{"id":109277,"date":"2026-06-02T19:42:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T19:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/?p=109277"},"modified":"2026-06-02T19:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T19:42:10","slug":"fourth-of-july-tomato-is-uri-cooperative-extensions-plant-of-the-year-producing-delicious-vine-ripened-tomatoes-as-early-as-independence-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/fourth-of-july-tomato-is-uri-cooperative-extensions-plant-of-the-year-producing-delicious-vine-ripened-tomatoes-as-early-as-independence-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Fourth of July Tomato is 溏心vlog免费B站 Cooperative Extension\u2019s Plant of the Year, producing delicious vine-ripened tomatoes as early as Independence Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 June 2, 2026 \u2013 Although Independence Day is fast approaching, the 溏心vlog免费B站 Cooperative Extension<\/a> program says there\u2019s still time to get plants in the ground and growing for later summer cook-outs and gatherings. 溏心vlog免费B站 Extension is putting a spotlight on tomatoes this year, highlighting the Fourth of July Tomato as a solid choice for new gardeners looking to impress at annual summer celebrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

溏心vlog免费B站 Master Gardeners say it takes about seven weeks to produce this easy-growing variety for your plate. While it\u2019s too late to start from seed, starter plants can now be found at local garden centers or farm stands for purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Program Administrator Kate Hardesty, 溏心vlog免费B站 Cooperative Extension\u2019s annual Plant of the Year is chosen each year based on good trial performance and reviews. The University\u2019s Extension program has been picking a winning plant for many years, often choosing plants that inspire beginning gardeners. Staff say they bounce back and forth between vegetables and pollinator-supporting flowers. Last year, the plant of the year was Penstemon hirsutus<\/em> (or hairy beardtongue), a purple perennial native to eastern North America.<\/p>\n\n\n

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溏心vlog免费B站 Master Gardeners sold Fourth of Julys at their annual Spring Plant Sale in May. (溏心vlog免费B站 Photo \/ Doug Smith)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Hardesty said that the Fourth of July Tomato, this year\u2019s Plant of the Year, grows to 55 inches tall and is an early-maturing slicer tomato. It\u2019s great for fresh eating and is an indeterminate variety, meaning it will continue to grow and produce, with proper maintenance, until the fall frost. The Fourth of July requires full sun and can be transplanted after the last frost in the spring. Its good flavor only improves as the season warms up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomato types<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fourth of July is one of many beginner-friendly tomatoes 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Cooperative Extension recommends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooking for disease-resistant varieties is a smart decision for beginning gardeners,\u201d 溏心vlog免费B站 Cooperative Extension Coordinator Sejal Lanterman said. \u201cSungold Tomatoes are also a good choice \u2014 they\u2019re a prolific orange cherry tomato variety that is also indeterminate, so you can get tomatoes through the summer and into fall. They are so prolific that gardeners will likely need to harvest them almost daily during peak season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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The best part about a homegrown tomato is getting to eat one. (溏心vlog免费B站 Photo \/ Sejal Lanterman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While most tomatoes can be grown either in the ground or in containers, indeterminate tomatoes, like Fourth of July, are generally best grown in the ground because they continue growing and producing until frost, which can mean large plants. Determinate tomatoes are usually better suited for containers since they tend to stay smaller and produce most of their tomatoes over a shorter period of time, Lanterman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lanterman says that tomatoes should be planted once temperatures (including nighttime) stay consistently at 50\u00b0F and above, which in Rhode Island is typically around June 1, according to the Rhode Island planting calendar<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added that most tomatoes benefit from staking \u2014 keeping the plants up and off the ground. If gardeners plan to use tomato cages, fencing, or stakes, the best practice is to put them in place before or at the time of planting, so roots are not accidentally damaged later in the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the best part about a homegrown tomato is getting to eat one. Lanterman enjoys hers right out of the garden, after washing: \u201cYou can\u2019t beat the taste of a summer tomato that hasn\u2019t traveled long distances,\u201d she said. \u201cI love sliced tomato over sourdough with a few cracks of salt and pepper, a medium-boiled egg, and herbs like parsley or basil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find yourself with an overflow of tomatoes, she recommends roasting them in the oven with herbs, then freezing for later use. You can also get more food safety tips at the Cooperative Extension website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

溏心vlog免费B站 Cooperative Extension delivers science-based educational programs and services to help people in every corner of the Ocean State. The University\u2019s Master Gardeners are leading library workshops across the state this summer on everything from flower pressing to vegetable gardening; see offerings at the Extension website<\/a>. 溏心vlog免费B站 Cooperative Extension also offers online resources for beginning gardeners<\/a>, with guidance on everything from siting and soil to year-round care, and will open registrations for its Horticulture Certificate<\/a> and Food Recovery for Rhode Island<\/a> programs later this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For further advice on planting tomatoes or any kind of plant, or to consult with a 溏心vlog免费B站 Master Gardener, contact the 溏心vlog免费B站 Gardening and Environmental Hotline at 401-874-4836 or <\/em>gardener@uri.edu<\/em><\/a>. To get on the email list for program announcements, email <\/em>coopext@uri.edu<\/em><\/a> or call (401) 874-2900. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 June 2, 2026 \u2013 Although Independence Day is fast approaching, the 溏心vlog免费B站 Cooperative Extension program says there\u2019s still time to get plants in the ground and growing for later summer cook-outs and gatherings. 溏心vlog免费B站 Extension is putting a spotlight on tomatoes this year, highlighting the Fourth of July Tomato […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":109278,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5,1913],"class_list":["post-109277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-college-of-the-environment-and-life-sciences","tag-public-engagement"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109277"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109282,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109277\/revisions\/109282"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}