bush-tomatoes

We all love our veggies, especially tomatoes. They are the base for almost anything and everything we eat, be it sauce, sandwich, or a curry. There is so much demand for tomatoes worldwide and this causes inflation in prices. With a lot of vegetable poisoning going around, there is a big chance that we may have health issues. The best way to beat the potential health problems and inflation is to grow tomatoes on our own. That is easier said than done; growing tomatoes are quite hard compared to other vegetables. So to help all the gardening enthusiasts out, here are few tips to grow tomatoes in your garden.

Choose the Tomato

The first step to a healthy garden and thereby tomato harvest is to choose a suitable one. Tomatoes are warmth lovers and they need special care and certain varieties of tomatoes have certain pre-requisites for the perfect blooming. You need to research the different types of tomatoes available and analyze the temperature where you live and the soil in your garden.

Prepare the soil

Before you actually plant the seeds or tiny sapling, prepare the soil to make it suitable for tomato harvesting. This vegetable need a soil with a pH ranging from 6.2 to 6.8 and with at least 3-4 inches of the composite to your beds or containers will help.

Plant it Deep

Tomatoes need a lot of moisture and would be strong if they have long roots. In order to strengthen your plant, you will need to plant it really deep, so that two-thirds of the stem will be in the ground. This will enable the roots to grow over the stem. While planting, make sure it is a spot where there is direct access to sunlight as they love the warmth.

Mulch and Water

Like mentioned before, tomatoes need a lot of water and care. They are also very prone to drought, so it is best to water them regularly. Additionally mulching over the soil will help keep the moisture in and protect the roots and soil from heating up too much during a heat wave. Mulch also protects the plant from weeds, while providing the nutrients it needs.

Support the Plant

Tomatoes tend to droop a little toward the ground as they grow to their full height, which will range from 5-8 ft depending upon the variety. So giving it a support by staking the root and plant or by growing it in the container or keeping a cage around it will prevent the plant from touching the ground and thereby preventing diseases.

Nourishment

They require a constant showering of nutrients to give the best of flavors. You can provide these nutrients through various plant foods available in the market and additionally use natural compost or packaged ones from the market. When looking for plants sprays, look for the ones that safe for the plants and its consumers.

Troubleshoots

Tomatoes are more susceptible to diseases and decay than other vegetables. This means you will have to be really attentive to your plant and keep an eye out for pests that may potentially damage your plant like tomato hornworms. To do so, you could spray various plant safe anti-pest sprays available in the market or pull them out. Also during peak summer, you may find that the fruits are not blooming. Fret not, this happens during summers and once the temperature cools down, you will see green tomatoes blooming once again. In the meanwhile, do keep harvesting the bloomed ones to release the burden from the plant. Also with the oncoming of humid weather, tomatoes may be infected by fungi like that of early or late blight. This may cause your plant to die if not taken care of, so you will have to look out for unhealthy looking leaves so it doesn’t spread to the rest of the plant.

Additional Tips

Tomatoes are sensitive vegetables, especially to temperature. So make sure you don’t expose the plant to the cold temperature less than 50. This is also why they are planted 2-3 weeks after the frost is gone. But there are times when spring will be colder than usual, to prevent scarred tomatoes, make sure you use plastic wrap and other similar covering objects to protect the plants from the cold.

About The Author:

quanghoangI’m Quang Hoang and GrowGardener is my little nook for all the adventures, and occasional misadventures, on my journey in gardening! As I continue to awaken life in little seeds and struggle to keep flora alive, I’ll be here sharing with all of you what I’ve learned! Join me in my little garden, and let’s grow together.

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