How To Grow Tomatoes

Enjoy delicious garden-fresh tomatoes when you learn to grow them yourself. With a little care and some planning, you are sure to succeed.

Growing requirements

Tomatoes can grow just about anywhere. The first requirement for growing tomatoes is plenty of sunlight. For the best results, locate your garden or pots in a sunny area for full sun and less than three hours of afternoon shade per day. Most soils need some augmentation to make them ideal for tomatoes. A well-drained, loamy soil with a pH of 5.8 to 7.0 suits most varieties well. To space your plants, give them approximately two feet of space on all sides if you are using stakes. For un-staked varieties, use six feet of space.

Choosing seeds or plants

There are hundreds of tomato varieties that are available for purchase. Each one produces a particular texture, taste and yield. The growing requirements are the same for almost all of them. The varieties best for beginners tend to require less care. For an easy starter plant, choose from Early Girl, Beefsteak, Celebrity, Roma or Cherry tomatoes. Once you choose your seeds or starter plants, plant them according to the included directions. If this information was not included, it is easy to obtain it from the people you bought your seeds from.

General care

Once your tomatoes are planted, it is time to start the general care that continues until harvest. The first is watering. Tomatoes enjoy deep watering, at least six to eight inches, at least twice a week. During hot periods, increase this as needed. They do like to dry out a bit between watering, so keep that in mind. Next, consider mulching the soil. This prevents excess moisture loss, and the growth of weeds in your garden. Your tomatoes also need fertilizer throughout their life cycle. Many manufacturers offer slow release formulas and even tomato specific types that are great for beginners.

Once your plants are started, and you care for them through the season, you can enjoy delicious tomatoes. Use them in your favorite sauces, salads or eat them raw. Learning is part of the process and every season, see improvements in your crop.

Learning is part of the process and every season, see improvements in your crop