Inspired by Gramma Kate

By Kristen Hannum –
I remember trying my Gramma Kate’s tomatoes for the first time. They were fruity and juicy and served Southern style: sliced and sprinkled with salt, pepper and sugar. She lived in the South, burying her daily coffee grounds and eggshells every morning, a composting technique that does not work in Colorado. But she also planted tomatoes with marigolds and garlic to keep the bugs away, a technique that does work in Colorado.

Beyond garlic and marigolds, here are a variety of other tomato-growing tips for Colorado gardeners.

First, many gardeners swear by growing basil and tomatoes near one another, because each improves the flavor of the other.

Tomatoes work well in containers, which is beneficial for those with physical restraints or a lack of yard space. Laurie Reiser of Grand Junction grows tomatoes despite disabilities that confine her to a wheelchair. She puts them in accessible containers. “You just need to know what the fully mature size of the plant will be and put it in something big enough,” she says.

If you never grew an heirloom tomato before, give them a try this year. Reiser’s tomatoes come from all over the world.

Keep track of your tomatoes. Create a visual gardening journal that serves as a reminder of what you grew in the past, what works and what doesn’t.

Jodi Westcott, a master gardener who volunteers at Denver Botanic Gardens, agrees that a gardening journal is a good idea, but warns that if you just write down what and where you planted without clear notes on what went right and wrong, it’s not going to help much.

Even if you have a “black thumb,” Westcott suggests growing Super Sweet 100, a hybrid cherry tomato. They’re delicious, hardy and disease-resistant.

Wescott also urges gardeners to try red mulch film. Developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Clemson University, this stuff comes in rolls, like black plastic ground cover, but it’s red and shot through with micro perforations to allow water and air to reach the soil. The red color reflects infrared light back up at the tomato plant, which then grows faster and produces more tomatoes.

Try using red tomato trays. The reusable slotted platters close around a hole in the center for the tomato’s stem. Tomato Crater, a tomato tray dealer, claims its reusable two-piece design will “protect and greatly enhance tomatoes.”

Regardless of what tips or tricks you use to grow your tomatoes, come August, September and October, I suggest you stack those slices of tomato with fresh mozzarella and drizzle them with olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Slip in a touch of sugar, too, as a nostalgic salute to my Gramma Kate.