Growing Tomatoes in Your Own Garden

Round, red, watery. Who can resist the guilty pleasure of having fresh, tasty tomatoes? Especially if they are coming from your own garden!
It is not difficult to grow tomatoes on your own. Here are several tips to make it even easier for you.

What You Need

  • Tomato seeds
  • Place to plant them: pots, containers, seed beds, green house or simply soil in your lawn
  • Gardening kit
  • Water (and watering can)

Right Seed on the Right Place

When it comes to choosing the right tomato seeds, you have to determine first where you are going to plant them. There are two types of tomato: determinate and indeterminate. As suggested by its name, determinates have vines growing to a determined point and stop. Hence they are more compact and bushy—they are sometimes regarded as bush tomatoes. Therefore determinates suit better in smaller space. They also go well with pots and containers.
More over, sun exposure puts huge effect on tomatoes you are growing. Tomatoes LOVE sunshine but even if you live in London with its foggy air, you can still grow tomatoes. Some hybrid varieties can be planted in any type of soil and require little sunshine. Talk to your local nurseries about it.

Just Throw Them!

It is okay to plant tomatoes outside when the temperature reaches 50OF, but the plants grown will not fruit until the overnight lowest temperature is above 55 OF.
Plant the seeds approximately 2 to 3 feet apart, or in rows 3 feet apart with the plants 1 foot apart.
Tomatoes basically can grow on any type of soil, but the well-drained and fertilized one is always preferable. Keep the soil pH at 6.0 – 65 and you are all good.
Make sure you water your tomatoes enough. Too much water can cause cracking, but too less water may drop the blossom.
Determinate tomatoes do not need pruning, instead indeterminate ones do. Spend some time to prune them while they are still young.
Tomatoes are also attractive to insects and fungus. Do your best to keep them dry since dampness leads to insects and fungus attack.
As the plants growing larger, they need to be staked to support the weight of the fruits. Cages work great, but bamboo stakes can add extra aesthetic property to your garden.

Pick ‘Em, Pick ‘Em, Pick ‘Em

Tomatoes should be harvested when they are fully ripened and start to soften. Once picked, store them in room temperature, away from the light. NEVER REFRIGERATE TOMATOES!
Fresh tomatoes start to lose their flavors as soon as they go below 55OF, so process them as soon as possible after harvesting.

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

1 Caleb Gosa December 8, 2009 at 22:11

Your site is so full of info that I'd be suprise if anyone would be commenting except me. I'm just making a point.

If I didn't have the time on my hand, I wouldn't make a comment. Thanks for taking the time to give us all of that info. It really helped me. I'm not in the Einstien catagory but if I could pass all this info to others, I think I could fool them into thinking I am smart.

Since you say I am the first to comment, then don't worry about what I'm saying since no one else is going to comment.

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