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A Quick Guide to Growing Tomatoes

Tomatoes are fairly easy to grow, packed with nutrition, taste great and can be used in many, many recipes. That is why they are favorites of the home gardener.

Start with Cow Manure

Before planting anything in your vegetable garden, mix a good supply of composted cow manure in with the soil. Spread it out over the entire garden area and mix it in good. Do not add straight cow manure to the planting hole. If you get too much cow manure on the roots of your plants, it can burn them. You want it all around the planting area because the roots of your plants will spread, and this way, they will find good nutrients wherever they may roam. I also feed them a liquid fertilizer, like Miracle Grow, every two weeks during the growing season. Leave yourself enough space between plants so you won't have any problems harvesting the fruit later.

Planting Tomatoes

I have never had any luck starting my tomatoes indoors from seeds. Mine always end up leggy. I prefer to buy my plants. I like to purchase several different varieties of tomatoes so I can use them for different recipes. I will usually have some Plum, Beefsteak, Cherry and something medium sized, like a nice Patio tomato.

When planting, remove the bottom leaf from both sides of the tomato. Plant in rich, well draining soil, to just above where you removed the leaves. This will encourage a better root system and a stronger tomato plant. After planting, place a tomato cage around the plant. If you wait until the cage is needed, you could damage the plant while installing it.

Sun

Tomatoes need at least six to eight hours of sunshine a day to grow properly. One of the mistakes I made when moving from north to south, was picking the sunniest spot in my garden for my tomatoes. As I learned, too much of anything, even the good stuff, is no good. I can attest to the fact that giving tomatoes too much sun is as detrimental to them as not giving them enough. If you live in the southern hemisphere, try to find a spot where they will get a bit of shade at some point during the day.

Water

Too much water and your tomatoes will crack. Too little water and they will shrivel up. It is important to try to give them the same amount of water consistently. The weather plays a big part in this and unfortunately, you can't stop the rain. Use your judgment. If you've received a lot of rain, let them go thirsty for a day or two afterwards. If your plant's leaves are green and perky, you know that you have a happy tomato plant.

Planting Companions

Planting Marigold flowers near by your tomato plants will help to keep tomato bugs away. The Marigolds give off a scent that the bugs don't like. The plus side to this is that the marigolds will make your garden pretty while they are standing guard over it.

Another good companion for tomato plants is Basil. It is said that planting Basil near your tomato plants will add a nice flavoring to your homegrown tomatoes. I started doing this years ago and never thought about it until I shared an overflow of my crop with a neighbor. She wanted to know what I did differently than she did as my tomatoes always tasted better than hers. I guess it really works!

Now all you need to do is keep the area weed free while you wait for your tomatoes to grow. Wait until they are really red before picking, you'll be glad you did.

Buy at AllPosters.com

Buy at AllPosters.com

Buy at AllPosters.com