More tomato growing tips and suggestions for a successful crop. Prevention is always better than cure, so with some good pointers in the right direction, it is easier to avoid the common problems. More info. at: www.tomatogrowing.co.uk
Archive for July, 2010
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Tomato Growing Tips Part 2
2010
07.31
07.31
Growing Organic Tomato Plants
2010
07.31
07.31
Growing tomato plants is the most popular choice of individual gardeners for their home gardens. The plants are easy to grow and yield delicious fruit that can be incorporated into many foods or eaten raw. But many gardeners worry about pesticides and unnatural fertilizers and the effect these may have on the plants and the people who eat them. Some gardeners therefore choose growing tomato plants organically.
The key to growing anything organically is to avoid things like pesticides that contain unnatural chemical elements. Organic tomatoes should be grown in a warm sunny location. This can be anything from a container inside the home to a pot hung upside down to in the ground outside in a traditional garden. They should be given ample water as they grow.
Different types of tomatoes grow better or worse in different parts of the world and different climates. Discovering which varieties work best in a specific part of the world requires some research. Often nurseries or gardening publications will be able to advise as to which types of tomato plants have the most successful history of growing in a given location.
Many commercial brands of soil contain chemicals, so in order to grow tomatoes organically, an organic brand of soil will need to be purchased. Organic soil, unlike inorganic types, does not use chemicals to try to deter pests and make plants grow more rapidly. Organic soil instead uses compost and manure (from organically-fed animals) to do these jobs. The organic soil should be extremely dark, moist and fragrant. Organic soil can be more expensive than inorganic soil, and promotes slower, more natural growth of plants.
Organic tomatoes will need to be given organic fertilizer every other week to help them grow. Once they begin to bear fruit, they’ll need fertilizer after every flush of tomatoes. Instead of being made from chemicals, organic fertilizers consist of plants, animals and minerals.
If the tomatoes are not being grown upside down, they will need support. Stakes, wire cages and trellises can provide necessary support as the tomato plants get too tall to support themselves. If the tomatoes are not supported somehow they will grow wild on the ground, which could cause them to attract pests and diseases.
Any type of tomato plant – organic or inorganic – will need plenty of water as it grows. The plants will need regular, frequent watering. Irregular watering could cause them to wilt.
Once the soil is warm, mulching under the tomatoes will help prevent weeds from growing. Mulching will also keep soil temperatures and water levels under control. Controlling water levels is critical to preventing blossom end rot, one of the diseases that may result from irregular watering.
One challenge faced when attempting to grow organic tomatoes is fending off pests. Typically, pests are warded off with chemical pesticides. But there are ways to defend against insects while still growing organically.
Pests like healthy plants. Therefore, one simple way to help defend an organic tomato garden from ins
ects is simply to keep the plants healthy. Plants that are too wet or too dry will attract more pests. Natural predators or pests will also keep them away. Ladybugs, birds, frogs and lizards will all kill pests if the garden has a source of water to attract them to it. Some other methods include sticky traps, barriers and plant collars.
Adam Bradley just wanted some great tasting tomatoes! His family had so much fun “tomato farming” it got out of hand. When people began asking for advice he decided to use his first hand knowledge and research the secrets of growing tomatoe plants. Read here: http://tomatogardencenter.com/growing-happy-tomato-plants/. He invites anyone who would like some great tomato growing tips, to his free Mini-Course on growing tomatoes: http://www.tomatogardencenter.com.
Juicy Tomatoes Growing Indoors
2010
07.31
07.31
Not everyone has the space for a garden. But that does not mean they cannot grow tomatoes that are just as delicious as those grown outdoors. Growing tomatoes indoors can be done as successfully as they can be grown outside in a garden.
The first step in growing indoor tomatoes is to choose which variety of tomato you want to plant. Determinate varieties may be better for indoor growing, as they do not grow as large as indeterminate varieties. Crack-resistant types of tomatoes are also a good choice, as they will do better under the lights required for indoor growing.
Deciding where in your house to grow the tomatoes will depend on several factors. It is necessary to be able to get to the plant frequently to care for it, but the tomatoes should at the same time be kept out of high-traffic areas. It also has to be an area of your living space that will not get very cold, as basements and garages tend to. The floor may also be too cold, so consider growing the plants on a table. In fact, no matter where you place the plant, it should always remain warm. The temperature should stay above 60?F (about 15.5?C) at night and be at or above 70?F (about 21?C) during the day.
Tomato plants require lots of light. This is a key concern in growing them indoors. Sometimes, a location in the home that gets ample sunlight is sufficient, but often grow lights are necessary. For tomatoes in particular, a light that produces about 40 watts per square foot is needed. Grow lights may be HID, HPS, LED or MH. HID, HPS and MH are all high-intensity lights that closely resemble natural sunlight. LED lights have a long life and come in a variety of colors so you can choose the one that works best for your plant. Grow lights can be purchased at most home improvement stores.
Once the plants have a location and are in their pots, they will need to be monitored and cared for. Tomato plants need 12 to 14 hours of light from the grow lamps every day. Keep the lamps about an inch (2.5 centimeters) from the top of the plant.
The plants may need to be transplanted as they grow, as tomato plants can grow to be large. They will also need thorough, regular watering. Too much or too little water can harm the plant and ruin the fruit. The soil should dry out between watering.
Eventually, the tomatoes will start to appear on the plant as yellow blooms. At this point, the plants need phosphorus, which they can get from bone meal scratched into the top of the soil.
The plant will also need to be pollinated. Usually, the wind will pollinate the plant, but because it is being grown indoors away from the wind, it will be necessary to do this process by hand. You can simply shake the plant gently to allow it to pollinate. This can be done about once every week during the time in which the plant is producing blooms.
All tomato plants need support as they grow. A cage or stake will give the plant some support as it becomes heavier and heavier from the ripening fruit. Gently attach the plant to its support and allow it to continue growing.
Soon, you’ll be enjoying fresh tomatoes grown right in your own home.
Adam Bradley just wanted some great tasting tomatoes! His family had so much fun “tomato farming” it got out of hand. When people began asking for indoor advice, he used first hand knowledge and research to offer tips on growing tomatoes indoors. Read more here: http://tomatogardencenter.com/growing-tomatoes-indoors-gardenless/. He invites anyone who would like some great tomato growing tips, to his free Mini-Course on growing tomatoes: http://www.tomatogardencenter.com.
Growing a Tomato Garden is Like Raising Children
2010
07.30
07.30
Most people who like growing tomatoes prefer to grow them from the seeds rather than from the tomato plants from the nursery. Although there are many varieties of tomato plants which are good for first-timers like Better Boy, Creole and Brandywine, many seasoned gardeners prefer growing tomatoes from seeds as they feel that this helps prevent any soil or plant contamination that may have been brought to the greenhouse and nurseries from outside environments.
A good tomato garden needs a very sunny place. Lighting is of utmost importance to tomatoes and the seedlings might end up being very leggy looking for light if the ambience isn’t very bright.
Whether you decide to use seedlings from your local nursery or grow your own from seeds, tomato plants require good, compost rich, slightly acidic, nutrient rich soil. As organic content in the soil is extremely good for the growing tomato plants, spreading the compost well over the top layer of 2-3 inches will be good to provide them the nutrients they need. The ideal compost percentage is around 25-40 kilograms per every square meter of soil. If you intend to apply fertilizers to your soil mixture, make special note of the N-P-K distinction on the labels. N stands for the amount of nitrogen, P for potassium, and K for phospherous. Nitrogen is a growth nutrient and is the least required. Your plants will grow naturally. The other two, potassium and phosperous are very helpful for the color of the tomatoes and the strength of the vines.
If you start your seedlings indoors, then caution must be taken in making the transition to the outdoor garden environment. Moving the tomato seedlings to the tomato garden should be done carefully. It consists of 3 main steps which will ensure that the plants live after being transplanted to the garden.
The first and most important step is called hardening, or conditioning of the young seedlings to the outdoors. While still in the starter pots the plants should be placed outdoors in the shade to introduce them to the sunlight but with enough protection that the leaves are not burned. Many times a light mesh cloth or screen is used to provide necessary protection. Three to four days should be sufficient.
Once your plants are ready to plant in the garden it is important that the soil around the plant receive sufficient water right after transplanting. Three to four liters of water is necessary to assist in reducing the shock of the transplant.
And a final step is to insure that you place your plants deep in the soil. With your finger hold the position of where the current soil and the stem of the plant meet. You will want to bury the plant in the new garden soil at least one to two inches deeper! If there are small branches within this distance simple break them off. The additional portion of the stem/vine that you are planting deeper in the soil will produce many additional roots to help support the plant. The more roots you have, the healthier plant and fruit you will receive. Don’t worry about how short it looks, it’ll grow quickly!
As your plants grow you will need to pinch off dead branches and small suckers that grow in the joints between branches. Plucking the dead leaves usually at the bottom will also spark better growth. These bottom leaves usually have fungal infection and attrack ground pests. Pinching leaves will help sunlight reach the tomatoes which are ripening as well. However, as we know, leaves are required for photosynthesis and hence too much pruning will weaken the plants, don’t become too over zealous.
And here is the hard part. As your blossums turn to small maturing tomatoes you may need to thin the clusters. This is always difficult to pinch off a perfectly good young tomato but it is necessary to allow growth for others. Select the smaller, possibly deformed or pest damaged and carefully remove. While the plants are young and tomatoes are just beginning to grow, pinching off the tips of the branches will force the growth of the tomato fruit verses the vine.
An finally, always insure that your tomato plants get plenty of water. Tomato plants need a lot of sunlight and ample water to flourish. Water should be supplied at regular intervals.
Treat your tomato plants as if they were children! Lots of attention, everything in moderation, and be consistent (watering).
Happy gardening.
Adam Bradley just wanted some great tasting tomatoes! His family had so much fun “tomato farming” it got out of hand. When people began asking for advice, he used first hand knowledge and research to offer tips on growing great tomatoes. Read more here: http://tomatogardencenter.com/tomato-gardens-need-sunlight. He invites anyone who would like some great tips, to his free Mini-Course on growing tomatoes: http://www.tomatogardencenter.com.
Growing Container Tomatoes
2010
07.30
07.30
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Container tomatoes are another way to grow tomatoes in your kitchen garden. You will not need any planting bed, and it’s mobile hence you can take your valuable plants if you shift homes. Tomatoes are easy to plant and can be easily grown in containers.
Some of the best advantages of growing tomatoes in containers is that it is perfect for planting especially who have less space, and don’t have outdoor garden. These pots can be placed on the kitchen window sill or any other place where you can get adequate sunlight. Tomatoes require at least six hours of direct sunlight and hence these pots can be removed from place to place in the house to get maximum sunlight. When you grow plants in tubs and containers you don’t have to bother about digging over, especially if you are short on time.
There are an array of varieties of tomatoes that can be grown in containers successfully, but grow baby or plum tomatoes. It is difficult to grow very large tomatoes in the container and pots. These plants can grow to 1 or 2 feet maximum. If you plant tomatoes in pots they will al ripe at once, and hence if you grow small tomatoes you don’t have throw your precious growth. It is equally important to choose the ideal variety of tomato that has lower water demands to be successful in your planting endeavor. These plants need about one inch of water every week to keep the soil moist, make sure that you don’t get over bored and water plants too much, as too much water can cause the plant to wither.
When growing plants in containers, there are always some challenges to be faced. And one of the biggest challenges that you will face is to keep the soil moist and also enough room for the roots to grow and expand. The best way to keep to soil moist is o take a standard terracotta pot that provides sufficient space for the plant and roots to grow and the holes under the pot allow excess water to drain out. To prevent the roots from rotting you can place rocks at the bottom of the pot.
For the best growth you should grow tomatoes in a mix of sphagnum peat, perlite and vermiculite. Organic fertilizers should be added to the soil mix to enhance the growth and fortify the soil. You need to add fertilizer every two of four weeks.
It is a wonderful feeling to know that you can actually grow your own plants and to top it all these are free from any kind of fertilizer or harmful chemicals and hence these organic tomatoes taste better than the store ones. Growing plants in containers is the ideal way of growing if you are an apartment dweller or have limited space, and you can also satisfy the farmer in you.
Growing tomatoes had never been more fun and now with such proper manures and ready soil mixes, you don’t have to go through any hassle to grow tomatoes. So grow your container tomatoes and enjoy and share the taste of sweet and organic tomatoes without any hassle.
For more about growing tomatoes , visit GROWIN GOMATOES TIPS