Tomato production in the 21st century

Tomato are one of the most popular vegetables worldwide.

In the 21st century, tomato consumption worldwide has increased enormously. Tomato has become one of the most common foods in the diets of all modern countries. The taste and texture of this food is of a unique type and, although for most of us it is the main ally for the preparation of sauces, pizza and salads, it is also used in numerous international dishes.

Life expectancy in the 21st century is much longer than in the past.

This has changed people’s diets and the foods demanded are of better quality for better results. Tomato is one of the best foods to meet the requirement of people. It is a source of nutrients like vitamin A, protein, vitamins B and C, minerals like iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and folic acid. Tomato is rich in antioxidants, which help fight oxidative stress that cells are exposed to on a daily basis.  In addition, tomatoes are low in calories, fat and cholesterol. This makes it one of the healthiest foods to consume on a daily basis, as it helps keep your energy levels at a constant level.

Another of the qualities of tomato consumption is the ease of storage.

preparation and preservation. You can enjoy fresh tomatoes for several weeks or freeze them to preserve them for a longer period of time. The variety of ways to use it also makes it very pleasant to cook and enjoy. For example, tomatoes can be used to prepare pastas, soups, salads, pizzas and many other dishes.  They are also an important part of many foods because they are a complete source of vitamin C. This vitamin is good for health because it helps strengthen the immune system. In addition, tomato consumption can prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases, as it helps regulate cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of strokes.

health because it helps strengthen the immune system.

In addition, tomato consumption can prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases, as it helps regulate cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of strokes.

It is important, however, not to overdo it, as too much tomato can be detrimental to health. However, moderate tomato consumption as part of a balanced diet is highly recommended.  The tomato has become a key food for the 21st century. It is rich in nutrients and extremely healthy when consumed as part of a balanced diet. In addition, it is easy to store, prepare and preserve and a wide variety of tomato-based dishes can be enjoyed. Tomato consumption is a good choice for maintaining good health and a nutritious diet.

Tomatoes have an acidic flavor, a fibrous texture and a deep red color. These characteristics make tomatoes a key component in many foods.

  • Vine tomatoes: These fruits are near maturity when harvested. They are also called garden tomatoes, which are the healthiest and most nutrient-rich tomatoes. These tomatoes retain a firm structure when cooked.
  • Canned tomatoes: They have become a staple ingredient for many recipes. These fruits are usually ripened in a heating process before being canned and preserved in a solution. These fruits are rich in flavor and texture and are much easier to prepare. Many people use them in pastas, soups and sauces.
  • Watery tomatoes: Sn common, but do not have the same flavor quality as the other types of tomatoes. These tomatoes are characterized by their watery texture, which makes them less attractive for cooking. Watery tomatoes are commonly used as ingredients for prepared foods.

Cherry tomatoes:

  • These fruits have a sweet taste and help to add a touch of flavor to dishes. These tomatoes are not always used in cooking, but are a great way to add a unique touch to a dish
  • Dried tomatoes: These fruits are rich and flavorful and are characterized by their crunchy texture. Dried tomatoes are an excellent alternative to add a touch of sweet and salty flavor to food.
  • Parsley Tomatoes: These fruits have a deep flavor and are not very common in home kitchens but are widely used in commercial production. These tomatoes have a sour and salty flavor, due to their heavy cream content.

Health benefits of tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the fruits that offer the greatest number of benefits to our organism, ranging from improving health and cardiovascular performance to preventing diseases and providing antioxidants. There are nutritional properties and therapeutic properties thanks to its unique plant pigments. This vegetable has some specific healing powers.  On the one hand, tomato is rich in essential minerals, Vitamins A, B, C and E. It provides large amounts of potassium and magnesium, necessary for our body to carry out basic processes such as blood pressure regulation, red blood cell production and energy production. It is also an excellent source of fiber, necessary to improve digestion and reduce inflammation.

tomatoes are an excellent antioxidant.

thanks to carotenoids, known as lycopene, which protect the body from diseases such as cancer, premature aging and inflammation. These carotenoids are also found in some vegetable oils such as sunflower and corn. Tomatoes also help prevent cardiovascular diseases, as they reduce bad cholesterol, and prevent atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.

it is good to know that tomatoes are good for reducing iron deficiency anemia.

Its vitamin C content improves the iron content in our body and provides more oxygen to the tissues. It is also an excellent food to avoid urinary problems. Tomato juice contains phytochemicals, antioxidants and antibacterial agents that help prevent bladder and kidney infections.  A regular serving of tomatoes is necessary to stimulate the immune system, prevent infectious diseases and prevent oxidative damage to the body. These fruits also contain a large amount of water, which helps to improve hydration and proper nutrition. In addition, thanks to its high content of B vitamins, tomatoes promote energy production and stimulate performance in sports and physical activities.

For all these reasons, it is clear that tomatoes offer multiple benefits for health and physical performance. Adding this fruit to the daily diet is an effective way to maintain our health and avoid chronic diseases. This berry contains a high nutritional content, natural antioxidants and many other essential nutrients for our body. Incorporating tomatoes in the diet is an excellent way to achieve good health, physical activity and metabolic efficiency.

Use Trellising Net and Save Your Tomatoes

Here’s how you can improve production and increase usable space using trellising net!

One of the effective and long practiced gardening techniques which not only keeps your plants off the ground, but also helps in improving production as well as increasing your garden space is trellising fruits and vegetables using trellising net. It is quite helpful in protecting your harvest, especially tomatoes from rotting. There are a lot of trellising options available; however, the trick is to figure out and build the most practical one based on your requirement.

Trellising Net
Using the lattice network is the technique that brings more benefits such as increasing the garden space and improving crop production.

Trellising Tomatoes

Majority of the tomato varieties are seen to benefit from the strong support provided by tomato trellis. The best way to keep these unruly plants in order however depends on the tomato variety that you have at your end and its growth patterns.

If you have the determinate tomatoes variety, which grow to a fixed size and the fruit ripens in a short span of time, they will benefit if you give them a little boost off the ground using tomato stakes or cages. The indeterminate variety of tomatoes grows the entire season till the plant is eventually killed by frost. This variety of tomatoes thrives well on a trellis system.

Tutoring Tomatoes
It is recommended to verify what variety of tomato is being cultivated so that they are benefited by the tomato lattice.

How to Stake Tomatoes

  • In order to stake tomatoes, you should use metal posts or wooden stakes of around one inch. However, avoid using treated wood. Select stakes which are at least 4 feet in height for your determinate variety of tomatoes. For your indeterminate variety of tomatoes, you may use stakes of around 5-7 feet tall.
  • You must set the tomatoes at around 2-3 feet apart and stake them when your plants are still young.
  • You should drive the post at least around one foot into the soil at approximately 3-4 inches away from the tomato plant.
  • Then you need to tie the plant loosely to the stake using sections of ribbon, old nylons, or soft twine. Later in the season, you may have to bind the branches if they become unruly. But at the initial stage, you should tie it loose so that you do not end up bruising the young stems.

While trellising your tomatoes may seem like a lot of work, the final outcome is worth the effort for sure.

The indeterminate variety of tomatoes often reaches great heights in warmer climates, thereby making them unmanageable. When you do trellising using trellising net, it controls the branches and allows sunlight to penetrate through them to reach the plant and keep the fruits clean. Additionally, trellising helps you to plant closer thereby effectively using space.

Tomato plant with espalier mesh
To give extra support to the cultivation of tomato plants it is recommended to place wooden stakes or metal poles.

One of the Simplest Trellising System

One of the simplest trellising systems is done by using uprights which are fastened together with the help of a top support bar in the following manner:

  • You need to drop the garden twine from the horizontal support and then stake it next to every plant, so that the tomatoes are able to take the help of the string for support.
  • The climate of your area determines how large your tomato plants are going to grow. However, you may use 2”X2” wooden stakes of around 6-8 inches in height for your uprights.
  • Sharpen the uprights at the bottom and then drive them at least one to two feet into the ground at around 5 feet apart. The deeper you drive the uprights the better it is for the plant.
  • The next step is to place a 2”X2” horizontal bar across the top. Screw this to the upright. You may pre-drill a small hole in each of the upright in order to prevent them from splitting.
  • Now attach a garden twine above each plant by setting it roughly at around one foot apart. Keep the string loose and you must stake it next to every plant.
  • As the tomato plants grow, you should loop the string around the branches or lightly tie the plant to the vertical twine.
  • Pruning your determinate tomato variety isn’t a necessity. However, if you remove the extra shoots it will improve your tomato production.
  • The indeterminate variety of tomatoes needs more guidance. You should improve the main stem by removing the suckers from the side and maintain the side branches to reach a productive length. If the tomato plant outgrows the trellis, you can pinch off the main stem above the flowers.

The benefits of using trellising net are not just limited to tomatoes. You can also train your other crops to grow vertically as against allowing them to sprawl all over your garden. This not only keeps your produce off the ground but it also allows your plant to grow in a relatively smaller area.

Field of tomato plant
The benefits that are obtained when using the lattice network is not only for tomatoes it can also be used for other crops.

A lot of people do not think about training their other vegetables and fruits such as zucchini, small melons, or cucumbers to grow using a trellising net. However, they find it later quite disappointing when they locate a rotten fruit at the bottom where it sat on the ground. If you elevate the fruit well above the ground, it will prevent them from decaying and also make harvesting and weeding a tad easier.

While the initial effort of trellising your vegetables or fruits may seem like a lot of effort, especially when you are busy with your other farming chores in spring, but the harvesting time comes, you will be glad that you took the pains.