Growing Tomatoes

Executive summary by Sharon Fleming

Tomatoes are probably one of the most commonly grown fruit (arguably vegetables). Growing tomatoes need attention to these things:

• Placement

The first thing you’ll need is a place for your tomatoes to grow. If you prefer, you can grow them in pots.  Growing tomatoes also require a good air flow to help reduce the risk of fungal diseases.

grow tomatoes

• Soil

Moderate to high fertility in the soil is best. This type of soil drains well and is quick to warm up. It is good to grow tomatoes in such soil.

Your tomatoes will grow well in soil that is rich in organic matter. You can use well-rotted manure or a good compost. Either of these should be worked well into the soil before you plant. Also, when choosing how many plants to grow, take note of how many people eat tomatoes in your household.

• Planting

Spacing is important as well, allow 5-6 square ft between seedlings. If you’re going to use stakes instead of larger supports, then you can plant them closer together.

When transplanting the seedlings into the soil, cover about 75% of the seedling. Using a stakes or trellises, with pruning, will allow you to place the tomatoes closer together as well as improve the overall air flow around them. Be aware that this may result in a smaller crop, but larger tomatoes.

How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers and Pots
Executive summary by Kenneth H Jones

For the container grown tomatoes I did treat them differently and with a bit more care.

• Make sure you put tomato plants in a really big pot.

I use standard clay terracotta pots but any wide and deep container will work fine.

• Water your tomatoes even if it rains.

I still found that the pot grown tomato plants were wilting a bit if I didn’t check them for watering. Very little water gets to the root of the plants.

• Be ruthless with pinching outside shoots on the tomato plants.

The plants in pots were pinched out once a week to ensure that the fruits I did get were big enough and juicy enough. I never bother pinching out cherry tomatoes.

• Remove excess foliage once you have the tomato fruits.

I prefer the tomatoes to ripen on the plant and this helps speed up the ripening process. Removing the leaves also gives you slightly bigger tomatoes.

How to Handle the Problems of Growing Tomatoes
Executive summary by Jude C Wright

• Problem with climates.

In colder climates, tomato plants can be covered with small greenhouse-like structures to help protect them. If possible, longer growing plants should be started earlier on in the growing season, perhaps by planting seedlings indoors or in a greenhouse.

There can also be problems with growing tomatoes in warmer climates. They can be sunburned if planted in full sun.

• Blossom end rot (diseases)

This disease can be caused by incorrect watering procedures since water carries calcium from the soil to the root of the tomato plant.

Try picking the affected tomatoes off of the plant to give other, healthier, tomatoes a chance to grow.

The soil’s pH level should be about 6.5 for healthy tomatoes.

• Tomato hornworms and aphids (pests)

Tomato hornworms are four-inch larvae that are difficult to see because they are the same green color as the tomato plant. Aphids can also cause problems with growing tomatoes. You can try planting petunias or anise around the plants but there are certain insecticide soaps that will eliminate the bugs without hurting the tomato plants – or the people who eat the tomatoes.

Plant tomato seedlings of a type to suit the climate they will be growing in and protect them from cold and heat.

You may want to check out my other guide on garden care and gardening supplies