Author: Karen Gross
For many people, growing big juicy tomatoes is part of what
makes vegetable gardening so enjoyable. Whether purchasing
plants from your local nursery or starting tomatoes from seed,
there are a few basic steps to follow to ensure that you harvest
an abundant crop at the end of the growing season. There are
many different varieties of tomatoes to choose from, depending
on whether you will be cooking, canning, slicing, or eating
miniature or grape-like varieties right off the vine. Sweet
100’s are very abundant, and are good for salads as well as
eating fresh from the garden. Roma tomatoes are good for making
salsa, because the peels are not as tough as others so you don’t
need to peel the skins off. Romas are also known as the classic
paste and sauce tomato. There are Early Girls, Early Boys, Big
Boys, Big Mamas, Sweet Baby Girls, Beefsteaks, French Rose
hybrids, Big Rainbow, specialty tomatoes and many more. So start
by choosing the kind of tomato you would like to grow.
Planting Tomatoes from Seeds
Tomatoes grown from seed will require six to eight weeks before
they can be planted in the garden. Purchase individual
containers or flats, starter soil or mixture, and the seeds of
your choice. Fill each container with soil, pressing it tightly
to remove air and to avoid settling problems after watering.
Typically, seed companies print instructions for planting right
on the tomato seed package. Each variety is a little different
so follow instructions carefully. Prepare a label identifying
the type of tomato and the date started. You can make your own
from Popsicle sticks or purchase them at the store or garden
center.
Insert your label in the pot and mist with water. Place
containers in a sunny window and keep seeds moist by placing a
plastic bag over them. Small greenhouse containers are also
available at your local nursery. Watch for seeds to germinate
and remove plastic when plants emerge. Wean out weaker looking
seedlings to give strong ones more room to grow. Keep moist by
misting or watering tomatoes when needed. When plants have a
second pair of leaves it is time to transplant these seedlings
to your garden or a large pot in which they are to grow.
It is a good idea to harden off or acclimatize a plant to
outdoor conditions before planting by setting it out in direct
sun during the day and bringing it in at night. After a few
days, the tomato plant will have adapted to the new surroundings
and can be transplanted in the desired location. Place plants
directly outdoors after the threat of frost in a shady location,
out of the wind and protected from heavy rains.
Purchasing Started Plants
If you prefer to purchase plants from your garden center or
greenhouse, select dark green plants that are stocky in size and
that do not have any fruit. The fruit will stunt the plant
growth and the total yield will be reduced. Tomatoes are one of
the few plants that will tolerate being planted deeper than they
sit in the pot. So a taller plant can be placed a little deeper
if preferred. As mentioned, harden off the plant before moving
it to a final location.
Preparing Garden Soil For Tomato Plants The soil should be deep,
loamy, and well-drained for the best harvest. Tomatoes prefer a
slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.2 to 6.8. The term pH
balance refers to acidity or the alkalinity of your soil from a
numerical scale of 1.0 to 14.0. The neutral point on the pH
scale is 7.0. Higher than 6.5 indicates alkaline soil, lower
than that indicates acidic soil.
Test kits are available at garden centers or through local
horticultural organizations. To raise the soil’s pH, work
agriculture lime into the soil. Use sulfur to lower the pH of
alkaline soil. Using fertilizers and compost amendments will
also change the soil’s pH over time. Adding decomposed organic
compost will improve any soil structure. You can purchase or
make your own compost. Once you have cultivated your garden area
and prepared the soil, it is ready for the plantings.
Planting The Tomatoes
Inspect all of the transplants, looking for insects, wilting or
blight. Plant only healthy plants. Tomatoes prefer full sun, so
choose an area with at least six to eight hours of sun per day.
Practice crop rotation in your vegetable gardening by planting
tomatoes and other vegetables in a different spot every year.
Tomatoes prefer to be planted by chives, parsley, marigolds,
nasturtiums, garlic bulbs, and carrots. Avoid planting tomatoes
by potatoes or members of the cabbage family.
For large healthy tomatoes, give them plenty of room to grow.
Space plants twenty-four inches between rows and leave
twenty-four inches between plants. With your shovel or spade,
make holes slightly larger than the plants. Tap gently on the
bottom of the individual container, loosening the soil and
gently removing from the pot. Tomatoes are susceptible to
cutworms, but placing a 3-4 inch nail next to each stem before
planting or wrapping strips of newspaper around the bottom of
the stems will help prevent these pests. A paper cup surrounding
the stem also works well.
Place tomato plant in hole and back fill with soil until it is
well compacted. Place a rack or cage around each individual
plant to help support future growth. Water around the base of
the plant, avoiding the foliage. Do not over water or soak the
seedlings as this can promote disease and rot. Water early in
the day to discourage blight.
Using a rake, spread organic mulch, such as weed-free straw,
over plants at least two inches deep. These is an effective way
to prevent weeds, preserve water and keep the soil warm, thus
reducing the maintenance required for vegetable gardening.
Fertilize the plants throughout the growing season with compost
or organic matter. Water when needed and inspect leaves
periodically for the signs of tomato blight and insects. If
blight is discovered, remove any infected leaves and destroy
them. Treat plant with a fungicide. Be sure to remove all debris
from your garden in the fall, as blight can survive on the dried
tomatoes over the winter.
Most tomatoes take 100-days to bear fruit, so follow these easy directions and get ready to harvest the fruits of your labors
and enjoy that first BLT of the season.
Items Needed For Growing Tomatoes:
- Tomato seeds or plants - Containers or flats - A small
greenhouse kit or plastic bags - Starter soil or mixture -
Marking pen - Popsicle sticks or labels - Rake - Spade and
shovel - Water, sun, adequate soil and patience
About the author:
Karen Gross is a professional gardener and design consultant.
She writes for www.vegetable-gardening-4u.com, providing
valuable tips and advice about seed companies,
greenhouse kits and other vegetable gardening topics.
