texture. Discover 15 of the best tomatoes to grow and preserve and to fill your pantry with sauces and salsas to see you through the rest of the year.
Japanese eggplant is a delight on the plate and you can grow this veggie right in your own backyard. When choosing seeds, you’ll find an incredible selection, in shades that are dark black, bright purple, lavender, pink, and even green. Read on to discover 21 of the best Japanese and Asian eggplant varieties.
Looking for something unique that will really stand out in your veggie garden this year? These nine white eggplant varieties will glow as they grow. Usually less bitter than purple cultivars, white varieties come in different shapes and sizes. To learn more about these delicious white eggplant cultivars, keep reading.
From the teeniest, tiniest cherry all the way up to the biggest, beefiest tomato, hybrid tomatoes come in a range of shades, shapes, and sizes, meaning there’s a perfect option tickle everyone’s taste buds! Read on to find out which variety of hybrid tomato ‘pips’ your interest in our guide to the top tomato hybrids.
Splashy, vibrant ornamental peppers can add dazzling bursts of color and texture to the landscape. While they are technically edible, most people find them lacking in flavor or too spicy to enjoy – so why not add them to the garden just for show? Learn how to grow these brilliant beauties now.
Homegrown potatoes are delicious to eat, simple to plant, and easy to grow and store for several months once they’re out of the ground. Gardener’s Path shows you how to harvest and care for your spuds with this simple guide, including photos, long-term storage tips, and recipe recommendations.
Growing bell peppers in your own garden is beyond rewarding. Sweet yet savory, crunchy, and versatile, they’re delicious at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And the amazing varieties you get to choose from when you grow your own will motivate you to keep growing bell peppers year after year. Learn more on Gardener’s Path.
If you’ve grown tomatoes, you can grow tomatillos. The zippy green fruit — bearing an unusual, papery husk — is commonly used in Mexican cooking and has growing requirements similar to that of the tomato. Learn all about growing tomatillos now on Gardener’s Path.
Eggplant will win you over with its array of colors and versatility in the kitchen. Native to Asia and in cultivation for thousands of years, this long-season, heat-loving annual is now enjoyed all over the world. Read more now.
Spice up your meals with colorful homegrown hot peppers such as cayenne, jalapeño, and pequin, while making friends with your neighbors at the same time. Check out our complete planting and care guide for growing both mild and tongue-tingling chilies now at Gardener’s Path, and soon you’ll be picking your own peppers.
Is Southern Blight a real problem on tomato plants in your region? Read our tips that may assist you in stopping the blight from devastating your harvest.