Tomato Plant Care and Feeding
Ranked #3,658 in Home & Garden, #54,331 overall
Growing tomatoes just got easier
Tomato plants are one, if not the, most popular of plants that amateur gardeners like to grow.
There are good reasons for that, they produce lots of delicious and tasty fruit which promote good and healthy eating, they are relatively easy to grow and with a reasonable program of tomato care and feeding pretty much anyone can produce loads of great looking, juicy fresh tomatoes that can be taken straight from the garden to the table.
Selecting the right plant varieties and growing them using the best methods to suit the type of tomato you have selected forms a part of the tomato care program that you need to establish, along with soil preparation, when to plant, how to prune tomato plants and the best watering schedule. Not forgetting that where you are can have an affect on your tomato plant care and feeding regime as well plus which varieties you select in the first place, for instance what you do in the UK is likely to be a lot different to what you do in the South of France.
There are a lot of decisions you need to make but if you get it right you will be well rewarded.
To get you started on tomato growing you can download this free eBook 'A Rough Guide to Tomato Growing' which provides the basic steps required to start growing tomatoes. Just visit Home Grown Tomatoes and use the form at the top right of the page to access the download page.Takes you through selecting the right plant types, preparing for planting, planting out and then taking care of the tomato plants as they go through the season. A great guide for anyone starting to grow their own tomatoes.
Don't forget to share the link with your friends so that they can get the free eBook as well.
Contents at a Glance
The preliminaries of tomato care
Take care of the basic preparations and you can grow tomatoes like a professional,
First things first, you need to select a location that will provide your plants with no less than 6 hours of sunshine per day, 10 hours if you can and to ensure they will flourish and you will get plenty of lovely ripe fruit.
Next prepare the soil with a rich mixture of high nitrogen compost, this applies whether you are going to grow tomatoes directly in the ground or if you are going to put them in containers.
Selecting the correct tomato plant variety to meet your needs, there are 2 general groups of tomatoes:
- Indeterminate tomatoes
- Determinate tomatoes
The indeterminate tomatoes are vine or cordon plants and the determinate type are bush plants.
The main differences are the way they take up space and the period over which they produce fruit. For limited space and an extended fruit producing period you would be better selecting a vine plant. If you have plenty of space and don't mind the fruit all arriving at pretty much the same time then selecting a bush variety will suit you better.
Before planting make sure that there is no chance of them being caught by a frost as they have no tolerance to freezing temperatures and if they get exposed to a frost the consequences will be dire. Ideally they like to be kept at temperatures no less than 15C.
Pruning tomato plants is a common method of controlling the size and helping to keep disease at bay. Pruning is normally only done to vine plants to limit the number of trusses, 4 to 6 is a good quantity, also removing lower shoots keeps the foliage clear of the ground consequently reducing the risk of contracting a disease from the soil.
Bush tomato plants as the name suggests grow into a bush of a determinate size, usually 2' to 3' high and typically there is no need to prune bush varieties of tomato plants.
For more information on growing tomato plants and for expert advice
- Grow Tomato
- Describes the best way of going about planting, growing and producing lots of great tomatoes in your own garden with very little effort.
- Homegrown Tomatoes
- General hints and tips for producing home grown tomatoes with access to expert advice for doubling or tripling the yield of your tomato plants.
- Tomato Growing
- Everything you need to know about tomato growing including the basics for ensuring that you will always produce fresh juicy tomatoes for the kitchen.
- Growing Tomatos
- Growing tomatoes fresh from the garden, advice and information for growing the best red tomatoes.
- Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse
- Article on how to approach growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, plus access to more information and expert advice on growing tomatoes.
How to care for tomato plants
All vegetables need ongoing care and attention once planted and tomatoes, although strictly a fruit, are no exception.
We have already discussed how to prepare for growing tomatoes, in this section we are going to discuss the ongoing care of the plant as it grows.
First of all you need to ensure that the tomato plants receive regular watering that will ensure that they neither dry out or become saturated. This can be done with an automated watering system or just through regular watering with a watering can. Ideally the water you use will be slightly tepid through leaving the water in containers in the sun. This will prevent any shocking of the plants or cooling of the soil.
As the plants grow it is a good idea with the vine plant variety to pinch out excess growth as previously mentioned and to tie up the trusses as they develop using a soft garden string to prevent damage to the plant. Once the plant has the required number of trusses the main stem can be pinched out to top the plant and prevent further growth.
Once fruit starts to appear the plants should be given a bi-weekly supplement of a suitable tomato feed.
Other than that keep an eye out for disease and pests, any dead or discoloured leaves can be removed and the plants should be treated with a pesticide on an as needed basis.
Stick to this basic plan of preparation and ongoing care and you will soon have more tomatoes than you know what to do with. Eating the tomatoes as soon after picking as you can will ensure you can enjoy the very best in flavour and taste.
Growing Red Tomatoes
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byHeirloom Tomatoes
Perfect for the American garden
Smith & Hawken: 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden
Amazon Price: $77.37 (as of 02/14/2012)
33 people reviewed this book and they have all given it a 5 star rating. Below is the reason why in my opinion: -
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Big juicy information book for tomato lovers, August 27, 2002
By Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER) (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)
I confess to a passionate love of growing tomatoes that goes back to childhood. And I have an equal love for the taste of those sun-warm, acid-sweet juicy fruits that make summer taste like summer. This year, finally moving to a tomato-friendly climate for the first time in two decades, I rushed to plant an heirloom tomato even in a container, before I could cultivate a true garden.
Heirloom tomatoes come from seeds saved by tomato enthusiasts who have done us all the huge favor of preserving varieties of tomatoes that taste great, look interesting (all kinds of colors) and far better than the F1 hybrid boring red globes palmed off by the average seed company
This is just one of the 33 5 star reviews available at the time of writing.
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Home Grown Tomatoes
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byThis is a Pest Control Book that you will be using as a bible
When you have it you will wonder how you got this far without it.
Tiny Game Hunting: Environmentally Healthy Ways to Trap and Kill the Pests in Your House and Garden New Edition
Amazon Price: $5.25 (as of 02/14/2012)
This review is from: Tiny Game Hunting (Paperback)
This could be the most useful book I own. It gets more use than my dictionary. Tiny Game Hunting offers practical and effective methods of capturing or killing common household and garden pests; everything from insects and spiders, to lizards and snakes, and mice and gophers. It focuses on environmentally safe extermination methods. Many of the traps, repellents, and pesticides can be made cheaply with common items found in the kitchen or garage. More than just pest control, the book offers some basic information on the habits and history of the critters. Have a problem with a pest? I bet it's in here. It's honestly one of the best books I'll ever own!
Expert tomato growing advice
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byGrowing Tomatoes
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byIf this lens has helped you towards growing your own tomatoes let us know
-
Reply
-
cffutah
Oct 11, 2011 @ 3:50 pm | delete
- it did, doing something better is always nice. gave your lens a 'thumbs up'.
-
-
Reply
-
immomma
Sep 20, 2011 @ 3:46 pm | delete
- Hopefully with these tips my tomatoes will grow better next year.
-
-
Reply
-
BrianS
Sep 21, 2011 @ 6:07 am | delete
- Well it has helped mine, bumper crop this year. So good luck, it is relatively easy when you get started.
-
-
Reply
-
MamaBelle
Jul 7, 2011 @ 6:05 am | delete
- I should really grow some tomatoes in my garden. Great lens!
-
-
Reply
-
TIRMassageStone
Jun 28, 2011 @ 12:09 pm | delete
- Cool stuff!
-
- Load More
If you loved this lens on growing tomatoes?
Click on the thumbs up.
This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.
Tomato Growing Articles on Ezine
- Using a mulch when growing tomatoes
- The purpose of mulching is to prevent loss of moisture from the soil, reduce leaching of the fertiliser, suppress weed growth and keep the fruit off the ground helping to ensure that there is less risk of disease and fruit rotting.
- How to Plant Tomatoes and Care For Tomatoes When Greenhouse Growing
- One of the main reasons for using a greenhouse when growing tomatoes is because of the climate you live in. If you cannot guarantee warm sunny weather for your tomatoes then you will need to consider using a greenhouse, this will help you control the climate for the tomato plants and give them a better chance of producing lots of edible fruit.
- Using a Greenhouse to Grow Tomatoes
- Many people have turned to growing their own vegetables and fruit at home. Often this is because they have become fed up of the mass produced offerings that you get in a supermarket that tend to be very uniform and aesthetically pleasing to look at but also rather tasteless. A great way of growing tomatoes, one of the most popular plants for amateur gardeners, is to utilise a greenhouse. Particularly if the weather where you live is not akin to perfect Florida sunshine and you need to provide a sheltered environment for your tomato plants.
- Home Grown Tomatoes in Limited Space
- Tomatoes are one of the easiest plants to grow at home and there are a number of options for growing tomatoes at home even if you do not have a decent sized plot of land to use.
- Tomato Plants Care and Feeding
- The tomato plant is one of the easiest plants to grow in the garden and is a great source of food for the family, they are both delicious to eat and promote good health. Learn how to care for tomato plants and you will be able to produce a lot of fruit throughout the growing season.
- Tomato Pruning, Is It Really Necessary to Prune Tomato Plants?
- It seems as though sometimes when working in the garden that there are a lot of tasks that we do that one might sometimes consider as being unnecessary. After all if a plant was growing wild as nature intended they would not get lavish care and attention would they?
- Tomato Plant Care and Essential Tips For Growing Tomatoes
- 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.
Good Tomato Growing
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byTomato Watering System
They do have some fantastic tomatoes though, especially in the French Food Market's
Caring for Tomatoes
Resources Section
- Growing and Caring for Tomatoes, An Essential Tomato Growing Book
- Growing and Caring for Tomatoes, all aspects covered in a concise eBook reference available from amazon.co.uk
- Euro Traveller UK to Europe
- Euro Traveller offers general travel advice for Europe, including cheap flights to Europe, ferrys to France, rail travel and bus travel for Europe
- English Wine
- English wines from the UK's finest vineyards that we have picked from the best. Our delivery is top of the tree!
- English Rosé Wine
- Rosé wine from the UK's best vineyards. We deliver to any address in the UK & beyond!
- English White Wine
- Our wines come from England's finest vineyards. We have personally researched the UK's market to ensure we deliver the best to your door!
- English Sparkling Wine
- English sparkling wine from specialists in the UK wine market. We've tried & tested the market to ensure we give you the best!
- English Red Wine
- English red wines from Englands finest vineyards. We delivery to any location in the UK & elsewhere.
by BrianS
Hi Everyone
I moved to France in March 2008 and started a gite business - French Holidays Aude This was after 33 years of working in technology for...
more »
- 58 featured lenses
- Winner of 14 trophies!
- Top lens » Registering a car in France
Explore related pages
- A "Secret" Potting Mix Formula for Tomatoes A "Secret" Potting Mix Formula for Tomatoes
- 10 Common Tomato Plant Problems 10 Common Tomato Plant Problems
- How To Grow Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes How To Grow Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes
- Heirloom Tomato Seeds Heirloom Tomato Seeds
- How To Trim Tomato Plants How To Trim Tomato Plants
- How Often Should Tomato Plants Be Watered? How Often Should Tomato Plants Be Watered?
Great Ways to Care For and Use Tomatoes
An Essential Tomato Growing Guide
Kindle Edition
Growing and Caring for Tomatoes, An Essential Tomato Growing Book
Amazon Price: (as of 02/14/2012)
This concise and complete guide to growing tomatoes is available in Amazon Kindle format at a great price. All the information you need presented in a logical order that is easy to understand, to get you started on growing your own delicious tomatoes.
Kindle Wireless Reading Device
Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology
Kindle Keyboard, Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display
Amazon Price: $79.00 (as of 02/14/2012)
#1 bestselling item for two years running. It's also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon.
