TOMATO TIPS

If you are starting your first tomato garden, or are an old pro at it, there are always tips that can make your enterprise easier, and more successful. Following are 5 tomato growing tips that I found make the greatest difference in the health of your plants. When buying tomato plants always look for plants that have not begun to flower or fruit, that have straight sturdy stems and dark leaves. Also, give them time to harden off before you plant them. This will avoid any shock transplanting will have on them. Wait until the threat of frost has past.

It is important to always plant tomatoes as deep as possible. Because tomatoes can grow roots all along their stem, you can either bury them up to the top leaves, or plant them horizontally. The extra roots that will grow will make your tomato stronger. Staking your tomato plants is very important. Since tomatoes are a vine they will not grow upright on their own. Having the vines lay on the ground will make them more prone to insect attacks and disease problems. Do not skimp on the stakes, as your plants will get tall and heavy. You should stake the tomatoes when you plant in order that you don’t damage their roots. Maintenance of your tomato plants is critical. Watering your plants regularly will avoid splitting of the tomatoes, as well as blossom drop. As your tomato fruit begins to ripen you can reduce the amount you are watering. By reducing your watering at the fruiting stage your tomatoes will concentrate sugars in the fruit. Don’t hold back to much on the water though because the plant will stress and wilt. If the plant becomes stressed it can cause it to drop blossoms and possibly it’s fruit.

Always prune off any suckers that are growing between the branches. These only use energy that could be going into growing bigger plants. Removing some of the leaves will help the fruit ripen by allowing the sun to reach it. Just make sure that you don’t remove to many leaves. The leaves are what provide sugars for the roots and fruit, if you remove to many your tomatoes will suffer. If you love tomatoes, caring and nurturing your plants will give you higher yields of fruit and make your tomato garden the envy of the neighborhood! These are just a few tomato growing tips I hope will help you have your best tomato crop ever.