grow juicy , delicious tomatoes take a short know - how . Use these simple tips to enjoy your own bumper harvest .
Biting into summer ’s first sun - ripened tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) is one of the time of year ’s sweetest milestone . While foodstuff store and farmers markets deal mickle of tempt types , it ’s hard to outwit the flavor and freshness you ’ll get when you learn how to grow love apple , especially when considering the dazzling rainbow of heirloom and intercrossed assortment you could plant in your garden .
From huge , juicybeefsteak tomatoesto bite - sizecherry type , these summer staple amount in an array of physical body , colors , textures , and smell that will inspire you to new levels of creativeness in the kitchen . No matter which variety you pick out , here ’s how to uprise tomatoes successfully for a beautiful — and abundant — harvest .
Credit: Brie Williams
Where to Plant Tomatoes
Whether you need togrow tomato plantsin a garden seam or a container , choose a spot with at least six to eight hours of unmediated sunshine daily . Ideally , the garden soil should be well - drain , fecund , and have apH of 5.8 to 7 , but tomato plants grow in all types of soil except clay . Garden land may be too heavy forgrowing tomato plant plantsin containers , soadd compost or perliteor expend pot soil .
When and How to Grow Tomatoes
Though tomato seeds can be directly sown outside , you ’ll make headway a head start on thegrowing seasonby buying transplant orstarting seeds indoorssix to eight hebdomad beforeyour area ’s average last frost date . hold off for the soil to warm , then transfer the tomato plant plants outside .
Encouragetomato seeds to germinatewhen indoors by site ejaculate flats or potful on a high temperature matte but should not go over 95 ° F .
Plant Deeply
When planting , remove each plant ’s lowest leaves and set the root ball in a hollow late enough so that only the top clump of leaves is above ground . This planting deepness is essential for tomato plant plant , which can mold root along their stems . These surplus roots help cast anchor the plant , especially when commence with marvelous , leggy transplant , and allow for better intake of urine and nutrients .
Space Properly
localize small bush tomato varieties24 inches aside and larger varieties 36 to 48 inch aside . This is especially crucial for sprawl indeterminate type — the tomato varieties that keep mature until there ’s a frost . Afterplanting the tomatoes , water them thoroughly .
Prepare Support
Stake , trellis , or cagethe tomato plants ( especially vining varieties ) immediately after planting . Skip this footstep for small bush or patio tomato , which can often endorse themselves . practice cages and stakesto keep leaves and developing tomatoes off the ground as the flora grow , preventing fruit molder andplant diseases .
Select sturdytomato cagesthat stand 5 to 6 feet grandiloquent . Firmly anchor the cages to the terra firma with stake to keep the plants from waste over and being extirpate during tempest . Another selection is to impound 8 - foot stakes at least 12 inches into the ground and 4 inches from the plant ; then , tie tomato stems to the stakes with garden string , ego - adhesive tape , or strip show of cloth .
Disinfect used stakes and cages with rub alcoholic drink to take any pathogens that may have formed .
Tomato Plant Care Tips
Tomato plants are adaptable to less - than - optimal conditions , but meeting their best-loved conditions give the juiciest , most delicious yield .
Light
In ecumenical , tomato plants require full sun(six to eight hours of sunlight day by day ) . In extremely hot stipulation , cockcrow sun and swooning afternoon shade is sufficient . Although the plant life will grow in predominantly shadowed areas , the production of fruit is severely limited .
Soil and Water
Tomato works raise best when they have well - drain filth and consistent moisture . If it rains less than an inch per calendar week , supplement by lachrymation . In sprinkler terms , that ’s 20 minutes three times a workweek . If you find the plants starting to droop , you may need to water more frequently in very hot weather . To forbid diseases , annul wetting the foliage . apply a watering can or wand to deliver water directly to the root zones , or use adrip irrigation scheme .
localize mulch around your tomato plant works admonish weeds , maintain soil moisture , and forestall diseases from splashing off the soil onto the leaves when it rain down .
Apply a 3 — to 4 – inch layer oforganic mulch , such as stalk or shredded wood , and replace it as it decomposes .
Temperature and Humidity
Tomatoes are fond - weather fan . Wait until the stain warms in saltation before setting out plants . Tomato plants function best when the temperature is between 55 ° F and 85 ° fluorine . Although they get laid the sun , when the temperature rises above 85 ° F , they ca n’t set yield .
love apple prefer a relatively high humidity level of 65 percent to 85 percent . floor high than this range negatively affect the plant life .
Fertilizer
Lycopersicon esculentum plants produce well when fertilized at two specific times during the growing season : justly after planting and just before the fruit develops . Apply abalanced liquified industrial plant food , such as 5 - 5 - 5 , according to package focussing .
Pruning
love apple plant do n’t have to be dress , butremoving any side shootsgrowing between the chief stem turn and a subdivision is a good melodic theme since they exhaust energy that could be going toward the branches spring up yield .
Prune Lycopersicon esculentum industrial plant for better airflow , allow for even low-cal distribution , and simplify trellising , all help prevent common diseases .
Pests and Problems
Gardeners are n’t the only creatures that like the fashion Lycopersicon esculentum try out . The works attract ahost of unwanted visitor , crop from the capably namedtomato hornwormto the ever - presentaphid menaceand everything in between . The good advice is to remain vigilant . Watch for the beginning of anydamage to your plant , identify the cause , and use good management techniques as soon as potential .
In the typeface of hornworms , just pick them off ( yuck ! ) . Treat aphids , white fly sheet , and wanderer tinge with insecticidal soap orneem oil , following the Cartesian product direction .
Other problem with tomato plant works includeblossom terminate rot , which appears when the soil pH stage is too low , and blossom drop curtain , which result from nighttime temperatures that strike below the plant ’s preferred nighttime range of 55 ° F to 75 ° F .
How to Propagate Tomato Plants
Most gardeners start tomato plants from seeded player or buy transplants , buttaking cuttingsfrom existingtomato plants in the gardencan extend the season in areas with lengthy growing periods . In May or June , cut 4- to 8 - inch cutting from unwanted side shoot on the plant life . Remove the leaves from the bottom half of the cut and place it in weewee in a gay place . After roots have germinate in three to four weeks , plant the cut in a diminished pot containing well - draining garden dirt or pot territory . After it is well root , transfer it into the garden . In quick areas , you may see love apple before Robert Lee Frost .
How to Harvest and Store Tomatoes
tomato plant are select for plucking when they ’re to the full color in and firm . Weather plays a role in the timeline ; tomatoes ripen best at temperatures close to 75 ° F . When the temperature arise to about 90 ° F , the fruits weaken and develop pathetic color . If you pick gullible tomatoes at mature size , they will mature indoors .
Before a backbreaking frost , glean all but the greenest fruits and get them indoors . habituate them in a formula or provide the fleeceable fruits to mature in a closed paper bag . Check the fruits once a week for ripeness , remove any shitty tomatoes or those not showing signs of ripening . you could also uproot whole plants and cling them in a ardent , sheltered dapple where the fruits can preserve to ripen .
Ripe love apple can be stored on your kitchen return for up to a week , reckon on the room ’s temperature . you may put tomato plant in the refrigerator , but they wo n’t taste as incredible as thosestored at room temperature .
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes , indeed . Deer like tomatoesjust as much as gardeners do . In addition to cervid , theculprits include woodchuck , squirrels , rabbits , raccoon , and chipmunks . place a mesh “ cage ” over the tomato plant plants , erect a 4 - metrical unit fence around the garden , and putting out filthy - smelling handicap may help . To be safe , plant more Lycopersicon esculentum plants than you need .
Tomato plants are ego - fertile , bank primarily on the nothingness to vibrate the blooms and release the pollen . Bees also supply this divine service . When the wind is calm and bees are nowhere to be come up , some gardener recur tohand pollination . They gently shake the plants or use an electric toothbrush ( or a like commercial twist ) to put up the vibrations that cause the plant to release its pollen .
Tomatoes come in many people of color , include white-livered , orangish , pink , green , Bourgogne , purpleness , and practically black . unlike coloring tomatoes grow sugars and acids in different amount of money . For lesson , orange or yellow tomato are balmy and less acidic than violent tomatoes .
McCarty , Grant . “Tomato Cages Vs . stake . ”Illinois Extension College of Agriculture , Consumer & Environmental Sciences . 2018 .
