Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum is the botanical name of the tomato, a fruit from South America. It is within the nightshade family and its fruit is useful for its methods of consuming it. The fruit is known to be in debate for whether it is a fruit or a vegetable.

In temperate climates, the tomato is an annual plant but can grow as a perennial under the correct situations. Often, due to its weak stem and how high it grows, tomatoes are often given support to grow upwards but naturally it sprawls across the ground and climbs others plants.

Full sun and consistent moisture is needed, with regular feeding from fertilizer being a great help to help develop the plant and its fruit. Mulching is useful as it helps to prevent evaporation of water and as a method to prevent weeds from growing.

As the tomato plant grows, the leaves lower down on the plant shall yellow and eventually die. When the lower leaves yellow, it is best to remove the leaves to allow the plant to give energy elsewhere rather to dying leaves.

Inspecting the plants on a regular basis allows to spot dying leaves quickly and to check if there are pests which can cause havoc on the fruit. Pollinating is typically left to bees, but can be done by gently and carefully putting a finger into each flower.