Tips for Growing Tomato Plants

The Tomato Garden, August 26
Image by AlyssssylA via Flickr

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.

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