Growing the Best Tomato Plants

Tomato Growing

2010-08-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

If you live in an apartment or small yard, or you simply don't want a large vegetable garden, but love tomatoes, then tomato growing on the porch works well too!
I planted some cherry tomatoes in a large pot and have it on my front deck. The only thing you have to watch with container tomato growing, is that it gets watered every day. Tomatoes dry out so easily in the container soil.
You can also put some mulch on the top of the soil to hold in moisure. Tomato growing can be fun to watch on your balcony or front porch or deck. There is no digging or weeding, but you still get to eat vine fresh tomatoes.
So don't let a small space stop you from tomato growing. Mine cherry tomatoes are almost ready!

Time To Grow Amazing Tomatoes

2010-03-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

Spring is upon us, and it is time for another season of amazing tomaotes! Can't you just taste them now! Have you got your garden plans underway? This is the perfect time for that.
Here is a great ebook that works:

"You Are Incorrectly Growing Tomatoes if Your Tomato Plants Are Not Producing...

•Tomatoes so fresh and healthy that their aroma fills the air just sitting on the counter
•Flawless tomatoes without any wrinkles, folds, or cracks
•Tomatoes so BIG that one slice will cover an entire sandwich
•Tomatoes so tasty that you can taste the tomato over any other food you're eating it with
•Tomatoes so red and full of color that they look more like candy than a healthy treat
If you couldn't notice the difference in taste between your home-grown tomatoes and the tomatoes you purchased at the store or if you have to cut out the bad sections of your tomatoes before you eat them, then you're producing a ruined crop of tomatoes..."
Click Here! and get a head start on this seasons crop!

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

2009-09-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

It is the end of the season here for tomatoes. Did you have a bumper crop this year?. Are you sitting with a basketful of tomatoes?

Have a block party, find out what everyone else on your street grew, and do some trading. I traded some for corn.

But here is a quick recipe, actually its just a few ingredients thrown together, rather than a recipe!

Take your garden fresh room temperature tomato, and cut it into small pieces.
Next take a cucumber (preferably one from the garden or farmers market)

Mix them together with some Greek style dressing. (I personally like the Kraft brand of Greek with Feta dressing) in a bowl

Then crumble some Feta cheese on top, and let sit for about 1/2 hour then serve. This makes a really good tomato salad without the fuss of lettuce etc.. This goes with all meats and is also a great appetizer, and so quick!

Enjoy your tomatoes!

Soil Tip: for Big Juicy Tomatoes

2009-06-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

Here is a great tip for growing the best juicy tomatoes.

I know we all get excited to get started with our tomato gardens early, but if you plant too soon, when the soil is still quite cold, you can run into trouble.

All soil has phosphorus, but the tomato plant has a hard time using it, because of the very cold soil. Once the soil warms up, then everything starts to grow, but the damage may already be done. If your plants are stunted in size, with thin stems and pale tomatoes, this could be your problem.

Here is a great book, also known as the tomato growers bible, and it is filled with everything you need to know about growing big juicy tomatoes. It is well worth the read. CLICK HERE! and get more great tips on growing the best tomato garden in the neighborhood.

How to Prune Tomato Plants

2009-06-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

How to Prune Tomato Plants the Right Way
By Pawel Kalkus

Pruning tomato plants is yet another important task that must be tended to when growing tomatoes in your garden. Pruning tomato plants will also help the plant to thrive and it will minimize the possibility of disease. Left to fend for itself the tomato plant would end up taking up about 4 square feet of space, it will probably have about 10 stems, and it will ultimately be hounded with disease. Using a device such as a tomato stake or even a tomato cage will help you to take proper care of your plants.

Next you will want to tie them in the case you are using stakes with a soft string such as soft yarn or something like that. Then you will want to prune them by removing all of the leaves below the first flower cluster on the plants. You also want to make sure that each leave section has plenty of room to grow, and capture the sunshine. In order to produce the sugars that are necessary for the plant to live it needs the light.

When you see a plant that has yellowing leaves, the leaves have turned yellow because that section is using more sugar than it is producing. This is due to lack of sunshine in the case of outdoor plants, and still not enough light on those growing indoors. If you are taking proper care of your outdoor plants, you will get larger fruit from it, and it will steadily produce until the first frost occurs. That can turn into a LOT of tomatoes!

Some little things you need to consider too are:

1. The plants and leaves can't touch the ground.
2. Avoid having too many stems branch out from the plant. Keeping them tied will take care of this.
3. When the leaves are wet you can not tie the plant off.
4. Give your plants plenty of room to prosper! It's far better to have 50 plants that are thriving than to try to have a hundred plants that are cramped for space!
5. Keep the plants pruned. It is far better for the plant to remove some of the leaves so that others can prosper.

It is widely accepted that the best tomatoes are the ones grown in our home gardens! Of that there is little doubt. That is why home gardeners so often decide to grow their own tomato plants. You need to know that the effort put into growing tomatoes is relatively minimal in compared to other fruits and vegetables. There's absolutely nothing better than walking out to the garden to gather the makings of the freshest salad in the world!

Pawel Kalkus is an internet writer and a hobbyist gardener with 15 years of experience in organic vegetables gardening. If you liked this article on pruning tomato plants go get your free copy of the "7 Best Tomato Growing Tips" ebook by visiting =>
http://www.startgrowingtomatoes.com/

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How to Grow Organic Tomatoes

2009-06-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Tomato Cages - Buy Or Make Tomato Cages?
By J Ruppel

Many folks like to build their own tomato cages. There are a few advantages to making your own cages. If you buy materials like a roll of chicken wire or reinforcing wire, the cost for several cages is much lower than buying individual cages, unless you buy them in bulk.

The most common way to build tomato cages is to use either a chicken wire fence or concrete reinforcing wire. You can find either of these with a mesh that's large enough to put your hand through, which will allow easy harvesting of the tomatoes when the time comes. The fencing is looped back on itself in a way that forms a large tube, which is set over the tomato plant and it grows up inside the cage. With this approach there is not as much need to tie up and prune the plant, the plants will just climb through the holes and naturally support themselves.

Another way to build cages is to use PVC pipes. These can be very durable and sturdy, as you can glue up a permanent structure. Alternatively, if you just snug the parts together it will often be sturdy enough, but will easily disassemble for storage, which is one of the biggest problems with tomato cages. And many people will make cages from wood, although those tend to not last as long.

There are other similar techniques like the Japanese tomato ring (which is actually an American invention) that combine a large home made ring with some intensive gardening techniques to boost the yields of your tomato garden. This is not something you will find you can do with a commercially produced tomato cage.

Another common way to support tomatoes is to build a trellis with a pipe that runs along the row of tomatoes and then strings are tied to it and the other end of the string is anchored in the ground near the tomato plant. Then the tomatoes are tied to the string and they can grow as high as they like and just climb the string.

But one advantage to buying tomato cages or supports is the wide difference in how the problem of supporting a tomato plant is approached. You can find some that are simple cages, with 3 or 4 rings in an expanding radius as you move to the top. There are some spirals that are simply stuck in the ground, and the tomato plant is tied to it as they grow. SImple plastic or bamboo stakes are often used.

There are square tomato cages, that are actually four sections of mesh that form a small square, but have the advantage of unhooking and folding flat for storage. The are 3 sided versions of this same basic idea as well.

Of course, if you are using a hanging tomato planter, then the whole problem of which cage to use is not an issue, as there is no need for tomato cages for plants that are hanging from a container. There are other advantages to hanging planters as well...

Learn more about the different types of tomato cages, along with some tips on making tomato cages, hanging tomato planters and all sorts of articles on gardening at howtogardenguide.com

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Big Juicy Tomatoes

2009-06-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

14 Tips to Grow Happy Tomato Plants
By Evelyn Fielding

Just dropping in for a quick list of successful tomato tips.

DETERMINATE tomato plants produce a heavier yield at one time and are best for canning.
INDETERMINATE tomatoes bear fruit throughout the summer and tend to sprawl. Best for continual eating enjoyment.
Transplant tomatoes when all danger of frost is past. Put in well drained soil, and mix in some humus or compost if needed.
Putting plastic jugs over the plants creates a greenhouse effect and can help them grow faster. Just keep an eye on daytime temperatures.
Transplant on a cool evening to prevent wilt and transplant shock. Space plants two feet apart in rows three feet apart.
Snip off bottom leaves and plant DEEP. Leave about 4-6 inches of crown above the ground with the leaves on. The plant shoots roots from the entire stem underground, developing a better system.
"Mud in" your new tomatoes. Dig the hole three times larger than the root ball, place the plant in, and fill halfway up with water. Then carefully pack dirt around the plant.
Always "side dress" your new tomatoes. Make a ring around the plant about one foot away, sprinkle 10-10-10 garden fertilizer in the ring, and water well. READ THE DIRECTIONS on all fertilizers so you don't burn your plants.
Keep the plants watered according to weather conditions. Don't overwater, as this results in poor aeration and stem rot. Mulch if desired.
Keep the area weed free, but don't hoe too close to the plant. This breaks off the roots that supply water to the fruit.
Before they start setting fruit, dust the plants about every ten days with a good combination insecticide and fungicide. Do this before they show symptoms, because it's difficult to stop blight once it's started. If blight does infest your plants, DO NOT plant tomatoes in the same area the next year.
Two common problems with tomato plants are "leaf roll" and "white shoulders." Leaf roll is caused by too much fertilizer or herbicide spray. White shoulders appear on the tomatoes and are caused by extremely high temperatures.
Plants may be allowed to sprawl over the ground, but they produce better fruit if tied to stakes at least four feet tall. All indeterminate plants should be staked.
Before first frost, pull up your tomatoes and hang them upside down in a protected place. Many of the green tomatoes will ripen. Keep dry or mold will occur.

These tips will keep your tomato plants happy, and you happy, all summer long.

Use your summer bounty to its best advantage by canning plain tomatoes and seasoning them when you actually cook them in the winter. Try the Savory Herb and Spice Adventure which features Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, Fennel, Caraway and Tarragon, or choose the Beyond Basil Herb and Spice Adventure which features Thyme, Sage, Dill, Marjoram, Rosemary, and Bay. If you reap more than you thought you would, try both of these culinary adventures!

Evelyn Fielding is your personal tour guide on the Herb and Spice Adventure of a lifetime. Evelyn offers a unique delivery program to help you learn about great cooking: receive a select group of herbs and spices by mail order, complete with easy and delicious recipes starring that month's herb or spice, and all at a comfortable pace. No long term commitments, no surprises. Subscribe to an Herb and Spice Adventures Series and elevate your food from good to truly superb. Book a culinary adventure now at http://www.10000seeds.com

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