Growing Tomatoes

Best tomatoes for cooler climates

2011-07-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

Do you live in an area of the world that has a very short warm weather season? You gave up growing tomatoes because last time they never ripened because of autumn's first frost got to the plants before the tomatoes could turn red? Well, there is a solution. You must first assess how long your average warm weather lasts. If it is only for 2 months then find a tomato variety that will ripen in

Selling tomato plants for profit

2011-05-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you shopped for tomato plants for your garden? If you had not started your plants from seed then you could be paying as much as $12 a plant for one in a 5 gallon container. Have you thought about growing tomato plants and then selling them? If you have a greenhouse or even a small cold frame you could grow and sell young tomato plants to gardeners in your neighborhood.

Growing tomatoes - video tips

2010-08-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

Before we get to the video below, I would like to advise you that not all tips in the video are advisable. For one, the gardener wants you to use cow manure from the bag not from the stable or barn. What he should have said was use composted manure not fresh manure. The soil he planted in was less than desirable. I would have filled the entire hole with compost and then well water the plant.

The cause of powery mildew on tomato plants

2010-08-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

You have probably seen that dusty white powder all over your tomato plants and wondered what it was. It is powdery mildew, a type of fungus. If left unchecked it will kill your tomato plants and the tomatoes on the vine. So what is the cause of this nasty destroying fungus? It is something so simple that most people don't realize they are causing it. The cause is watering your tomato plants too

Short growing season tomatoes

2009-03-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

If you live in an area where the last frost is in late April you should be looking for short season tomatoes. The will ripen under 70 days from planting as a plant in your garden. Longer season varieties will take too long to ripen and will go to a green mush if your cool weather arrives too early for the tomatoes to ripen on the vine.Typically it is the smaller the tomato fruit the shorter it

How to control tomato hornworms

2009-03-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

Tomato hornworms are a large caterpillar that eats many parts of the tomato plant. Handpicking is one of the best methods of control. The large size of these pests allow them to rapidly defoliate tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers. They are often seen feeding on the green fruit. You might notice large areas of damage on the top of the plant first. Also look to the ground under the plant

Are tomatoes poisonous?

2009-02-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

The answer to that question is yes and no. The plant is a member of the nightshade family of plants that includes eggplant, peppers and the deadly nightshade. It is because of that relationship with the nightshade the green part of the plant can be toxic in varying degrees.There have been accounts of cattle getting into tomato fields and eating large quantities of the green plant. The result was

When to harvest your tomatoes

2009-02-03T18:44:00.000-08:00

Tomatoes taste the best when they are left on the plant to ripen. They are ready for harvesting when the tomato pulls off from the vine easily. If you have to tug, pull or twist the fruit off of the plant then the tomato is not ripe.When it is close to the end of the growing season, pinch off any tomato flowers on the plant so that the developing fruit will have the energy of the plant to speed

Introduction to tomatoes

2009-02-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

The tomato is the fruit of the tomato plant. The plants can become very large with the right growing conditions. Tomato plants over 6 foot tall are not that uncommon. The commercial varieties of tomato plants are low to the ground to be harvested easily by machine.The tomato plant is a warm weather vegetable. It needs at least 6 hours or more of direct sunlight each day to produce tomatoes on its