People suffering from autoimmune issues are advised to refrain from eating nightshades altogether, but before making this change, it is advisable to consult with a nutritionist or doctor.
Tomatoes and eggplants (along with potatoes, yams, and peppers) belong to the Solanaceae family of plants; researchers continue to explore their resilience and evolutionary story.
How to Grow Tomatoes & Other Nightshade Vegetables
Tomatoes are one of the most beloved crops among home gardeners for good reason—these delicious fruits are easy to grow and offer high returns for each space they take up in a garden. Plus, tomatoes make tasty recipes such as salads, salsa, marinara sauce, and baba ganoush (eggplant dip). Furthermore, tomatoes are rich sources of vitamins C, K, A, and E, as well as potassium, making them an indispensable ingredient.
The tomato belongs to the Solanaceae family of plants, encompassing over 2,000 plant species. Members include annual and perennial herbs, shrubs, vines, lianas, epiphytes, and peppers; potatoes, tomatillos, eggplant bells, and chilli peppers are some of the more widely consumed edible nightshades belonging to this group. Alkaloids found within this family may cause gastrointestinal irritation for some individuals.
As with other vegetables, tomatoes require fertile, well-draining soil. Tomato plants are heavy feeders and benefit from regular fertilization if growing them successfully. If testing your soil isn’t an option, choose a fertilizer designed for vegetable growing and use it regularly to promote healthy growth and fruit production.
Another critical element in the success of any tomato garden is proper planting and spacing. Overcrowded tomato plants are vulnerable to diseases that prevent them from bearing ripe and healthy fruit, so make sure they’re two or three feet apart when spacing seeds buried about halfway up their stems, and water them regularly after that.
If planting bare-root tomato transplants, dig holes large enough for their roots and place them into the ground. Cover their root ball with a thin layer of mulch to conserve moisture and block weeds from competing with your crop for nutrients. When established, remove this mulch layer and water consistently. You may also prune indeterminate varieties to improve airflow and promote healthy growth if necessary, but only do so on determinate varieties, as pruning could interfere with their ripening process.
Soil Preparation
Tomatoes thrive best in well-draining, fertile soil that ranges from slightly acidic (6.0) to neutral (7.0.0) pH levels. Mixing organic matter such as compost, rotted manure, or shredded leaves and hay into clay soil prior to planting will improve drainage or help retain moisture levels in sandy soil. A soil test available through state extension services or commercial soil testing laboratories evaluates the soil’s nutrients and chemical makeup before offering specific recommendations on how it can be amended to create an optimal environment for tomatoes.
Mulch can help keep moisture levels consistent, reduce weed growth, and regulate soil temperatures. Tomato plants require moderate, frequent watering during their growing season to provide enough water for plant and fruit development without overwatering, which can cause blossom end rot (due to calcium deficiency) and cracking of skin and fruit. An even water supply also reduces stress and wilting, which reduces harvestable fruit yields.
When temperatures are warm, water deeply at least once every week and even more frequently during dry spells to help encourage deeper roots that will ultimately resist disease. Watering the base rather than foliage helps avoid splashback that could spread fungal diseases such as blight. Also, consider adding layers of straw or clean organic material into your planting hole to increase airflow and reduce fungal problems.
Fertilize regularly using liquid or granular plant food explicitly tailored for vegetables, such as Miracle-Gro(r), Shake ‘n Feed(r), Tomato, Fruit & Vegetable Plant Food. When fertilizing tomatoes, follow the recommendations from your soil test or package instructions; providing constant nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium sources is vital to their health and production.
Pests, like stink bugs, hornworms, and leaf-footed beetles, can damage or ripen nightshade crops like tomatoes. When pests appear, pick them off immediately or spray them with neem oil or insecticidal soap for control.
Planting
Many people avoid nightshades out of fear that solanine, an alkaloid which can be toxic in high doses and cause inflammation, could wreak havoc in their bodies. But research doesn’t back this theory up; nightshades should instead be seen as part of a balanced diet as an integral source of nutrition – “some may be difficult to digest, but overall they can be extremely beneficial,” according to Cristina Montoya, a registered dietitian who lives with both rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren’s syndrome.
Tomatoes provide an abundance of potassium, vitamin C, vitamins K and E and the antioxidant lycopene, which studies suggest can help protect against cardiovascular disease. They’re also an excellent source of fibre, which aids digestion and are packed full of folate and other essential vitamins and minerals.
Growing tomatoes requires consistent watering, fertilizer application, pruning or training and pest control measures. You should plant tomatoes 6-8 weeks before your last frost date and space the plants three to four feet apart, depending on the size of your tomato cage, for proper growth. To promote optimal results when planting your seeds, incorporate continuous-release vegetable food containing calcium, such as Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules, into the soil at planting time – continue feeding regularly throughout the season as directed so you don’t risk blossom end rot, which occurs when plants don’t receive sufficient calcium from their source.
Mulching around the base of a plant to improve air circulation and decrease disease risks can help retain moisture, thus reducing watering needs. If planting in containers, water regularly and often during hotter summer days.
Among the nightshade vegetables, zucchini and okra are Erroneously included among the Cucurbitaceae family, along with squash and pumpkins. Actual peppers belong to the Capsicum Genus in South Asia and predate tomatoes by millennia.
Harvesting
Tomatoes are integral to summer meals, from topping burgers and grilling them to simmering them into soup. Their peak harvest months range from July through September, and growing enough tomatoes for households or farmers’ markets is easy. When selling tomatoes commercially, you need to remember a few key points.
Tomato plants tend to produce more fruit than we can consume quickly, so you must figure out how best to manage the surplus. Harvested tomatoes should be refrigerated; unripened ones should either be frozen for later consumption or wrapped in paper for gradual indoor ripening. If there are many green tomatoes on your plant, remove their stems and place them in a paper bag to redirect their energy towards ripening more quickly.
Consider carefully how you will protect your tomato crop from sudden frosts in the South, especially during nights with chillier temperatures. A tarp or old sheets can help safeguard the plants overnight, and they can be removed in the morning before covering them with tunnel, cold frame, or greenhouse protections for more comprehensive coverage.
Though nightshades do not pose any direct health threats to healthy individuals, some nutritionists and medical professionals recommend that certain groups do so for good reason. They note that their glycoalkaloid solanine content can contribute to inflammation within the gut, leaky gut syndrome and other autoimmune conditions that might develop from such exposure.
Crop rotation and avoidance of repeat planting are the best ways to protect your tomato harvest from pathogens. Saving tomato seeds is not reliable; open-pollinated or heirloom varieties offer more reliable seeds, yielding fruits that closely reflect their parent plants.