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How to grow, care and harvest tomato plants

Ipreneur — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:28:49 +0000

Did you know that tomatoes are fruit rather than a vegetable? Yes, it’s true but most people are unaware of the fact. Tomatoes were once believed poisonous because they are members of the nightshade family.

On average a healthy plant can yield as much as 10 pounds of fruit. For a family of four, that’s more than enough tomatoes to feed on for a week. The plants don’t need much space and can even be grown in containers, which easily moved around.

There are many advantages to growing tomato plants. Growing tomatoes on your own can save you money at the grocery store and ensure the fruit is as fresh as possible. In addition, you’ll know your eating tomatoes that free of pesticides and other dangerous chemicals.

When growing tomatoes you want the soil to be rich in nutrients. It is best if the soil naturally contains all the essential nutrients, however If necessary improve the quality of the soil with compost or fertilizer.

Tomatoes can be grown indoors or out, just be sure they have good drainage. It will help if your get the soil PH correct before you plant the tomato. The ideal range should be between 6.2 and 6.8. When growing tomatoes it’s a good idea to start the plant indoors, moving outside when above 50 degrees or warmer.

When planting tomatoes in the soil only the top two leaves should remain aboveground. This will allow the plant to be hardier and the roots will grow on the stem and branch out allowing the growing tomatoes to settle itself much easier. Keep a space of two to four feet between plants. This is especially helpful when it comes time to harvest the ripe fruit.

Tomato plants need to be staked to stop them from falling over under their own weight. The time to do this is when the plant is first planted in the ground so rot damage in minimized.

Tomato plant care:

When using fertilizer choose one that is richer in potassium and phosphorus than nitrogen. A mixture of 5-10-10 is ideal and can be found at any gardening or home improvement center. The best time to add the fertilizer is two weeks before you plant the tomatoes into the ground. This will allow the nutrients to make their way into the soil, which provide the young plants an immediate food source.

You want to water the plants regularly, and never allow them to completely dry out. It’s always better to give a deep soaking instead of a surface watering. Ideally you want the water to penetrate six inches into ground where the roots are likely found. During unusually hot and dry conditions water more often.

Adding mulch around the plants is helpful. It will protect the roots from becoming too hot and preserve ground moisture. Mulch can also keep diseases in the soil from being spread onto the plant leaves when watering.

The time it takes for your tomatoes to ripen will depend on the variety you have chosen to grow. Some varieties take three month before they are ready to harvest. A tomato is ripe when its color is the same as the type you planted, whether it is red or yellow. Look for color consistency throughout the tomato. With a gentle tug the fruit should easily come off the vine

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Hanging Tomato Planters Let Anyone Have a Tomato Garden

Ipreneur — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:40:19 +0000

Tomato gardening is just about the favorite type of vegetable gardening going. Almost anyone will enjoy fresh tomatoes. But many are without access to a garden, so in order to get those fresh tomatoes they need to try something a little non traditional. The most popular is a hanging tomato planter. Let’s look at the advantages.
If you live in an apartment or townhouse, and still want to enjoy fresh tomatoes, probably the easiest way is to use a hanging tomato planter. Hanging planters can be put on a porch, or a balcony, or even a patio. They make it easy to get to your tomatoes even if you have a vegetable garden. And it’s become increasingly popular over the last several years to grow tomatoes upside down, which has a lot of the same advantages as the traditionally hanging planter. Let’s look a the pros and cons of using growing tomatoes in a hanging planter.
No Staking – The tomatoes are hanging from the planter, you have no need to stake them, or bother with any other types of support other than the planter hanger. For some indeterminate types of tomatoes, you may find you need to trim them to keep them off the ground, but no stakes. This is a real advantage, and it makes getting to the tomatoes that much simpler when they are hanging free in the air and not lying hidden on the ground.
Soil Borne Pests – With the tomato plants hanging in the air, you have almost no problems with slugs and other soil borne pests.
Soil Borne Disease – In a planter the soil is replaced often, often with a soilless mix, so problems with diseases carried over in the soil are eliminated. One other source of problems with disease is that normally it’s common that the water splashes the soil up on the leaves of the plant when you water and the disease gets to the plant this way. With the bulk of the plant hanging down from the planter the possibility of water splashing up is largely removed.
Improved Air Circulation – Since the tomato plants are suspended in the air, you get a lot better air circulation. This results in improved pollination, fewer disease problems and higher yields.
Weeds – Basically, with fresh soil and a small surface, weeds are pretty much eliminated. In addition, for an upside down planter the surface where the weeds would grow is opposite the surface the tomato plant sticks out of.
Location – The beauty of container gardening is that you can do it almost everywhere, like the porch, patio, or apartment balcony. It’s great to have your tomatoes right outside the kitchen door even if you have a vegetable garden out in the back yard.
There are a few potential problems with hanging tomato planters. You want to make sure you are using the right varieties of tomatoes for the planter size you are using. They can be a little heavy, so there are some tips for filling them. In addition, some things like watering need special attention…

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Transplanting Tomatoes

Ipreneur — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:09:31 +0000

Well, the time is here. You’ve been growing and nurturing your little tomato seedlings the last six to eight weeks and it’s time to put them in the garden. Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Transplanting tomatoes really isn’t rocket science.

For those gardening in the upper two-thirds of the country, don’t plant your tomatoes outside until at least Memorial Day. In fact, when I lived in Vermont, we never planted hot season crops until the first moon in June. Tomatoes are part of a crop of what’s known as “tender” annuals.

What makes them tender? The cold. Anything below about 55-60 degrees at night and tomatoes aren’t happy. Planting around Memorial Day weekend will ensure that you won’t lose your tomatoes to a cold snap. No, you won’t have the first ripe tomato by Fourth of July. But you’ll have a strong yield in August when the early bird plants are starting to die back.

Prepare the bed in the garden before removing the seedling from its cup. You’ll want a nice deep trough to plant them in. Instead of digging a deep hole, make sure you dig a furrow to lay your tomato plant down. The root ball lies in the foot of the trough and the plant goes at the head. You may not need to secure the plant to a trellis or tomato cage right away but just be prepared to do so.

Next, remove any seedling stakes and plant ties that have been supporting your tomato plants while they grew in their seedling cups. Next, gently massage the sides of the seedling cup to loosen the soil. Place your hand over the top of the cup with the stem of the tomato plant between your first and second fingers. Turn the cup over so the root ball lands in the palm of your hand and pull the cup off with your free hand.

When you have gently removed the plant from its seedling cup, lay the root ball and the stem in the furrow up to the true leaves. They’re the very first set of leaves that were produced during germination.

The best thing about this process is that tomatoes will grow roots along the stem as well as continue growing roots in the root ball. Planting tomatoes this way will ensure a stronger root base and better fruit. Does this mean you can’t plant the traditional deep-hole way? No, you certainly can. I’ve found, though, that my tomato plants are stronger when they’re laid in a furrow instead of planted in a hole.

Tomatoes are voracious eaters so feed them every two weeks or so with a liquid fertilizer. Toward the end of the summer and into early fall, keep your eye out for a nasty tomato muncher called the tomato hornworm. They’re clever and disguise themselves like the color of the plant so they’re hard to see. Look for tomato plant green with white stripes. These pests will destroy a tomato plant in the time it takes to change your mind.

Well, maybe not quite that fast but I’ve seen them reduce a plant to stubs and half-eaten fruit in the course of a few days. When you see one … and you will … clip the branch that they’re resting on and kill them.
I may get some comments about killing a living thing but I can’t imagine one beneficial thing a tomato hornworm does. If you know of one, feel free to email me.

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Growing Tomatoes in Containers and Pots – 4 Top Tips

Ipreneur — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:09:27 +0000

I have been growing tomatoes in patio containers and pots this year with some success. I also have my beloved plot with tomatoes growing in the ground. I know the ones in the ground will work fine – they have done for thirty years. But growing my tomatoes in containers is anew departure for me.
The comparison between the pot grown tomato and those in the ground.
I grew 2 varieties this year moneymaker and an Italian cherry tomato variety. I cannot remember the name but they came free with a magazine. I sowed the seeds in March 2008 and grew them on in my conservatory in 6 inch pots. As Always I grew too many tomato plants and gave 20 away. I planted them out as 2 – 3 foot high plants in early June and a month later picked the first tomatoes. As I speak in late august I still have many fruits to pick so it has been a good year. The plants grown in containers have had similar results but I have noticed 2 differences.
Firstly the moneymaker tomatoes were slightly smaller than the ones grown on my plot.
Secondly there were not quite as many cherry tomatoes in the containers.
Other than that the results were very similar. The taste is uniformly excellent and the texture and colour very appetizing. For the container grown tomatoes I did treat them differently and with a bit more care.
1. Make sure you put tomato plants in a really big pot.
I like the root systems to have plenty of room and not become pot bound. You also need a big container to have enough depth for the support canes. I use standard clay terracotta pots but any wide and deep container will work fine.
2. Water your tomatoes even if it rains.
We have had a dreadful summer in the UK this year and it has rained constantly. I still found that the pot grown tomato plants were wilting a bit if I didn’t check them for watering. The plants in the veg plot did not need this. The reason for this is that the leaves of the tomato plants deflect much of the water away from the pot. Very little water gets to the root of the plants. This is why I check them daily.
3. Be ruthless with pinching out side shoots on the tomato plants.
I only pinch out once or twice a season when growing tomatoes in the ground because they seem to do fine. I have learned this through trial and error. The moneymaker plants in pots were pinched out once a week to ensure that the fruits I did get were big enough and juicy enough. I never bother pinching out cherry tomatoes. They take care of themselves and always give plenty of harvest.
4. Remove excess foliage once you have the tomato fruits.
I have always done this to tomatoes and do not know where I picked this tip up. Once you have all the tomatoes set on the plant remove any leaves that are hiding the fruit from the sun. I prefer the tomatoes to ripen on the plant and this helps speed up the ripening process. Removing the leaves also gives you slightly bigger tomatoes.
If you have missed this tomato season then I encourage you to plan ahead for your tomato growing in 2009. Grow some in pots and containers as well as in the ground. They are a lot of fun and be grown on any sunny spot you have.

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Planning Your Summer Tomato Garden

Ipreneur — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:01:14 +0000

Preparation for a bountiful harvest of tomatoes begins while snow still covers the ground. Before you can plant a beautiful row of seedlings, you must take several planning steps. Consulting a comprehensive cultivation guide on growing tomatoes will aid your planning process and help ensure you end up with a bountiful disease free crop.
Choose Your Tomato Varieties
Hundreds of choice tomato varieties abound – enough to confuse gardeners. Tomatoes come in every shape, size and color. Huge tomatoes that take two hands to carry are related to tiny grape tomatoes no larger than the top of a thumb. Purple, yellow, orange and red tomatoes all spring from the same gene pool. Perfect round tomatoes, oblong tomatoes, little marble-sized tomatoes, and huge scrunchy looking tomatoes grow around the world. Tomatoes that grow as a never-ending vine share space with tomato plants that grow in a compact, shrub form. For your summer tomato garden, choose several tomato varieties, as each variety is best suited for its own culinary responsibility, and each takes specific care and tending.
For summer-long harvesting, choose tomato plants that are “indeterminate,” or keep growing and growing and growing. These tomatoes will continue to set new fruit throughout the entire summer. These varieties are best for small cherry or grape sized tomatoes, as getting large fruit from these types of plants requires more work.
For shorter harvesting periods and larger tomatoes, choose “determinate” varieties, which grow to a certain size and stop. These plants put more energy into producing each fruit, resulting in larger, juicier fruit.
Pre-Order Seedlings or Sow Seeds
Tomatoes are fragile in the beginning. Growing a tomato from a seed and harvesting fruit in the same growing season takes advance preparation. If you prefer not to gamble with starting your own seeds, many companies offer mail-order seedlings of endless varieties. Plan for your seedlings to arrive for planting once the danger of frost is completely past. Tomato plants are tropical in origin and have little tolerance for cold.
For adventurous gardeners, harvesting a tomato grown from seed to fruit is a rewarding experience. Start seeds at least eight weeks before you wish to plant. Sow seeds thinly on a bed of light potting mix inside. Keep the seeds moist, but not overly wet. Misting daily does the trick. Once the seedlings have their second set of leaves, “prick out” the seedlings (gently remove seedlings one at a time, while holding the leaves) and plant into small pots of their own. Once frost danger has passed, “harden off” your plants by putting them outside during the day, and bringing them in at night. After a week or two of “hardening off,” you may plant outside.
Prepare the Garden Soil
While your tomato seeds are germinating on their warm and comfy windowsill, use the time to prep the garden soil. Tomatoes need an organically rich, yet well-draining soil. If you have extremely wet and heavy soil, avoid walking on it during the winter, as excessive walking with compact the soil. Add organic matter on top of the soil to help prevent winter erosion. Once the soil warms enough to be workable, double-dig the soil (Dig all of the soil out, mix in some organic matter, and put soil back in) to break up hardened areas and allow for good root penetration.
Plant the Garden
Once the soil is prepared, seedlings are hardened-off, and temperatures are warm (or warming), plant your tomato garden, and prepare for a summer of delicious harvests.
If you want more detailed tomato garden advice and tips from a world horticultural expert, visit www.bestjuicytomatoes.com

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Tomato Container Gardens

Ipreneur — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:01:13 +0000

Tomato container gardens are an alternative to a traditional tomato garden. Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables, well in this case fruits, of people around the world. They can be used in so many ways, in a salad or to make a sauce for pasta and a myriad of other ways in your culinary pursuits. Sadly in some places tomatoes are being priced at three dollars per pound or more. Fortunately, everyone can grow their own tomatoes, even people that live in apartments. The answer is to grow a tomato container garden. You can grow them on a patio or balcony or in a bright sunny room in your home.

The number one essential is sun. Tomatoes require a lot of light and will not thrive without out it. The materials you will need to gather for your tomato container garden are simple. You will need containers that are about five gallons in size. Only plant one tomato plant per pot. You will need soil, tomato seedlings and stakes or a wire cage to hold the plant upright. String, or products called twist-tie or sturdy-tie will be needed to tie the plant to the stakes or cages. You will need a plastic tray for drainage; good drainage is essential to the health of your tomato container garden. Last need on the list is fertilizer.

There are some species of tomatoes that will do better in your tomato container garden. The bush varieties of tomatoes work well in containers and are popular with container gardeners. Cherry tomatoes and Christmas Grape tomatoes work well also because of their size and many gardeners grow them when space is limited. Other varieties that will flourish in a tomato container garden are Celebrity, Early Girl, and Sweet 100’s. It really depends on which variety you want to grow and for what purposes. If you will be growing them mainly for salads the cherry varieties are the way to go.

As mentioned before, sunlight is a requirement in order to grow your tomato container garden. Scout out the area you are planning to use for your tomatoes. The spot for your tomato container garden must get at least four to six hours of sunlight. The more light the better since the sun promotes healthy, steady growth. The two most important elements for success in tomato container gardening is sunlight and water.

By growing your own tomato container garden you will know that there were no pesticides used on your plants. With all the controversy going on about pesticides knowing that yours is pesticide free is an advantage for you and your family. Here is a good natural pest deterrent:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

Other pluses to this type of garden is you no longer will be paying high prices for tomatoes, your containers won’t take up much space and one plant usually yields enough tomatoes to feed your family. The cost of a tomato container garden is minimal and the feeling of accomplishment is great. So why are you waiting to plant your tomatoes? It’s time to choose the variety of tomato you want to grow, pick up some containers and start your tomato container gardens today.

Happy Container Gardening!

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Heirloom Tomatoes – A Variety Of Tomatoes

Ipreneur — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:56:47 +0000

Heirloom tomatoes are a variety of tomatoes grown from seeds that are usually over 50 to 100 years old. They are non-hybrid, open-pollinated cultivar tomatoes.
The use of the word heirloom can mean that the seeds have been passed down through generations, from farmer to farmer or parent to child and they are still growing today. Or it could mean any seed older than 50 or 100 years old; the jury is still out on this definition with many debates raging on for the use of heirloom to describe the wide variety of tomatoes.
What everyone does agree on is that an heirloom tomato needs to be an open-pollinated plant. This means it is pollinated by the wind, insects or birds, not man. And cultivar means that it is a plant species is being cultivated and given a specific name and that it can repopulate itself again in the same manor and retain all its characteristics.
There are several names of heirloom tomatoes available today which recently as ten years ago became available. There are over a hundred heirloom tomatoes and list grows every year as long as the tomatoes adhere to the standards put forth by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP) or the cultivated plant code.
Many of the most popular heirloom tomatoes are Brandywine, a large, pink fruit, red outside, clear inside, it has been said to have been grown from a seed passed to a farmer in an Ohio farm and then traded to several large seed companies who preserved it’s heirloom status.
In addition to Brandywine tomatoes, there is the Cherokee Purple, one of the only known ‘black’ or deep rose colored tomatoes; the Green Zebra, a small green tomato with either yellow or reddish stripes depending on when you pick them. They are rather tart and are often man-made therefore they can not be an heirloom tomato, although it is often categorized as one.
Black cherry tomatoes are tomatoes everyone should be familiar with. They are the smallest of the heirloom tomatoes and come in a cluster on a fine like grapes and are sometimes referred to as grape tomatoes.
The Hillbilly and the Big Rainbow are similar heirloom tomatoes because of their yellow, large fruit with red swirls of color; however their origin is unknown so verification into the heirloom society is iffy at best. One of the best stories behind an heirloom tomato is the Mortgage Lifter tomato. A man by the name of “Radiator Charlie” who owned a radiator business during the Great Depression lost his business and decided to breed his best four tomato plants into one giant tomato that tasted better and sweeter than any one of them individually. He was able to come up with the best tomatoes and advertised that they could easily feed a family of six. He began selling his plants for a dollar a piece and that was when a dollar was a dollar and so after four years, he was able to pay off his mortgage. People began calling the large tomatoes the Mortgage Lifter after that and “Radiator Charlie” was able to retire after a few more years.

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