#CBGtomatotalk

May 16 – September 30

Welcome to Tomato Talk, where we’ll talk tomatoes all season long.

Beginning May 16, we’ll have weekly tomato-growing updates on this page every Tuesday. Take part in the conversation with your questions on the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Facebook page with growing tips, fun facts, recipes, and more (use #CBGtomatotalk). Whether you’re a tomato expert or just getting started, there’s something here for you.

Join us as we follow this May’s tomato plant give-away, Fred’s Tie-Dye (Solanum lycopersicum 'Fred’s Tie-Dye') throughout the season. We’ll be growing it in the Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden’s raised beds, and a few brave staff will be doing the same at home and sharing their gardening trials, tribulations, and successes.

Fred’s Tie-Dye is not your everyday tomato, and you likely won’t find it at your local nursery or garden center. It’s a selection from the Dwarf Tomato Project started in 2006 by tomato expert and author Craig LeHoullier and gardening friend Patrina Nuske Small of Australia. They crossbred a number of heirloom tomato varieties with known dwarf tomato varieties to provide the starting point for an array of new, stable, open-pollinated (non-hybrid) dwarf growing tomato varieties. It’s unique—and tasty, too.

How does your garden grow?

Share your tomato triumphs and challenges on the Garden’s Facebook page:

• Post photos of the tomatoes in your garden
• Tell your secrets for raising healthy tomato plants
• Share your favorite tomato recipes
• Trade tips on supporting tomato vines
• Report back on how Fred’s Tie-Dye grows for you—we really want to know.