Posts Tagged ‘Growing Tomatoes’

Growing Tomatoes in Pots can Work on Your Patio or Balcony

December 7th, 2009

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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Tags: balcony tomatoes Growing Tomatoes patio tomatoes

Growing Tomato Plants Is Good For Your Health

December 6th, 2009

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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Posted in Planting Tomatoes

Tags: Growing Tomato Plants Growing Tomatoes Tomato Plants

Upside Down Tomato Plants: DIY

December 6th, 2009

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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Posted in Planting Tomatoes

Tags: Growing Tomatoes Hose Reel Tomato Garden Tomato Planter tomato tips Upside Down Tomato Plant Vegetable Garden

Disease Resistant Tomatoes – How to Identify Them

December 6th, 2009

Growing tomatoes isn’t too difficult but they can be prone to disease. Don’t despair though, as there are plenty of disease resistant varieties available but that in itself leads to another problem which is how to identify them.
Each variety is coded; e.g. “VF”, “VFFA”, “VFNT” but how on earth are we supposed to know what these acronyms mean? How do we tell which variety is resistant to which disease? That is where the coding comes in, which is fine if you know what each code means.
Below are the common designations, which should help you choose which variety of tomato plant is the one for you.
“A” means that the plant has resistance to the Alternaria alternata fungus which is a cause of Alternaria stem canker. The stems, leaves and fruit of the tomato are badly affected by cankers that vary in colour from dark brown to black. If the cankers are on the stem, there are often brownish streaks as well. Stem cankers can cause the death of a tomato plant before you can harvest the fruit.
“F” or “FF” indicates that the plants are resistant to the Fusarium oxysporum fungi which induce Fusarium wilt. This is a critical disease which causes the drooping and yellowing of the leaves beginning at the bottom of the tomato plant. Without treatment, Fusarium wilt can kill tomato plants well before the fruit can be picked. Some Fusarium fungi have become resistant themselves to the “F” resistance tomatoes, in which case, you need to choose plants with the “FF” coding.
“N” signifies that the plants are resistant to parasitic round worms, which often lie inactive in the earth. Effects of round worm infestation are root galls that are up to an inch in diameter. Afflicted plants are weak, do not react to fertilizer, and are inclined to droop when the weather is hot.
“St” specified tomatoes are not susceptible to grey leaf spot (Stemphylium). Affected tomatoes build up brown to black spots on older leaves. As the disease goes on, the spots become larger and the centres turn grey. The grey middles ultimately fall out, leaving behind small holes.
“T” indicates that the plants are resistant to the Tobacco Mosaic Virus. This results in a blotchy look to the leaves and smaller fruit and crop. Occasionally immature tomatoes will go brown.
“TSWV” points to resistance to the Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. Signs of infection differ considerably dependent upon the variety of tomato, but consist of yellow and brown rings and brown streaks on tomato stems, leaves which have dead spots and tips, and seriously inferior growth. The tomatoes themselves may have red and orange discolorations when they are fully grown.
“V” means the tomato is not susceptible to the fungi which cause Verticillium wilt, Verticillium dahliae and V. albo-atrum. Signs of Verticillium wilt disease do not ordinarily become apparent until the plant is fruiting or it is not watered sufficiently. Signs include V-shaped gashes on the leaves.
Don’t forget that disease resistant tomatoes are not necessarily immune to disease but if they do become infected, they are less likely to sustain as much damage as those varieties which are not disease resistant.
As well as choosing the right variety of disease resistant tomatoes, remember that changing where you plant your tomatoes can help prevent disease but be sure to rotate them with other plants which are not susceptible to the disease you are trying to eradicate.
Make sure that your tomato plants are well watered, are in well drained soil and are mulched to retain moisture. Spray with systemic insecticide or fungicide if you detect symptoms of disease (as long as you’re not growing organic crops) and generally keep your tomato plants in as good a condition as possible.
Before planting your tomatoes, try to identify whether your garden already is home to any pests or diseases. Check the foliage and/or fruit of other plants in your garden and if you detect disease, take a sample to an expert to identify the cause. You will then be in a position to choose the right disease resistant tomatoes to plant.
By following sensible gardening practices, you will soon be able to eradicate the pests and diseases and end up with a bumper crop of tomatoes.

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Tags: Disease Resistant Tomatoes Gardening Growing Tomatoes

Tomato Growing Tips – 4 Basic Tips for your Tomato Growing Garden

December 6th, 2009

Even people who don’t claim to have green thumbs can usually grow tomatoes. They may not be edible, but they can still grow them. All kidding aside, tomato growing is not all that hard and with a little TLC, you too can grow your own tomatoes. If you’re thinking about growing your own tomatoes, you should and with some of the following tips, you’ll be picking your own tomatoes very soon and you will tell the difference between store bought and home grown. Once you start tomato growing, you will never buy another tomato from the grocery store ever again.

1. To find good tomato plants, your closest garden center is as far as you need to go to find healthy tomato plants. Ask the gardener working there to help you if you need it, but common sense can be used when choosing healthy plants for tomato growing. Most people can tell the difference between a healthy plant and a limp and wilted plant. Make sure its green with no yellowing or spotted leaves. No matter where you’re going to plant your tomatoes, either outside or in a big pot, bury your plant up to the bottom stems. This will allow the plant to sprout new roots and strengthen the tomato growing process. You can completely bury the bottom stems and then just cut them at dirt level.

2. Don’t over-feed your tomato plant. Too much nitrogen will give you a beautiful bushy plant, but not a lot of fruit. It’s a good idea to prepare the soil before you plant your tomato plant. These plants love rich humus or loamy soil and it’s a good idea to add a little potassium for strong stems and just a touch of nitrogen.

3. Water your plants thoroughly and make sure you have good drainage where ever your plants may be. If you live in hot climates and your plants are outside, make sure they will get at least a half of day of shade. Too much heat and the flowers will fall off, falling flowers means no tomatoes and this defeats the tomato growing process entirely. Cover outdoor tomato plants with some kind of mulch, either bark, pine needles or hay. Studies have proven that plants covered in black plastic mulch in early spring produces lots of tomatoes all spring and summer long, especially in cool or cold climates. Infra-red plastic mulch is even better. The person at your garden center should be able to tell you what is best for where you live.

4. Picking off the first batch of flowers will also ensure a healthier plant. Doing this will strengthen the root system and give your plants the chance to mature and fill out before bearing fruit. Stake or cadge your tomato plants so they have support and strength they need to grow big ripe tomatoes. With a little care and a little attention, you will be growing beautiful tomatoes in no time. Cherry or grape tomatoes are great for first time tomato growers. They grow great on a patio or porch and they grow by the bunch. Growing your own tomatoes will save you money and bragging rights about your successful tomato garden.