Tomato Growing Tips – Crop Rotation

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Crop rotation as a method of controlling pests and diseases can be easy to do, but each and every area where tomato plants are being grown will be affected in a different way. That could be because of what has been planted in the soil previously or even what is being grown in nearby yards and the care taken in those yards to control pests.

If the neighboring area is very organic conscious then the pest problem should be a lot less. However, the opposite could be the case and neighbors may not take their pest problem too seriously and all sorts of pests are in the area, much to a conscientious growers annoyance.

When rotating crops a soil building crop should be planted after the tomatoes have finished as this is a sure way to build the soil health up again, but also to break the cycle of pests and diseases. When planting a soil building crop as a rotation crop, use plants that are of a nitrogen-fixing variety, like soya bean or rye. This will give the soil the best chance of having the nutrients replaced.

If a home garden is well mulched with organic material it will most likely be possible to get away with a two year rotation rather than the usual 3 year rotation. It really is worth taking the time to rotate the various crops as treating pests on tomatoe plants can be really time-consuming.

Water Tomato Plants With Minimum Damage

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One could be forgiven for thinking that the only way to damage a tomato plant is by having the pressure of the hose turned up too high, but unfortunately that is not the case. Although a high pressure could quite possibly damage a tomato plant there is much more harmful problem that could occur from water tomatoes.

Disease on tomato plants.

That’s right, disease! When a tomato plant is watered and the water sits on the tomato leaves the plant is much more likely to be subject to disease than if the watering was done at the soil only.

The spores of many diseases are in the air and when the tomato plant is wet the spores land in the water and sit there until the water dries, then it attacks the plant. All sounds quite logical when you think about, doesn’t it?

This is where good pruning comes in so that the lower leaves do not touch the soil.

Getting around the disease problem when watering.

Disease is going to get on the plant anyway, but in a much lesser way if watering is done at the soil level.

I am not suggesting that the plants shouldn’t have a hose down now and then because that will get rid of dust and so forth, but here are some guidelines for an alternative watering method.

Invest in a timer for watering. This is one thing I did years ago and it was one of the best moves I made. I learnt to enjoy my gardening so much more when I was not worried about how the garden was not going to be water when I was not there. Not only that, it would go on early in the morning and give the plants a good drink before the heat of the day.

Then I set up some water lines near my tomato plants. There are two methods I have used to water the tomatoes and one was the low sprinkler placed near the plant and it spayed in a semi-circle around the base of the plant. The other was a drip feed through small holes in the hose.

Either of these systems works well, but depending on the growing system that is being used one will probably work better than the other. Watering the tomatoes this way ensures that the leaves will stay dry most of the time. Even if you did not have an automatic system, you could still water when the temperature was quite warm and not damage the leaves or fruit by burning them as the sun heats up the water sitting on the leaves and fruit.

When to Plant to Avoid Tomato Growing Problems

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Tomato growing has become a very popular hobby for many people, men and women alike. The taste of a freshly picked tomato is a real delight and for this reason and because they are such prolific producers, tomatoes are grown in many countries around the world. Following are some tips to help avoid tomato growing problems during the planting and growing season.

The planting method and timing are important to the success of the tomato crop. Staggering the planting of tomato plants is one way that growers are able to have a longer harvesting season. Choosing the right tomato varieties to do this is part of the success. Some varieties take 65 days to produce fruit and others may take up to 85 days.

How to decide on what variety to plant.

One of the ways to avoid problems associated with growing tomatoes is to stagger a tomato harvest. Tomato growers need to wait until the soil temperature in their area is at least 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature during the day should also be 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature at night should be between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because tomato plants are so reliant on warmth to produce fruit, even if the plant is put in the ground very early in the season the fruit still only starts to ripen at the peak of the summer with the full harvest following on that that time. The tomatoes will stop ripening as soon as the first frosts arrive. They just will not tolerate frosts.

In warmer climates tomatoes can be grown all year round because they will still get the required 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.

If growing from seed then these can be planted indoors 6 – 8 weeks prior to the planned planting time outside. Read our article “Growing Tomatoes From Seeds” which describes in detail how to start growing tomato plants from seed and the steps that need to be taken to ensure a successful transplant.

Container grown tomatoes.

Container grown tomatoes is a popular way to follow the sun during the day if the climate where you live is not generous with the sunlight. These can be moved around during the day to follow the sun. We have also covered “Growing Tomatoes Upside Down” as another popular way to be able to move tomato plants around to ensure that they get the required amount of sunlight.

Soil preparation.

Sunlight is critical to the success of tomato growing but the soil is also important. Make sure the ground is well tilled before planting and that it is slightly acid with a pH level of 6.0 to 6.8. Although tomatoes are known to grow in many different types of soil, one high in organic matter, light and well drained is considered to be the best.

Using all these tips to avoid tomato growing problems the plants will have the best start towards their production of sweet tasting tomatoes.

Fertilize Tomatoes And Not Damage The Plants

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Tomatoes are a very fast growing fruit and one could be excused for thinking that they need lots and lots of fertilizer, but in fact tomatoes only need a moderate amount of fertilizer. In fact, less is more. If too much tomato fertilizer is applied to tomato plants they may end up with blossom-end rot.

What does work well with tomatoes is to prepare the soil well before planting, but not with anything that will burn the roots and then to side dress the plants during the growing season.

Soil acidity.

Soil for tomatoes should be slightly acidic and the pH balance according to Organic Gardening magazine should be between 6.0 and 6.8. The acidity of your soil is very important for the continued good health of the plant. If you cannot check the acidity of the soil then simply mix ¾ cup of lime and ½ cup of 8-8-8 fertilizer together. The 8-8-8 fertilizer may seem a mystery, but in actual fact it relates to the contents of the fertilizer which they designate by weight, the percentage of the three major nutrients that all plants need for strong healthy growth. If you use this mix you cannot go far wrong.

The mix is nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. The three ‘8’s’ relate in the sequence mentioned here. If the numbers are different it means that in that sequence the particular amount of that mix is changed.

Lime helps to reduce the overall nutrient imbalance of the soil and the good thing is that it also helps to control the blossom-end rot dilemma which is all too common when growing tomatoes.

Use this fertilizer as you are preparing your soil for planting.

Side dressing

Plants of any sort need more fertilizer once the fruit is about golf ball size. If fertilizing too early the plant will end up being a bunch of leaves and not much else. After that it is advisable to side dress about every 3 -4 weeks to keep the nutrients in the plant.

Using the 8-8-8 ratio mentioned earlier, or a ratio of 5-10-10, then use about 1 cup for 10 plants, or ½ a tablespoon for each plant.

Prepare a furrow around the plant about 6 inches away from the stem of the plant and about 1 – 2 inches deep, apply the fertilizer and back fill the furrow. Your regular watering will take the fertilizer down where it is needed.

Fertilizing the tomato plants is important but as you can see it is not something that has to be done every day and not a lot of fertilizer is applied. Do take care not to get any of the tomato fertilizer on the stems or leaves of the plant as it will burn and damage them.

How to Grow Upside Down Tomatoes

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For many years now I have been excited about growing tomatoes ‘upside down’. Well, that’s what it seemed like I was doing anyway. As a keen gardener I love to see the ‘fruits’ of my work as I sit on the balcony and growing tomatoes upside down has been the ideal way to do that.

Not only that, it is so convenient to just walk out and take from the tomato plant those beautiful fresh tomatoes that I want to use in my salad. Another factor that I have discovered when growing tomatoes upside down is that I can hang my planters at the edge of the balcony and they still enjoy the sun all day long, whereas when I have them on the ground in containers the sun drops away about eleven in the morning.

What to grow upside down.

Over time it has shown that there are really no restrictions on what tomatoes you can grow upside down. As long as the pot that they are grown in can feed the plant, even the larger tomato varieties do quite well. Maybe not quite as well as in the garden but they are still very prolific. Personally I just love the smaller varieties like the cherry tomato and the grape tomatoes and I do tend to stay with these, for two reasons:

• I like the fruit because it looks lovely in salads or on platters
• They do not hang down and enclose the balcony where I am sitting

All areas are different and each grower has their own preferences so do enjoy the experience of growing in this upside down style.

The benefit of growing tomatoes upside down.

Apart from the benefits mentioned about, which are just a personal choice, there are definite growing benefits as well:

•   The leaves and fruit are not resting on soil and therefore have more chance of staying pest and disease free
•   Plants often produce a better crop because of the fact they are not fighting diseases
•   It is easy to tend the plants because they are at a reachable level
•   They have better airflow around the stems and this helps in the growth of the fruit
•   They can be grown closer to the kitchen area for convenience
•   The plants can be moved around to take the full benefit of the sunlight
•   This method of growing is fantastic for those with small courtyards or limited outdoor space

I would really encourage you to try this method of growing tomatoes if you have not tried it before. I know the first time I got mine I was quite amazed at how successful it was.

How to Grow Container Tomatoes Successfully

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One of the wonderful aspects about growing tomatoes is that they can be grown in containers. There are a number of other aspects about growing tomatoes in containers that are really beneficial too and they will be covered here.

Growing container tomatoes allows for the flexibility of moving the containers around to ensure that the plants get at least 6 hours sun each day if this is a problem in your particular area or plant growing area.

The alternative to growing tomatoes in containers is to grow them in the garden, but that is not always the most practical for some people.

When tomatoes are gown in containers they can be placed near the kitchen when they get to the picking stage and this can be a benefit as opposed to a garden patch where a short walk would be needed to harvest the fruit.

Benefits of growing tomatoes in containers.

A feature of growing tomato plants this way is most definitely the fact that they are easier to tend when they are up off the ground. It requires less bending over to weed the plants and also to maintain the plant during the growing season when checking for pests and in tending to pruning.

Most varieties of tomatoes will grow in containers, but in truth the ones that do grow better are the not so large plants. Determinate varieties are those that will grow to the small size, usually between 1 to 2 feet in height. Growing tomatoes in pots does mean that they will ripen all at once and to counteract this it would be a good idea to plant about 4 weeks apart so that you have a longer harvesting season. A longer harvesting season can be obtained by selecting different varieties, so check this out when you are choosing plants to suit your climatic conditions.

Because the soil in pots does tend to dry out quicker than in the garden another useful tip is to choose plants that do not require so much water. To get the best crop from the tomato plant regular, consistent watering is best and at about 1 inch of water per week. This will keep the soil moist.

Requirements for growing tomatoes in pots.

Some suggest that growing in terracotta pots is a good idea, and in the cooler climates that does work but I have found in the more tropical environments that the terracotta pots get hot and dry the soil out too quickly. So now that I live in a more tropical climate I now grow my container tomatoes in plastic pots.

Good drainage is essential, so make sure there are several holes about ½ inch wide in the bottom of the pot and it is best to cover these with a fine mesh so that the soil does not wash out as you water the plants. Once you have placed the fine mesh (either plastic or wire) over the holes, place some course gravel or rocks on the bottom of the pot before adding the soil. This will provide good drainage and also prevent root rot.

Use a top quality soil mix to plant the tomatoes in and check the soil reasonably regularly to make sure that the required soil pH levels are right for growing tomatoes. They need to be between pH 5.5 and 8. By following these tips for growing container tomatoes you will be reaping large sweet tomatoes in a couple of months.

How to Grow Tomatoes from Seeds

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Growing tomatoes from seeds is not only easy, but it is a joy to see the young seedlings rise through the soil. Children especially love seeing this development so growing your tomatoes from seeds would be a wonderful involvement with them.

Using seeds to start your tomato growing is not only inexpensive but you can also use your own seeds from the previous year’s fruit and this can have the added thrill of being the creator of your own fruit this year.

Preparing the seed box.

Start this process about 8 weeks before the warm weather. Use quality potting mix and fill a seed tray to within 1 inch of the top. Sprinkle the seeds over the top of the tray with a good space in between each seed. The reason for spreading the seed is that when it is time to transplant them you do not damage the fine roots in separating the plants. Mist the soil and seeds and place the seed tray in a warm location.

Seeds like moist air so a good method is to put cling film over the top of the tray to promote moisture. Be careful not to over water the seeds. That is why a mist spray is ideal. Once the seedlings begin to appear, remove the cling film.

Once the seedlings are all up start acclimatizing the plants to the outdoors by taking them outside in the morning sun, then place them in the shade not in the sun during the day after a few weeks. Then slowly they can be put in the full sun for an hour or two to harden them up.

The first and second transplant.

When the seedlings are 1 to 2 inches high they can be transplanted into small individual pots. Lift the seedlings by the leaves and place it gently in a hole pressed into the small individual pot then gently firm the soil around it. Avoid touching the stem at any stage because it is quite fragile still and can break easily. Water the pot.

The pots could be kept outside now and in the sunlight. In saying that, still take care that if it is a very hot day, they are not in the sun during the heat of the day. Ensure that the plants all get even exposure to the sun and this may require turning the pots.

How to Grow Tomatoes Successfully

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Tomatoes are by far the most popularly homegrown vegetable. Well, the truth is, it is not a vegetable but a fruit, but for the sake of the comparison it has been termed a vegetable.

Growing tomatoes is basically quite easy, but it is watching those pests and blights that cause the most problems. In the home environment it is quite easy to have organically grown tomatoes and this style of growing is gaining popularity all the time.

There are over 7,500 varieties of tomatoes, but don’t be overwhelmed by that as many would not suit your personal uses anyway.

When looking for some varieties to grow firstly consider:

•   the climate that you live in
•   the time you have to maintain your plants
•   how much fruit you want to harvest
•   whether you want tall plants or smaller plants

Considering each of these pointers will shortlist the varieties for you to choose from.

Tomatoes need the outdoor temperature to be between 65 to 85°F during the day and no cooler than 60°F at night. In most places this means that it is into the end of the first month of summer to plant the seedlings.

When planting the seedlings into the ground they need to be placed 12 to 18 inches apart so that they are not crowded and are getting intertwined with each other. If some of the larger varieties of plants have been chosen, the gap in between may even need to be as much as 36 inches.

If planting into containers, use one large container for the larger plants, but if the smaller dwarf varieties are going to be grown, it is possible to set 2 or three in a large pot.

Supporting tomato plants.

The reason for supporting the plants is because it is imperative that the leaves and fruit are up off the ground or they will be disease ridden and be ruined by pests. As well as that, when they are up and supported, the tomatoes have a much better chance of ripening properly.

The taller varieties are going to need support from the moment they are about 8 inches high. Leaves on the young plants grow quite fast so it is advisable to gently support the tomato stem as early as possible. When the plants are initially chosen it is advisable to also decide on the style of support that is intended for them. Is it going to be:

•   A trellis
•   A stake
•   A teepee
•   A cage

Maintaining tomato plants.

Tomato plants love and do require a minimum of 6 hours sunshine a day and they need to have a constant supply of water, about 1 inch per week.

Plants can be pruned, but it is best not to be too vicious with this. Tomatoes do bet burnt with too much sunlight on the fruit so make sure that the upper leaves are left to shade the fruit. It is quite a good idea to trim the leaves up to the first branches. Trimming suckers that grow in the joint of the branches helps keep the plant sending vital nutrients to the fruit.

Harvesting the fruit from your own plants is a fantastic experience and one to be shared by the family. There is no sweeter taste than fruit that is grown by your own hand.

Do read our other articles on the various aspects of growing tomatoes as they cover in more detail other information of interest.

Tips for Growing Tomato Plants

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Do you ever talk to other home tomato growers? It is quite amazing just how passionate these gardeners are. It is almost like they are raising children and let me tell you, they are quite competitive! The hobby of growing tomato plants is worldwide and with it comes the absolute passion that tomato growers share. Let’s tap into their tips for growing tomato plants?

Planting tips.

Tomatoes are lovers of heat. They thrive on it so what many avid gardeners do is heat the soil before planting their plants. To do this, cover the area with black or red plastic for a couple of weeks before planting. What this does is speed up the production of fruit and tomatoes often ripen earlier than usual.

When planting the tomato seedling into the ground, plant it very deep, right up to the top four to six leaves. Tomatoes develop roots along the stem and this makes for healthier plant, but also one that is strong and can support the growth of heavier crops.

Maintaining the growing plant.

In an effort to direct the energy of the plant into the fruit, prune out the suckers that grow at the crotch of the leaf as these suckers do nothing but take energy from the plant. Remove them very carefully with a small sharp blade to cause as little damage to the plant as possible. Leave a little stub to dry out.

Remove the lower leaves of the plant, up to the first branch. Also if the plant has an abundance of leaves prune some of them back to allow good air flow but take care to leave the fruit covered so that it does not get burnt by the sun. Some growers will actually remove only half a leaf so that the remainder of the leaf can still do its job of photosynthesis.

Consistent watering of the plant is important. They need to be watered deeply because the roots go deep. An automatic watering system is excellent for this if you have several plants and it ensures that there are no dry periods, which is extremely detrimental to the tomato plant. When the plant is in fruit the amount of water that is used each day can be reduced slightly as the plant then concentrates its sugars.

Companion planting.

One easy way to help with pest control is to do what is called ‘companion planting’ and that is to plant certain plants that will keep the tomato pests under control. Two very good ones are the marigold flower and basil.

Learn more about trap crops as these attract pests that would otherwise go on to the tomato plants.

These tomato growing tips will be of great benefit to you if you did not know them already and your crops will benefit.