Planting Tomatoes

Your Guide To The Perfect Tomato

Growing Tomatoes in Pots can Work on Your Patio or Balcony

December 7th, 2009 by posted by green tomato fingers No comments »

Growing tomatoes in pots allows you to put your garden almost anywhere that has enough sunlight. But it brings with it the added advantage of mobility for your garden. In addition, you can put your garden in spots that just are not feasible most of the time. But there are a few concerns that are unique to growing tomatoes in pots that require a little more up front planning. Keep these in mind and your will be treated to a bumper crop.Some key factors to successful growing in pots include:The Pot or Container: A standard clay pot that has a diameter of 12 inches or more is recommended for tomatoes. Your pot should be drained well, usually with drainage holes in the bottom. Good drainage is needed to avoid rot. If you want something a little less traditional, try using a half whiskey barrels or a bushel baskets to give a different look.The Right Tomato Variety:Many types of tomato can be grown in a pot, but it’s important that the variety fits the growing environment you’ve created. If you are in a warmer part of the country, try growing smaller varieties like cherry tomatoes since they will set fruit and not drop blossoms at higher temperatures. Sweet 100 is a real favorite small tomato variety.Where to Get Seedlings:The lazy man’s way to start the plants it to just buy them from the the local home improvement story or nursery. One problem with buying at national chains is that they often do a poor job of selecting varieties that are suited for the local climate. If you can’t find a a variety that you want, you may have to start seedlings yourself. Using peat pellets or pots makes this much simpler. Potting Soil: When using a pot you can easily tailor the soil to your needs. The key starting point for good soil is lots of organic matter, which will improve drainage. A soil mix that is not difficult to mix is one part each of potting soil, sphagnum peat moss, perlite and compost. Tomatoes are fairly heavy feeders, to plan on using some type of fertilizer. But make sure that it’s a tomato fertilizer, as it will have a slightly different formulation than a standard 15-15-15 or the like.Putting Tomatoes in the PotStart by filling the pot most of the way with the potting soil mix. Put the tomato plant in the soil, and fill to the top, covering the tomato plant stem up to the first set of true leaves, which will be deeper than it was planted before. Tomatoes can grow roots from the stem, so this will encourage a healthy root system. Water and add soil to the top of the pot.Staking Tomato Plants: Larger tomato plants will need to be staked. It’s good to put in the stakes when you plant the tomatoes so you won’t damage the root systems adding stakes later. For really tall plants you may want to support the stakes outside the pot, so the pot doesn’t become top heavy and tip over, especially outside in the wind.Water your tomatoes at least weekly, take care to stake them if needed, fertilize as often as the label suggests, and enjoy your tomatoes. Move them into shelter for the first freeze of the fall, and enjoy an extra week or more of fresh garden tomatoes.

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Tomato Plant Care and Essential Tips For Growing Tomatoes

December 7th, 2009 by posted by green tomato fingers No comments »

Tomato plants are one of the most popular plants for any gardener. They are a ready source of food for the family, they are an easy grow plant and depending on your climate you can grow tomatoes in greenhouses or in the garden. Other options are to grow tomatoes in pots or in a hanging tomato planter. Whichever option you decide on you will still need to take proper care of your tomato plants to have a successful crop.

The most optimum time to start growing tomatoes is in early spring but make sure you have had your last frost or you might find yourself in trouble. It is worth doing some research into which variety of plants will suit your particular climate and soil conditions for best results. Then when you have selected a variety that should flourish in your region make sure that you follow the planting guidelines on the seed packet as each type will have slightly varying requirements.

Tomato’s like lots of water, so before planting it is a good idea to add a rich mulch to the soil along with plenty of compost and some fertilizer. The mulch will help retain the water and keep the soil moist also when the plants grow and start to produce fruit the compost and fertilizer will provide much needed nutrients. Certainly when the plants do fruit it is worth adding a supplement tomato feed to your care program once or twice a week, using spent coffee grounds is also an effective and cheap way to feed tomatoes.

For best results it is pretty important that you water the plants 2 or 3 times a day or least enough to ensure that the soil never drys out. If it does the fruit will just tend to wither and often they will develop splits in the skin, if you see split fruit you will know that you have not provided enough water.

The other basic elements of tomato care are to keep the vines clear of the ground, to ensure they are well supported and to make sure you take care of predatory insects. Making sure the soil is free of weeds along with the occasional use of a suitable insecticide will help keep the wrong sorts of insects away.

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Tags: Care Of Tomato Plants Grow Tomatoes In Pots Tips For Growing Tomatoes Tomato Plant Care

Black Spots On Tomatoes Explained..

December 6th, 2009 by posted by green tomato fingers No comments »

This affection happens sometimes to your tomatoes, and it’s really frustrating, especially when you’ve placed lots of hard work and love into your plants only to see these ugly black dots arise right under of your tomatoes.It’s called: blossom end rot, or blossom plight. Not to be confused with “year end rot/harvest rot.” That’s a different problem all together.What starts as a few harmless looking dark spots underneath of your tomatoes, can overnight change into a big rotting fungus that munches the tomatoes from the inside. And will consume the entire tomato if not taken away. Take away the affected tomatoes once you see sign of this disease.Often, this will not affect to just one tomato on a plant, but lots of them, sometimes even the all plant, and it can happen very rapidly. If you have ever had this happen to you, then you will know how frustrating this is going to be!Here is why it happens:The gardening masters declare it is because of low quality/ abnormal soil moisture. And I have to say, since I’ve done my own experimenting, it looks to be true.What does this mean?When the plant is finally turning into a fruit, it is at a critical phase, when the roots get a hit, weird stuff begins to happen to the fruit:1. If you water your tomatoes not enough, or at times when a big amount of the water evaporates, it could mostly cause blossom end rot.I believe plants are similiar toddler, they like system, so I stay to a watering system, usually every morning it’s the first thing I get done, lots of of water. I do not believe there’s such a thing as “over watering” a tomato plant, they LOVE water.2. If you grow plants in pots, keep a close eye, this is critical…Get BIG pots. The most seen problem I notice with people growing tomato plants in pots is the pot is just way too little.A small pot will results in soil water vanishing faster as it heats up during the day, which leads to irregular soil moisture. You might want to water the plant first thing in the morning, as the sun hits the pot at noon, most of the water vaporizes and the plant is thirsty for the rest of the day. Dry soil is a NO-NO!How big should your pots be? A good rule of thumb is huge enough to fit a basketball in. At least Ten Gallons. And fill it with soil all the way to the top.Too often tomato growers put tomatoes in pots you’d put an orchid in or other flower sized pots, or they put them in huge pots but only fill them up half way with soil(which eliminates the purpose of the big pot!) The plants grow short and bit by bit this way. Keep in mind, tomatoes are huge plants, and they need big amount soil to grow well.A final thing about pots…For the same reason, Don’t Use BLACK Pots For Tomatoes!, the dark colour captivates sun and heats up like crazy, the water in your soil will evaporate in the heat… which leads to problems like these.The best pots are clay, but they are not cheap. The other best choice is white or any other color of plastic. Pots are a big topic which I’ll write about in the future.Above all, the best way to prevent blossom end rot is system and continuous watering, and being vigilant about soil moisture… once the summer hits, water twice or even three times a day, especially on dry and hot days.And keep in mind, give your tomatoes lots of care!This is it for my tomato tip,To find out more tomato tips, please go to http://www.JoyfulTomato.com

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Growing Tomato Plants Is Good For Your Health

December 6th, 2009 by posted by green tomato fingers No comments »

Growing tomato plants is FUN and easy! Anybody can do it, providing you follow a few simple guidelines. There is nothing more satisfying than growing and eating your own home grown produce.

DID YOU KNOW – tomatoes were not eaten for about a century after their introduction to the American continent? Europeans thought that the red fruit of the plant was poisonous. And, you may have noticed that I said fruit! That is because a tomato is actually a FRUIT, not a vegetable, as is commonly thought to be. Well, technically it is a berry, because it is the ovary of the flowering tomato plant. But whatever you choose to call it, this vegetable is one of the most commonly grown vegetables throughout the United States. For who can resist a freshly picked, bright red tomato, straight from the vine? I know I can’t.

During your tomato growing journey you will discover many varieties of tomatoes. Some are as small as marbles, known as cherry tomatoes, and some can grow as big as a softball, known as beefsteak tomatoes. Tomatoes also come in a host of different colors ranging from yellow, to orange, to purple, and to the all loved and well known red tomatoes.

You may be surprised to hear that tomato plants come in two different types: determinates and indeterminates.

Why the funny names, you may ask? Well, it is actually quite logical and makes sense, once you know the answer. Determinates grow to a specific height and then stop growing, as if their height was pre-determined before they started growing. Because of this, they are a great choice for people with small spaces, or perhaps those who want to plant their tomatoes indoors. The indeterminate tomato plants are the opposite of the latter, having no pre-determined growing height. These tomato plants are sometimes called vine tomatoes, as they behave like a vine. Because of this, indeterminate tomato plants usually require support, like stakes or fences, thus making for fantastic outdoor growing.

You can grow your tomatoes from seeds, which is not too difficult, or you can just buy small seedling plants from garden centers. Seeds can be purchased over the internet these days and many hard to find varieties are seen more commonly because of this reason. Tomatoes are hungry for water and sunshine, with well-drained soil. Follow those basic steps and you can’t really go wrong, the plants will grow themselves. But there are many techniques and growing tips around if you would like to grow your tomatoes super tasty and juicy. In fact, there is a whole ART to producing superior tomatoes.

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Upside Down Tomato Plants: DIY

December 6th, 2009 by posted by green tomato fingers No comments »

Farmers discovered years ago that tomatoes can grow really well if you plant them upside down. Today, there are plenty of good upside down planters on the market. The only problem is that they can be expensive. But, you can easily make an upside down tomato planter yourself.

First, you need a good sturdy bucket for each plant. You will need to grow your plant to at least four inches tall before you begin. We’ve used everything from one gallon ice cream buckets to five gallon paint buckets. The main thing your bucket needs is a good handle.

A lid is also preferable, but not really necessary. Cut a hole in the bottom of the bucket. Make it only an inch or two across, you don’t want your plant to fall out. Put some potting soil in the bucket, catching what falls out for future use. Gently position your tomato plant in the hole so that the roots are inside the bucket and the stems are sticking out of the bottom.

You may enlist some help for this step unless you already have somewhere to hang your bucket where you can still reach inside. Gently fill dirt little by little around the roots. Do not pack it tight. Wrap a strip of newspaper around the stem so that it is half-way in the dirt and half-way out. This keeps bugs that may climb around the bucket from climbing down the tomato plant. This trick also works for tomatoes planted in the ground.

Finish filling the bucket with dirt because upside down tomato plants can grow a lot of roots. Because gravity is pulling down on the plant, it will grow thick sturdy stalks that may curve up into the air. They will sprout more stems per stalk than a normal tomato plant and support a lot more weight. Hang your bucket somewhere that gets a lot of sun.

If you use a lid, cut a hole in it big enough for rain to enter. Your upside down tomato plant will not need as much water as one planted in the ground because it’s soil will not drain much. Tomatoes never touch the ground and can get sun all the way around. This helps them to ripen sooner and more evenly than traditional plants. The gravity and additional circulation also helps the tomato plant produce more tomatoes and bigger tomatoes.

You want to let the soil in your tomato plant become almost dry before you water it again. Tomatoes prefer an arid climate and too much water will produce flavorless, light-colored, grainy-fleshed tomatoes like you find in many super markets. Bark-like scars on your tomatoes are a sign that you haven’t over-watered and your tomatoes can hold up to five times the nutrients of over-watered tomatoes.

Use a hose reel to keep your hose stored for the long times between watering. With your tomatoes away from bugs and pests, you could have the harvest of a lifetime this summer!

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