10 Essential Tips for Growing Tomatoes Successfully

Tomatoes are one of the most popular crops grown by gardeners. They’re easy to grow and they’re delicious.

Here are some interesting facts about tomatoes!

Tomatoes are technically a fruit, they’re a type of berry that grow on tomato plants.

There are different vitamins and minerals your body gets from eating tomatoes. These include lycopene, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K and folate.

Eating tomatoes can improve your health by lowering inflammation, boosting your immune system, lowering your cholesterol as well as reduce your cancer risk.

Tomatoes are among the most popular foods in the world. They can be eaten raw, but they can also be made into sauces, soups, salsas as well as other dishes.

These are some of the reasons why gardeners grow this versatile fruit.

Do you want to grow tomatoes?

Here are some tips for growing tomatoes in your garden:

1. Find Out What Climate Zone You Live In:

Tomatoes are known for their versatility. They can grow in a variety of climates.

Before you plant tomato seeds or seedlings, you need to find out which climate zone you live in.

If you live in a cooler climate zone, you’ll need to take a different approach to growing tomatoes. Also the same thing applies to warmer climates as well.

2. Start Your Seeds Indoors or Buy Seedlings:

If you live in a cooler climate, you’ll need to start growing tomato plants from seeds indoors two months before planting them into the ground.

After two months, you’ll be able to plant outdoors after the last killing frost.

If you buy seedlings at the store, it’s best to wait until after the last frost.

3. Find The Best Tomato Variety For You:

There are over 10,000 tomato varieties in the world.

Some varieties were specially bred for different climates.

For example, the tomato variety “Cold Set” is a fast growing short-season tomato that can grow in a cooler climate. It was bred to withstand a light frost just as long as the soil temperature is 65 degrees.

There are even varieties that can grow in very hot climates. Including “Heatmaster”, “Solar Fire”, “Summerset” and “Phoenix”.

These heat-tolerant varieties can grow in very hot climates whether it’s Arizona or Texas.

4. Choose A Good Location With Good Soil:

Tomatoes need at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day. The location you choose should have full sun.

They should ideally be grown in deep, fertile, humus-rich soil that drains well.

Tomatoes love soil that’s slightly acidic. It grows best when the pH is between 6.2 to 6.8. However when pH is at 7, tomatoes absorb the most nutrients.

5. Provide Support For Your Tomato Plants:

As your tomato plants grow, you'll need to provide support to keep your tomatoes off the ground.

By keeping them off the ground, you'll be given a productive and disease-free tomato crop.

Your tomato plants can be supported using a cage, stake, tripod or twine.

6. Proper Water Management:

Proper water management is important when you’re growing tomatoes.

The amount of water a tomato plant needs depends on where it’s grown.

Tomatoes grown in pots and raised beds need at least a gallon of water a day. The amount of water required depends on the size of the raised bed.

Tomatoes grown in garden beds need a gallon of water every five days.

Also keep in mind that tomatoes grow best in sandy soil. Since sandy soil doesn’t hold water too well, it drains quickly.

Tomato plants grown in sandy soil may need to be watered more often.

7. Regular Pruning:

Pruning your tomato plants is a technique that helps you keep your plants tidy.

As your tomato plants mature, the lower leaves start turning yellow. Also as leaves get bigger, they restrict the amount of sunlight your tomatoes receive.

Also pruning helps your tomatoes grow faster and speeds up ripening.

8. Apply Mulch:

Applying mulch to your tomato plants has many benefits.

Tomatoes with mulch grow better and they’re healthier due to the soil underneath being less stressed.

Applying mulch reduces evaporation. As a result, you don’t need to water your tomato plants as often.

Also applying mulch improves the structure of your soil. It protects it from compression and erosion by wind, rain and overwatering.

9. Fertilize Regularly:

Fertilizer can be applied when you’re putting your tomato plants into the ground or when tomatoes start growing.

There’s a simple way to apply fertilizer to tomatoes when they start developing. Start by spreading 1/2 cup of a 5-10-5 fertilizer around the base of a tomato plant.

Gently work the fertilizer into the top inch of soil. Then fertilize your tomato plants again when the first fruit is harvested.

10. Manage Pests:

Pest management is a part of life in any garden.

However dealing with pests such as aphids, rabbits, hornworms, cutworms as well as tomato fruit worms doesn’t have to ruin your tomatoes.

Also, you don’t need to use harsh chemicals to manage pests. It’s possible to handpick the pests off with your hands, apply insecticidal soap as well as attract beneficial insects such as ladybugs to your garden.

If you’re dealing with rabbits and other animals, you can put a barrier around your garden.

Have you grown tomatoes?

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Sources:

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