12 tips for growing and eating home grown tomatoes

Carolyn Saft Contributor It is officially Spring, and the warm days are enticing us to start our vegetable gardens. The thought of slicing a vine-ripe tomato for my favorite sandwich has me itching to start planting. Be careful, though; Mother Nature can send frost our way all the way up to Easter. If you plant early, be prepared to protect your plants from a late frost. The following tips may help you grow a bountiful harvest: Select seeds and transplants based on varieties that perform well in Florida. For tomato varieties that yield well in North Florida, check out our Florida Vegetable Gardening guide at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/VH021. Decide which type of toma