Growing Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the most popular of all plants for the home gardener. If you haven’t gardened before; however, you might be wondering how to go about planting and caring for your tomato plants.

One of the most important facts you should know about growing tomatoes is that they require a longer growing season than most other plants. For this reason many gardeners opt to start their seeds indoors several weeks before it is time to plant them in the garden outdoors. You can sow your seeds in small pots about ¼” deep using a potting mix. Keep in mind the seeds will need between a week and two weeks to germinate in a temperature of about 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. The soil should be kept moist but should not be allowed to become soggy. To keep maintain humidity you may wish to place plastic wrap over the pots; just remember to remove it when the seeds start to sprout.

Once this occurs it is time to move the seedlings to an area with full light. This could be under gardening lights or near a window that gets a lot of sun. Either way, the plants need sunlight about 12 hours a day and a temperature of 70-80 degree. When the plants reach about three weeks old you can start fertilizing them with diluted water-soluble fertilizer.

Due to the fact that bringing the plants outside will be a shock to them it is important to do it on a gradual basis. Start about a week before you plan to permanently place them outside. You might begin by moving them to an enclosed area during the day. Remember to never move your tomato plants permanently outside until all danger of frost has passed.

In addition, make sure the soil has warmed up before permanently moving the plants. Choose a location that will be sure to get full sun several hours a day; preferably at least eight hours per day. In the new location dig a large hole that will easily accommodate the plant roots. Before the plants are moved into the soil water them. Fill in the hole with some soil and then move the plants. Ideally they should be planted about two feet apart for plants that will be staked and four feet apart if they will grow on the ground. After you have moved them remember to cover the plants to protect them in case there is a light frost. Plastic gallon jugs work well for this purpose.

 
Site Locale: Growing Tomatoes

 
Our Network: PopularBiographies, WeightLossHub, LoveYourBaby