How To Grow Tomatoes

Here are some tips on how to grow tomatoes in your home garden and get great results.

1) Tomatoes like warmer weather, so wait until the night time temperatures are above 60 and the daytime temperatures are at least 70 before transplanting. You can grow your own plants from seeds (except for hybrid varieties) indoors or you can purchase plants from a garden center. Start seeds about one and a half to two months before the average last frost date in your area.

2) Select stocky (thicker stems) plants if possible that are at least 5 inches tall for planting. For tall and thin plants a good method is to bury most of the plant horizontally. Roots will grow along the length of the buried stem and help produce a stronger plant.

Cover plants until only 4 to six leaves are exposed on the top. Tamp the soil down around the roots so no spaces are left and leave a slight depression on top around each plant to hold water.

3) Space your plants at least 2 feet apart down the row. Staking tomato plants or using a wire cage is highly recommended. This will keep the fruits from rotting due to ground contact and reduce fungus infections from getting on the plants from the soil.

4) Suckers or extra shoots growing from the main stem can be pinched off with your fingers. One or two main stems is all you want with staked tomatoes. If you use wire cages to support them, then you may not need to prune them at all.

5) You can mix a solution of fertilizer by adding 3 to 4 teaspoons of 5-10-10 granular fertilizer to a gallon of water. Add about 16 ounces of this mix around each plant. Liquid plant food will also work for tomatoes...just be sure to follow the label directions for use.

6) If you test the soil pH (how acidic it is), it needs to be 6.0 to 6.5 for best results. Add lime or gypsum if the pH is much lower than 6.0.

7) Digging organic matter into the soil will help greatly if you have heavy clay or sandy soil.

I hope these tips on how to grow tomatoes will help you the next time you start your garden.