Tomato: Marmande
‘Buy Now’ (future link to seed product page; use ‘coming soon’ page for now)
KEY
Annual | 7-14 day | March to May | ~70 days
ABOUT
Well-recognized in Europe, the Marmande VR traces back to the 19th century from the French town it is named after. This hefty, full-flavored and productive tomato is a classic among the beefsteak varieties. It is identifiable by its large, irregular shape and slight pinkish hue.
SOWING & PLANTING
🌱 Soil Type: Parsley grows best in clay soil.
☀️ Sunlight: Tomato plants should up to eight hours of direct sunlight everyday. If growing indoors, it is advised to place in a south-facing window where full sun stays for most of the day.
💚 Care Tip! Do not water during direct sunlight as this can burn foliage. Instead, water in late-afternoon or evening, but not too late as you risk exposing your plants to mildew if the foliage stays wet throughout the evening.
Indoors:
Sow 6-8 weeks before the last frost in spring, usually in February. Place seeds into ¼ to 1 inches of starting soil, keeping soil moist at 21 Celsius.
Prior to planting outdoors, accustom young plants to outdoor conditions.
🌱 Let sow for 7 to 10 days before moving to a bigger pot or outdoors.
Outdoors:
Sow in mid- to late March or April, or when outdoor temperatures are consistently 15 Celsius. In seedbeds, place seeds into ½ to 1 inch of soil.
For both indoor and outdoor sowing, seedlings will emerge within 7 to 14 days.
💡 Tip! If you are growing in small cells, like our biodegradable pots, it is advised to transplant seedlings when they grow around 3 to 4 inches tall.
For more information about sowing your vegetables, click here! (coming soon)
Learn more about planting and transplanting your vegetables here! (coming soon)
💚 Care Tip! It is recommended to use a water reserve underneath either clay or fabric pot as this will help evaporate any excess moisture if overwatered.
GROWING & CARE
💧 Water at least 3 times deeply throughout the week
Whether indoors or outdoors, tomatoes enjoy cool, light soil that warms up quickly in full sun, as well as regular, unchanging moisture. When the plant grows to 8 inches it will likely require support. Either stake or string up the plant to help it grow.
Indoors:
Indoor climates are warm enough to support the full lifecycle of the tomato plant - and in some cases extend its life than those planted outdoors. An indoor tomato plant will require around 8 hours of sunlight per day and a surrounding temperature around 20C (70F).
The best spot to grow indoors is either by a window or near a screen door. If you are worried your plant will not get enough sunlight consider purchasing grow lights.
Water when the soil dries, ensuring the plant is nourished lightly every few weeks with organic fertilizer. Ensure that the plant is transplanted to a bigger pot when it outgrows its current one.
💚 Care Tip! Outdoors, tomato plants are pollinated by bees and birds, helping them develop fruit. To stimulate this indoors, once flowers bloom, tap the stems lightly each day with a small utensil like a cotton swab to spread pollen.
Outdoors:
If grown in pots outdoors, the guidance is more or less the same for indoor plants. However, if sown directly into open soil, mulching is advised.
To find out more about mulching, read here (coming soon)
Tomatoes enjoy cool, lightly mulched soil that can warm up fast as well as regular, unchanging moisture that preserves humidity. Mulched soil produces stronger and healthier roots for the tomato plants that can withstand conditions outdoors.
Ensure the tomato plant is well-watered during the growing season, especially when dry. It is recommended to use a drip or trickle system that delivers low pressure water to the soil.
Check frequently and remove weeds during the growing season as they compete with the plant for space, water and nutrients. This can be done by either regularly removing or using mulched soil to prevent weed seeds from germinating.
Whether grown indoors or outdoors, it is recommended to plant alongside or close to basil, beans or parsley, as they repel pests. These three vegetable and herb varieties are also contained in the Kitchen Garden Starterpack (product link)!
💚 Care Tip! Remove ‘side shoots’ (otherwise known as “suckers”) that grow out from the leaf axils. If you are using a support system such as stakes, gardeners generally snap off these sides. If grown in cages, side shoots are generally left on. However, it is a good idea to pinch the tip out when they are 6 to 8 inches long.
💚 Care Tip! To improve air circulation and to reduce the spread of diseases such as early blight, remove all the growth from the bottom 6 to 10 inches of the plant.
COMPANION VARIETIES
spinach; carrot; lettuce; sweet potato
HARVESTING
💚 Care Tip! Pick tomatoes by twisting them off near the stem
Tomato varieties like the Marmande VR usually take 60 to 80 days to harvest, whether located indoors or outdoors. It is important to harvest before they are fully ripe and red. Instead, pick when fully-colored green and firm. This also prevents the plant from being overloaded and allows longer and more productive harvests.
At the end of the season, when you know there will be a frost, pick all the almost-ripe tomatoes you can, and ripen them in brown bags or spread on newspapers at room temperature. Store only sound fruit at 10 to 15 celsius, do not refrigerate and avoid having the fruit touch each other.
❗ Remember! The foliage of tomatoes is toxic and should not be eaten.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Tomatoes are widely known for their outstanding antioxidant content, notably their amount of the lycopene, which has been studied in connection with cancer prevention. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, contain good amounts of vitamins A and B, and are a good source of calcium and iron.
RECIPES
Tomatoes are enjoyed in many cooked and uncooked dishes, as well as flavouring. Use them to make soups, sauces, strews, ketchup, paste, juice, quiche, pies, curries, casseroles and chutneys. In the future, we will link our favourite recipes here!
