How to Grow Tomatoes

If you're here reading this article you're probably ready to join hordes of gardeners looking for information on how to grow tomatoes. In fact, tomatoes are the most popular of garden vegetables.

In your quest to grow delicious tomatoes, the place to start is with proper soil preparation. The following steps should be followed:

• Rototill the soil in early spring (this eliminate young weeds and improves soil texture). Do not rototill if your soil is wet.
• Add fertilizer such as 10-10-10 and rototill into the soil.
• Using a plastic mulch can cut down on weeding and help retain moisture

Depending on time, space and your gardening goals, tomatoes can be started from seed in your home in the late winter, or you can purchase seedlings from a nursery when the threat of frost has passed. Either way, your seedlings should be planted when the soil feels warm to the touch.

Once your soil is prepared, you'll need to choose which variety to grow for your region. Things to help you make this decision include:

• flavor, whether you prefer a sweeter taste or more acidic variety
• size of fruit
• length of time to mature

Early varieties are suited for northern areas, have more compact plant growth and work well for short growing seasons. However, one disadvantage is that the fruit can sunburn in hot weather, so if your summers are hot it is better to choose from the main crop varieties for summer-long harvest.

• Sub Arctic Plenty - 45 days to harvest
• Early Cascade - 55 days to harvest
• Early Girl - 54 days to harvest
• Quick Pick - 60 days to harvest

• Champion - 65 days to harvest
• Mountain Spring - 65 days to harvest

Main crop tomato varieties for the most part bear medium-sized to large fruit and are relatively free from cracking fruit and other deformities. They are called "main-crop" because they make up the bulk of tomato harvest. They are best grown in wire cages or on trellises and most of them can be pruned and trained to stakes.

• Celebrity - 70 days to harvest
• Mountain Delight - 70 days to harvest
• Fantastic - 70 days to harvest
• Better Boy - 72 days to harvest
• Mountain Pride - 74 days to harvest
• Floramerica - 75 days to harvest
• Burpee's Big Girl - 78 days to harvest
• Supersonic - 79 days to harvest

Extra-large tomatoes are usually late-maturing. While the fruits may be really big, they are not always perfect. In fact, they are often misshapen and scared with cat'facing on the blossom end. Some newer hybrid varieties Supersteak and Beefmaster produce a more consistently shaped fruit.

• Delicious (OP) - 77 days to harvest
• Supersteak - 80 days to harvest
• Beefmaster - 81 days to harvest

Once you've prepared your soil and selected the varieties of tomatoes right for your climate and environment use a trowel to make a hole. On planting day, make a solution of water and liquid fertilizer and then liberally use it on your plants before planting.ole. If you laid plastic [mulch, use your trowel to dig directly through it. Plant tomatoes; avoid disturbing the roots when you transplant them in order to minimize transplant shock. Place the plant into the hole, and fill around the roots with soil. Water carefully; avoid getting water on the leaves.

Suggested spacing for tomatoes plants is normally 24 inches apart set in rows that are 30-36 inches apart. Don't be tempted to put them closer together. As the tomatoes mature they need this room. If they are crowded and don't get the air circulation they need it promotes disease.

When learning how to grow tomatoes, one area that takes some experimentation is fertilizing. Tomatoes should be fertilized regularly. Here's a rule of thumb to follow:

• Early applications - high in nitrogen
• When blossoming occurs - switch to fertilizers higher in Phosphorus and Potassium

• Keep tomatoes well-watered
• Deep watering is best - moisture needs to go deep to the roots
• Keep water off leaves if possible - water roots directly. (Tomatoes are susceptible to plant disease that grows in wet, humid conditions.)

One last suggestion to get the most from your tomato plants. Take the time to stake or cage them and they will produce more tomatoes. Plus, this minimizes disease and insect damage. The big juicy rewards are worth the time and effort.

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