How To Grow Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables to grow not only because they are delicious and fun to grow but also because they are relatively simple and inexpensive to grow. However, tomatoes, like any other plant, do have their oddities but if you follow the helpful tips below then you shouldn't have any trouble and you’ll more than likely end up with a nice bunch of tomatoes before the growing season is over.

The best way to start tomatoes plants is indoors because then you’ll have the control you need to decide when to take them out of doors and plant them in your garden but you can always buy young tomatoes plants from a local nursery or garden store just make sure that if you do buy young plants you do it after the last expected frost has passed. You want to make sure that you choose healthy plants to begin with and look for any signs of disease or fungus before you purchase any of them.

Once you’ve got your tomato plants home find a good place to plant them that has full sun and is protected from any cold winds or breezes that might harm them. It’s also good to prepare your soil with plenty of compost and rich organic matter and you can even put some crushed eggshells in there for calcium purposes. Make sure that you don’t plant your tomatoes before you’ve hardened them off by giving them some time outside to adjust to being in the sun otherwise you’ll send them into shock and they may not live.

Plant your tomato plants at least a foot apart depending on the type of plant (you can check the package for this type of information) and plant young plants deeply - at least up the the third or fourth branch from the top because tomato plants actually have the ability to develop roots all the way up their stem. This is also the time to do any defense against bugs or disease that you feel might be a good idea .

If you’re in a place where the weather is still getting cool then be sure to use cloches or row covers to protect your plants from harsh weather and to make sure that other insects don’t get to them as well. You can also use things like cutworm colors and snail bait to prevent any damage from happening to your little tomatoes while they are still young.

Make sure that your tomato plants get at least one or two inches of water every week and spray them with a compost tea or a seaweed extract a few times during the course of their growth. It’s best to do this spray at big growth marks such as when they are first transplanted, when they have their flowers first appear, when the fruit begins to develop to a golf ball size and when the first ripe tomatoes are coming off of the vine.

If you are careful and take good care of them your tomatoes will do just fine and you’ll be able to enjoy lots of great produce!