Pawel Kalkus


important to feed your plants with the right nutrients from the very beginning. That is why choosing fertilizers and preparing soil is so crucial when planting tomatoes and various other plants. In order to answer this question you will have to spend some time in your local gardening store researching different mixtures and asking some questions. We will show you where to start.

The idea of getting the best tasting, healthiest tomatoes is what drives most gardeners. What’s a bit problematic is the fact that we want to avoid using pesticides where possible. The way you prepare the garden bed will help to ensure that this happens for you.

If you are starting with seeds, then you will want a good organic potting soil to start with. By doing this young plants will be more resistant to diseases in the early stages of growth. Once the plants have begun to grow, you’ll want to put them in your selected spot when they are about 6 inches or so tall. There are a variety of methods used to keep cutworms and slugs away from the plants. You can do a little checking to find the one that’s best for you without the need of using pesticides. Some people use strips of newspaper, while still others will use plastic containers and such to keep the critters away.

In case of fertilizers you will probably notice that there is a huge variety of mixtures available in your local garden center. It’s simply a matter of choosing the one that you want to use. One of the most popular seems to be Miracle Gro, but depending on where you live, that might not be available. The garden center will be able to help you choose the one that is best for you, but remember, just because something is more expensive doesn’t necessarily means it’s the best one for you to use! Use your own judgement where necessary.

Sometimes, trying different things will help you to decide the one that is best for you to use so perhaps in one end of the garden you can use product A, and in the other end use product B. You will know what’s working best by looking at the differences in the fruit production.

There’s absolutely nothing better that a sweet tasty tomato that has come directly from your own vine! It’s no wonder that the tomato is the most popularly grown garden staple!

Taylor

Pawel Kalkus


deciding to grow tomatoes from seeds few issues need to be addressed as they directly influence further stages of tomato growing process. You will have to spend some time choosing the right soil and planting the right amount of seeds in order to get the best results. This way you will end up with the anticipated quantity of tomato plants ready to be transplanted outside in your garden bed in time for the growing season.

The first thing you will want to do is to start with clean potting soil. Do not use the soil from outside to start your plants. The best thing to do then is to go to the local nursery or garden center and pick up some good organic potting soil. You will then want to add the soil to nursery trays, or better yet, to flats that separate the pants from one another. This is beneficial when transplanting them when the time comes.

Let’s suppose that your target is to end up with 100 plants ready to be transplanted outside into your garden bed. Planting 20 % more seeds than the amount of the pants you want to end up with is a good idea. The reason for this is that not all seeds will germinate. Then there will almost always be a couple that will germinate, but the plants will not thrive. So generally speaking, if you want to put out 100 plants, then plant about 120 seeds. This way you will also provide yourself with few additional plants that can be used later on as a substitution for the ones that died out.

If you plant several different varieties of tomatoes, you’ll want to make sure that you label them. The plants will all look alike! Once all the plants have gotten their real leaves, it’s time to begin the first transplantation. They should be moved to individual growing containers such as a paper cup in order that they be able to better thrive and grow. If plants are bunched up, the growth will be stunted and you’ll end up with plants that are poorly producing. The best way to remove them from their starter pot is to use a kitchen fork. It works well with lifting the plants from the soil and causes less shock on the plants roots.

Now, depending upon the size of the paper cup or other container used in this first transplantation, you may or may not have to transplant them again before they go into the garden bed. It is then, in your best interest to plant them in paper cups large enough to hold them until they are about 6 inches or so tall, and ready to go into the outdoor garden bed. As soon as the last frost has passed and the plants achieved the required height you can put them outdoors.

The best way I have found to do this, and it causes very little shock to the roots, is to tear or cut away the paper cup from the entire thing, leaving the existing soil in place and putting them in the garden exactly that way.

Good luck in your growing! It won’t be long before you’ll be enjoying fresh juicy tomatoes, straight from the vine!

Pam

Dael Leathe


If you’re not a big fan of getting dirty in the outside garden, then fear not. Most of the vegetables grown at home can be grown equally well in containers. By finding the right container and filling it with the right potting mixture, you will be able to grow anything you want in it, even tomatoes.

First you need to find the right size container for your plants. If you want the little cherry tomatoes (which are excellent in salads) then you can use the regular size hanging baskets, but if you prefer the larger tomatoes you’d do best to purchase five gallon buckets, because your plants need plenty of room to grow, you don’t want them to be cramped. Next you need to go to a nursery and purchase your tomato plants. You don’t want to get too large of a plant, you can buy a determinate tomato plant, that stops growing after they reach a certain size, or indeterminate that will continue to grow and produce larger tomato plants. Two very popular indeterminate tomato plants are Big Beef and Better Boy, which are also very resistant to plant disease and will give you tomatoes for a longer period of time.

Now you’re ready to begin planting, make sure you put some holes in the bottom of your container for proper drainage. You don’t want your plant to become overwhelmed with excess water. Carefully remove the bottom few sets of leaves and place the plant in the container. Make sure you don’t use a flimsy, light weight container, because when your tomatoes are in bloom they may be top heavy and could cause the plant to topple. Tomatoes should be staked as early as possible, to prevent root disturbances caused by setting in the stake. Use a well mixed potting soil supplemented with plenty of organic matter to enrich the taste of your tomatoes. Ask at your neighborhood nursery for help in picking out the proper soil and fertilizer for in home planting.

Plants need plenty of sunlight, at least 6 to 8 hours a day. A grow light can be very beneficial in growing young plants, especially on cloudy days with limited sunlight. Be sure to water them daily, forgetting to water them for a couple of days and then starting to water them again, and then you once again forgetting; this rigorous process could delay the growth of your tomato plants. So please, be consistent with your care for them.



Anne-Marie