Early Girls are one of the most popular supermarket or backyard vegetable garden varieties of tomato in the U.S. This indeterminate variety yields fruit the size of a tennis ball, and visually resembles the “standard” tomato that most people can identify. Early Girls are everbearing, and quite easy to cultivate.
They rose to prominence in the United States after researchers from the Center of Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at the University of California Santa Cruz discovered the cultivar’s affinity for “dryland farming”. This approach to agriculture, focuses on methods that restrict water availability, promoting the formation of strong root systems. This technique results in smaller, more intensely flavored tomatoes, which makes this variety in high demand as a San Francisco favorite.
Best Soil for Growing Early Girl Tomatoes
Early Girl tomato plants thrive in enriched, cultivated soil. While they prefer slightly acidic soils, a pH of 6.5-7.5 is perfectly acceptable. These plants benefit from an enriched soil as this variety’s rapid growth entails a high rate of nutritive consumption. Often, the speed at which these plants grow outstrips available nutrients, leading to unbalanced growth. Fertilization during their short growing season is sometimes lacking.
Proper Care of Early Girl Tomatoes
Early Girl plants do not require much maintenance after they are established. Be sure to provide robust stakes or tomato cages as they can grow quite large, reaching heights of 9 feet and bearing heavy, fruit-laden limbs. It is also helpful to prune by removing the overcrowded tomatoes to help achieve bigger tomato growth, leading to increased production.
Watering soaker hoses and similar devices use provides moisture directly to the plant, which reduces decay as well as enhances root development. Early Girls possess good disease resistance. They offer effective protection from the majority of tomato pests and diseases, thus making them easy to grow organically — even if the variety is patented by Monsanto.
When to Harvest Early Girls
Tomatoes will be ready to harvest in approximately 50 days after planting. Ripe specimens are characterized by bright red coloration. To maximize harvesting, it’s advisable to collect them just prior to total ripeness. This is especially important because should they become overly soft, they lose their visual appeal. Early Girl tomatoes are temperamental; a careless gardener can render them overripe very quickly, as they transition from green to red in days, or even hours.
Early Girl Tomato Pests and Diseases
Very few natural enemies impact Early Girl hybrids, which were created with an emphasis on rapid maturity and high yield as well as resistance to diseases. Due to their short growing season, many pests tend to be inactive early in the gardening season, which works in favor of the Early Girl.
How to Prepare Early Girl Tomatoes
Early girls can be used for everything from salads to salsas. Their versatility makes them a great selection. However, they tend to be on the softer side compared to other types, so they do not pick up well when baked, fried, or pickled.
Tips for Growing Early Girl Tomatoes
The first piece of advice is to prepare excellent soil for the region. This will help for rapid growth and high productivity. In addition, the Early Girl tomatoes are low-maintenance and do well in containers, the ground or raised beds. They are ideal for home gardeners because they are small, shapely with great productivity for their size which make them suited for kitchen gardens and porches.