Tips for Growing Tomatoes
There are as many tips to grow tomatoes as there are varieties to choose from. Perhaps it's because this delectable fruit can be temperamental, confounding and downright frustrating if not grown with care. When done right, though, they're absolute bliss. I've been growing them for about twenty years, and when I stick to these simple steps, I get plenty to eat and share during our short but sweet season.
Timing is everything
Plant seeds early. This is the first key to success. Start in January, no exceptions. Plant seeds just below the surface of fresh potting soil in four-inch containers. Keep them moist until they germinate. Outdoors is best; bring them inside only when the temperature is below 45°.
Let’s get growing
Once the seeds pop, it’s a race against time. Those ‘maters don’t like it over 85°, so you need them to reach maturity before it’s too hot. Fertilize with fish emulsion or any low nitrogen liquid/water-soluble fertilizer every other week. It’s winter, so give them plenty of sunshine. Check for watering needs. If dry, soak them; if moist, check again tomorrow.
Bump them up!
You’ll need to get these babies into larger containers as they grow. Don’t hold them back. Once the seedlings have grown two sets of leaves, plant them into six-inch pots. When they’re 12 inches, transplant them into 14-inch pots where they’ll grow, mature and produce delicious fruit for the remainder of the season.
Bury the treasure
Plant at the bottom of the 14-inch pots with a few inches of soil below. Bury two-thirds up so that the tops of the plants stick above the soil. Use grass clippings as mulch over top; pine straw can substitute. Cover the stems with soil as they grow and continue to add clippings over the soil until you arrive at the top.
What’s a green thumb anyway?
Observation, interaction and passion are keys to success. Don’t stand on the back porch and look at your tomato factories from afar, get in there. Touch them, rub their leaves and take a whiff. The fragrance will intoxicate you with the passion that keeps tomato gardeners coming back year after year.
To water or not to water:
That is the question. If you’re new to this, it’s easy to overwater. Those layers of mulch under and above the soil are retaining moisture. If there’s been no rain, once a week watering should be good during the cool season. The plants will let you know for sure. The first signs of wilting means it’s time.
Pinch me, I see flowers!
Be encouraged by the flowers, but know there’s a long road ahead until harvest. While traveling, keep an eye out for the forks in the vine. Between stems, young shoots of new growth will emerge. Pinch them off. This helps with fruit production and redirects the plant to focus on the main stems. If only the greenery tasted as good as the fruit!
Am I sweating?
Feeling warm? So is everything else outside, including insects that prey on tomatoes. Keep Neem oil on hand well before you need it. Use full strength weekly until temperatures rise over 85°, then use at half the rate. This will discourage some if not all insects from sampling the goods.
Wait – are these tomatoes or tropical vines?
I have collected stakes or bamboo over the years, approximately 8-10 feet long. I drive them into the ground around the tomatoes to give the plants the support they need. It’s the least I can do. Cages are usually inadequate, especially when the plants are doing well.
Am I blushing?
At the first sign of ripening, pull those beauties off the vine. You’re not the only one in the backyard who wants a piece of those tantalizing tomatoes. Raccoons, squirrels, birds, caterpillars and the dreaded horde of stink bugs can’t wait to devastate your hard work. Bring them inside. Let them ripen, and enjoy. Bon appetit!
