When to harvest the first tomatoes?

In the vegetable garden, tomato cultivation is one of the most widespread. Its freshness and taste make this vegetable a source of vitamins appreciated by the whole family. Harvesting the tomato is just as important as sowing. Indeed, it is the culmination of several months of cultivation. In this article, I give you my advice for successfully harvesting your first tomatoes as quickly as possible!

Prefer early tomatoes

Although the tomato is a summer vegetable, the harvest time may differ depending on the variety. Indeed, the precocity of a tomato, and therefore the time of its harvest, is directly linked to the variety of the plant. There are a large number of such as the Rose de Berne tomato or the red cherry tomato. These varieties give fruit from July or even June provided the seeds are sown at the beginning of March. To find out more, you can discover our . This tool will help you plant your seeds at the right time. Other, later varieties of tomatoes allow the harvest to be spread out until the end of autumn. These include the so-called Russian and Pineapple tomato varieties.

Beyond the variety of the tomato, the other factor that influences the harvest period of the first fruits is the cultivation method. Indeed, we distinguish in particular between cultivation in open ground and cultivation in greenhouses. Growing tomato plants in open ground requires relatively late planting. To avoid the frost period linked to the ice saints, tomatoes can only be planted from mid-May. 

Conversely, growing in a greenhouse allows you to plant your crops much earlier. Thus, this method of cultivation gives you the possibility of harvesting your first tomatoes in spring without fear of late frosts. However, growing in a greenhouse requires investing in quality equipment in order to respect the correct in particular. Here is a small photo of my glass greenhouse; an investment that is certainly expensive, but which I absolutely do not regret since I easily earn two months of harvest per year. 

Like all garden vegetables, . These can affect the health of plants if they are not treated. When doing permaculture, it is advisable to favor natural products for the treatment of diseases. The appearance of black spots on the fruits indicates the presence of alternaria. Spraying the plants with a garlic decoction is a good way to get rid of this disease. Powdery mildew is characterized by the appearance of white spots on the foliage of tomato plants. To prevent the spread of this disease, you can remove affected leaves and burn them. To prevent the arrival of powdery mildew, you can spray horsetail decoction on your plants. Finally, to treat mildew effectively, I advise you to use nettle manure. This solution is very effective in boosting the growth of plants and preventing the appearance of mildew.