Tomatoes are the most popular home grown vegetable in this country, so say’s the U. S. Department of Agriculture. This tells me that tomatoes are not all that hard to grow. The cost is low, you don’t need a lot of room and the best thing of all is that when the tomatoes start growing, the feeling of accomplishment is priceless. Now that may read a bit corny, but it is true.
If you really like tomatoes but you hate paying the high cost of low quality tomatoes at the grocery store, then by all means you should learn how to grow your own. I mean really, does anybody know how old those things actually are by the time we buy them?
Growing a tomato garden will repay your little bit of attention by supplying you with big, ripe, luscious tomatoes that will have your family and friends glad they know you. If you’ve never tasted really fresh tomatoes, once you do there is no growing back.
Get it, growing back? Okay, so I grow tomatoes better than I make people laugh, if you follow the instructions below, you too will be eating your very own vine-ripe tomatoes, from your little or big tomato garden in no time.
If you have a lot of time on your hands, you can start your tomato garden from seeds. However, going to your local garden center and buying already started tomato plants is recommended. This way, you can choose the healthiest plants and you don’t have to wait around to see if your seeds will take root.
Depending on where you live is also a factor. If you have a home and plan to grow your tomatoes outdoors, you can grow several types of tomatoes at once. Make sure you choose a spot that gets at least eight hours of good sunlight, some growers say 12 to 16 hours, but really 8 will do.
If you live in an apartment or condo and are growing your tomato garden in a big pot, make sure you have plenty of holes in it for good drainage. Of course, depending on your pot size will determine how many plants you can grow at once, usually two per pot is best. You may want to prepare your pot a couple weeks in advance if you think of it, even that isn’t really necessary but is a good idea.
When buying your baby tomato plants, get yourself some good loamy dirt, as much as you need for your tomato garden. A good bag of fertilizer, (speak with the gardener at your local nursery and ask him/her which fertilizer would be best for where you live and what the conditions are), and a good organic bag(s) of mulch if planting outdoors.
Staking your tomato plants is important, so you may want to pick up some tomato cadges, a trellis or two, or just a couple of wooden dowels and your ready to plant your tomato garden.
If planting outdoors, mix your good dirt with what’s already there and mix a little of the fertilizer in with everything, not too much fertilizer though, especially if planting in pots. Plant your tomatoes deep and cover the bottom stems of the plants, this will make your tomato plants grow more roots, ensuring healthier plants.
Place your support system, either stakes or cadges close to your plants, then tie with soft twine or yarn leaving room to grow. Water your plants thoroughly making sure the soil is completely wet then cover with mulch and that’s about it.
When your plants begin to flower for the first time, pinch these flowers off. Your plants are still too young and you want their energy going into the roots, not the flowers. Keep an eye on your plants and watch out for pests although many tomato plants are being bred to be disease and pests free, this is something to ask the gardener too.
You are now an official tomato garden grower and pretty soon you will have fresh, juicy and sweet tomatoes. Good luck and good growing.