Do Botanists Refer to Plant Seeds as Babies

Tomatoes are small red berries that are high in lycopene content and are recommended by doctors to be included in a healthy and balanced diet.

Tomatoes are good for your health as they have good nutritional value in terms of antioxidants. Tomato leaves are poisonous, but the poison level is not to such an extent that it creates a problem if consumed.

Tomato plants, Solanum lycopersicum, belong to the genus Solanum and the family Solanaceae, or nightshade. Planting tomato seeds is easy and they can be grown in a house plant pot. Tomato plants have several varieties all over the world, and the fruit is enjoyed due to its enhanced flavor quality along with its nutrients. Tomatoes are often confused as vegetables as they are grown among other vegetables, but they are actually considered as fruits, as proven botanically. Young tomato plants can be seen all year, especially during the summer months.

They are high in vitamin C and lycopene. They are often eaten in salads and many different packed foods are prepared with tomatoes, such as tomato sauce, puree, and dried tomatoes. If you think that young tomato plants in your garden are not growing, then it means that they might have been infected with hornworms or do not have the proper environment like sunlight, not being watered properly, and due to cold temperatures. So, tomato plants need protection and a proper environment in which to grow.

Types Of Tomato Plants

There are 10,000-15,000 tomato varieties found around the world!

Although there are a wide variety of tomatoes available in the world, as you might be aware, they differ in size, shape, and color, such as yellow tomatoes, green tomatoes, and red tomatoes. On the basis of shape and size, there are seven well-recognized types of tomatoes: grape tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, green tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and vine tomatoes.

There are many tomato varieties, but these seven types of tomatoes are widely recognized. Early-season tomatoes are early cascade, quick pick, and early girl, while mid-season tomatoes are champion and mountain spring. Early-season tomatoes grow in less than eight weeks, while mid-season tomatoes grow in two to three months. The late-season tomatoes called celebrity, beefsteak, and supersonic take up to three months.

Characteristics Of Tomato Plants

The most common characteristic of tomato plants is that they have green leaves with fragile steam when they are young.

Some tomato plants are tall, while others are small. The height of a tomato plant varies from 3–10 ft (1–3 m). The tall tomatoes are called vining tomatoes, while the ones that are short are referred to as bush tomatoes. Pinnate leaves are found in tomato plants, and each petiole contains five to nine small leaflets.

The flowers of the plant are yellow in color, which might even vary depending on the type of tomato plant. The flowers are 0.8 in (2 cm) wide and in a small bunch. The tomato plants' leaves have small soft hairs with a length of 18 in (45 cm), which is the general length observed in most of the plant leaves of this species.

The tomato plant's fruit ranges in size. The shape of tomatoes also varies. They can be oval, spherical, or shaped like a pear. If you cut the tomato, you may find two parts with small seeds in a jelly-like pulp.

The tomato plant, when it was found, was in the category of creeper plants, but later it shifted to climbers. The tomato plant's smell also varies, as the smell can be sweet, spicy, or earthy. If the tomato has begun to rot and emits a strong spicy odor, it should be avoided because it may cause stomach problems, such as food poisoning.

How often does a tomato plant bear fruit?

It depends on the type of tomato plant, whether it is an indeterminate species of tomato plant or a determinate species of tomato plant.

During the tomato growing season, the whole plant of tomato is known to bear fruit. These types of tomato plants will generally be preferred by those who want tomato cultivation throughout the growing season. Most of the indeterminate plants are the vining varieties, which grow up to a height of 6–10 ft (1.8–3 m) and need support to stand firmly.

Determinate tomato plants are bush types of plants that do not grow tall and can be up to a height of 4-5 ft (1.2–1.5 m). The young plants of this type are known to bear fruit once a year and are generally preferred by people only when they feel the need to stock the tomatoes for cooking different dishes. On a general basis, tomatoes are perennial plant species if kept under proper weather conditions.

How long does a tomato plant live?

Tomatoes are perennial plants, which means these tomato plants can live more than a year if they are provided with proper weather conditions and a temperate environment.

Yes, tomatoes are perennial, but that does not mean that all the varieties of tomatoes live more than a year. There are tomato plants that live for less than a year, such as determinate tomato plants. Tomatoes are such species of plants that mostly rely on their environment, such as frost, which can kill the tomato plant's leaves along with its fruit.

From tomato plant seeds to a fully grown young plant, time varies for each of its types. Some tomato plants take less than two months, while some take three months. So, the time frame might vary from 40-90 days. If the seeds of tomato plants were planted inside the house, it might take more time to grow, almost six more weeks.

Softball cherry tomatoes will reach maturity in a 48-days time period. Brandywine tomatoes take up to 90-100 days. For determinate tomato plants, farmers need to buy the seeds annually, while the concept is the opposite for indeterminate plants until worms, cold, or frost affect them naturally.

To provide tomatoes with a good environment, almost 14-18 hours of time is required, and frost makes them more fragile, weakening their ability to grow and survive. The pH of the environment should be 6-7, in a warm climatic condition. Though tomatoes are fruit, they are often confused with vegetables.

Do Botanists Refer to Plant Seeds as Babies

Source: https://kidadl.com/fun-facts/tomato-plants-facts-for-the-budding-botanist-in-you

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