How to Grow Tomatoes
Tomatoes Are One of the Easiest Vegetables to Grow at Home
Growing tomatoes is easy and fun, and you do not need to have a large garden to make it worth the effort.
Tomatoes are perhaps the most common vegetable to grow. They are easy to grow, young plants are easy to buy, they produce far better tasting fruit than any store bought tomatoes, and they don’t take up much room. In fact a tomato plant is quite happy in a container as well as in a sunny spot in the garden.
Most people grow tomatoes from seed that they start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date. In the south they can be directly seeded into the round, if preferred. The choice of seed is enormous! So take your time and pick a variety that suits your needs:
- Italian tomatoes are good for canning. They have thicker skins and more pulp than juice.
- Eating tomatoes need a thin skin and good color, and preferably not too much juice.
- Yellow tomatoes have less acid in them which makes them more appealing to those people who have problems with acid fruits.
- Cherry or Currant size tomatoes are much smaller than regular ones and come in both yellow and red colors. These are great for salads, snacks and picnics where you do not want to mess with cutting things.
- Beefsteak tomatoes are the largest varieties of tomatoes and they can be very large. There appeal is perhaps most for competitive gardeners than the kitchen, but they can be useful on hamburgers where you need one large slice.
Another factor to consider is whether you want all the tomatoes to ripen at once or over several weeks. Determinate tomatoes grow to a specific height, set flower and fruit, which then ripens all at once. This is great for projects such as canning tomato sauces etc. where you need a whole batch together. For daily eating though you will want some to be indeterminate. These plants keep on growing and setting new seed each week. The fruit tends to be slightly smaller as the plant is putting its energy into the growing side of things as well as fruit.
When you have picked your varieties to grow, decide if you need to start them indoors. If so, you will need to start them about a month before your last frost date. Starting tomato plants too early will yield weak plants. Harden the plants off carefully by placing them into the morning sunshine. Avoid hot afternoon sun for a few days as well as avoiding windy days and cold nights. Eventually the plants will be able to tolerate these, but not directly from their indoor low light, no air movement home. It is also important to recognize that plants you buy at the grocery store or big box stores are also likely to have been pampered in ideal conditions, and these too will need to be hardened off so that they can tolerate outdoor conditions.
When ready, plant the seedlings into the ground in an area that gets full sun. Alternatively plant it in a larger container and place the container in the sun. Water well. Most tomatoes will require a stake or two along the way and this should be anticipated by placing stakes near the plants before they get too large. Support stops the plant being knocked over by rambunctious deer or children, as well as damage from winds and storms. The support also helps to keep the fruit off the ground where it can rot and attract animals. Fertilize the plants regularly with a high nitrogen feed. As this is a food, you will want to choose the fertilizer carefully and preferably opt for an organic fertilizer over chemicals if possible. Water regularly too as infrequent watering regimes will lead to blossom end rot and other problems with the fruit.
Pests are not too common on tomatoes but some do arrive. Check them regularly for white fly and large tomato horn worms, which will decimate the plant overnight! The plants can also suffer from fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt, both of which kill the plants. To avoid these, pick plants that state FV on the packet to indicate they are protected to some extend against the viruses.
Without a doubt, tomatoes are some of the best vegetables to grow at home, so pick up a plant along with the lettuce leaves, and put it into your garden – you will be delighted with the results.
