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Tomato Gardening- 5 Tips To Grow These Luscious Fruits At Home

February 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The following tips is all you need to know for growing a bountiful of beautiful tomatoes. Gardening tomatoes are not at all difficult, all it requires are some attention and care while you get started. Most tomato varieties require just the same or slightly different strategies for effective produce hence tips for gardening tomatoes is the same for all types and varieties.

The tips to be followed for gardening tomatoes, both indoors as well as outdoors are given below. They are very effective by being organic in nature so as to prevent concerns about using pesticides or herbicide in the garden

*The plant should be deep inside the gravel of the garden or the container. Make sure that the entire roots are two or three inches inside the soil. This should be ensured specially if a tomato variety is of the large type. If the tomato plants are rooted shallow they will require support or staking as it will fall over when it starts to bear fruit. The best of tips from the gardening experts on tomato are to see that the seedling is buried up to the last bottom leaves.

*Plant the tomatoes under direct or indirect sunlight and also in moist soil. The soil should be damp but not water saturated. Watch out for signs of the leaves appearing dry or curling in which case the plant needs more water. This requires immediate attention.

* Prior to farming, Stake or tomato cages are to be placed around the plants so as to prevent the plant from falling over or being uprooted. This tip should be given due importance. Also gardening tomatoes require advanced planning to ensure that the plant matures properly.

To begin with the quality of the seed is of utmost importance. It is important to find out what are the varieties that grow best and in which soil and stay with what works best. The Heirloom varieties of tomatoes are a good option to plant as this variety has a natural immunity to most type of soil. It also has a natural immunity to plant insects and plant diseases.

* Do mulch around the tomato plant. It’s a must even when it is planted inside a container. Mulching will prevent weed growing around while conserving the moisture.

*The leaves at the bottom of the tomato plant needs to be removed as they start ageing. The first signs of ageing appear on the bottom leaves as brown spots, moulds or fungus. This is because the moisture levels vary at the bottom of the plant and the absence of enough sunshine on these leaves.

These tomato gardening tips and techniques are for keeping the plants healthy and to get a bountiful yield. For an interesting start up its better to try the heirloom variety or the yellow and even the purple variety of tomatoes. The tips and advice for tomato gardening and the strategies will all be the same for different varieties of tomatoes and of course for the standard varieties most gardeners love growing.

Abhishek is an avid Gardening enthusiast and he has got some great Gardening Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 57 Pages Ebook, “Your Garden – Neighbor’s Envy, Owner’s Pride!” from his website http://www.Gardening-Master.com/762/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.

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Hanging Tomato Planters Let Anyone Have a Tomato Garden

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment
4920200289 6f0659409c m Hanging Tomato Planters Let Anyone Have a Tomato Garden
by Rakka

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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Tips in Growing Patio Tomatoes

January 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It is truly enjoyable to eat organic produce that is homegrown like tomatoes and herbs. While you might already be discouraged if you do not have a garden at home, you’d be happy to know that tomatoes and herbs can be grown even without a garden at all. A balcony, porch, or patio can be great places for growing plants, too. Here are some things about growing patio tomatoes:

Select the most suitable container for your patio tomatoes. If you’d like to prettify your patio at the same time, use a decorative planter or container. The containers mustn’t crowd the plant too much, and there should be adequate water drainage.

Buy only those that are labeled “Patio Tomato” because the regular tomatoes wouldn’t grow well inside containers.

Use soil that is good for growing flowers and vegetables.

Fill half of the container with soil. Put the tomato plant at the middle. Fill the container until the soil is about 3 inches away from the top.

Use compost for nourishment and prevention of pests.

Tomato plants would love moist, but soaking them would be a mistake. Balance the water supply – about 1 inch of water every week.

Tomato plants won’t bear any fruit until there is about 55ºC of temperature overnight.

There really is no need to use stakes for patio tomatoes.

Place the container in an area where there is plenty of sunlight.

Prune the plants frequently (weekly) by pinching off side shoots.

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Tomato Information- The basics to any tomato garden

December 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When getting ready to plant any outdoor vegetable garden growing tomatoes is a must.  They’re easy to plants and you can enjoy a delicious tomatoes right from your doorstep.  Armed with expert tomato information you’ll see how you can get rid of the store bought fruit in as little as 10 minutes a day.

It’s no wonder that you will need a tomato information expert to guide you through the many varieties of tomatoes.  There are over 750,000 different kinds of tomatoes to choose from.  Cherry tomatoes are the perfect tomato if you like small, bite size tomatoes.  If you’re planting a tomato guarded to make your own sauces and salads, use for varieties like early bird or beefsteak.  A time the harvest comes around, with the ease of growing this plant you will have plenty of different ways to slice and dice this juicy fruit for your favorite meals.  

Warm weather is best because tomatoes can not withstand frost.  They prefer to be in temperatures up between 65 and 85 degrees during the day time and nights in the shares around 60 degrees.  Most find the May weather is best suited for tomato planting.  When planted tomatoes you should give special care not to plant them too closely.  Tomatoes have roots that grow sideways and fill out underneath the soil, therefore they need plenty of from.  Planting them far enough prevents the plants from transferring disease easily.  Also you must be careful not to give too much shade from the leaves that are touching, because this can reduce your crop.  Leading tomato information tells us that a good rule of thumb is to plant between 12 and 36 inches apart, depending on their varieties.  Sometimes trellises or cages are needed for larger plane varieties to offer more support for the vine and help keep the fruit off the ground.  Varieties requiring a trellis should be planted father apart then their dwarf varieties.  Fruit that lies on the ground can become rotted and also cut down on crop harvest.

At least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight is needed a day, because tomatoes love sunlight.  You must also provide your plants with water on a constant basis.  Expert tomato information tells us that irrigated soil and pruning is best for tomato plants to lead to a great harvest.  When pruning tomato branches it is best to trim the non-fruit bearing branches.  These branches will be the ones that do not have fruit or blossoms on them.  A expert tomato information pruning guide will also tell you to trim the leaves so that the fruit gets more access to the sunlight.  But be sure not to trim too many leaves since it is the leaves that gives the tomato its flavor by adding sugar.  If you want bigger healthier plants then you should trim the suckers between the branches.  The suckers suck the energy from the tomato plant that is needed to grow.  Removing the suckers will give you your tomato plant more energy to grow a big and beautiful harvest.

Growing delicious homegrown tomatoes is the easy and rewarding to do when you have expert tomato information at your fingertips.  By starting today you can say no to the high priced and tasteless fruit at your local grocery store.  Say yes to delicious homegrown juicy tomatoes, were all you have to do is step out your front door and grab one.

Avid Gardener and Tomato Plant Enthusiast
Check out more tomato information at
http://growing-tomatoe.com/
or email customer-service@growing-tomatoe.com

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Tomato Gardening Tips For Managing Your Unruly And Overgrown Tomato Plants

August 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

You know you will need to be pruning tomatoes plants to avoid ending up with overgrown tomato plants, so it is helpful to realize that you will do different things at different stages of the growing season. You can easily define three separate stages, each with their own tomato gardening tips to follow and adjust your efforts to match. You will find everyone has their own opinions on this, so reading about common tomato gardening problems will be helpful. this article however is based more on experiences and not as much what the textbook has to say.

When the plants are first growing, all of your pruning tomatoes efforts will focus on the new leaves and the new growth shoots that are between the trunk and leaves. At this point you only want one main trunk so that it can grow large and sturdy. What you do is snip off the leaves that are closest to the ground as new ones form above them. Then by eliminating the side shoots, all the energy will be directed to the newly formed tomato and not the leaves. This lets the tomatoes grow larger. Once your tomato plant gets as high as the stakes or to the top of the cage, your strategies will begin to change.

Tomato plants at this size become more difficult to keep up. What you will do is turn things around and let the new shoots form and cut off new growth at the top. With this tomato gardening tip you keep the same principal, but in reverse. You will get a bushier plant, but it will not outgrow your stakes or cage. You can pinch back some of the new growth, but let some of them grow out. Keep pulling unnecessary leaves off, but be aware that this is the hot time of the summer and the ground and the tomatoes need the shade the leaf provides. Your goal is to still channel the nutrients to the tomatoes and not the foliage.

There is a point of no return, and you just have to face that you have overgrown tomatoes. You will have to admit that you also have tomato gardening problems. One of the pruning tomato tips to use at this point is to count 30 days ahead. If that is within the time you usually have left before the first frost, then you can stop letting new tomatoes form, and just cut them off along with all new shoots and a pile of leaves Only pay attention to making sure the tomatoes already there can finish growing.

Do the best you can for as long as you can is some of the most practical tomato gardening tips and advice there is when dealing with overgrown tomato plants. You could really apply that advice to other tomato gardening problems like your fungus and pest issues, too. Everyone really needs to think about being sure not to overdo it by putting in more plants than you need in the spring!

Overgrown tomato plants or not, everyone can use some extra help and advice with some expert tomato gardening tips and advice.

Click to Find out Secrets to Growing Incredible Tomatoes

Look for some free guides and other valuable information to help you grow some nice, juicy, tasty tomatoes!

http://www.tomatofun.info


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Tomato Gardening Secrets

July 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Here are some easy guidelines you should follow when buying your tomato plants. Step one, be sure the starter plants you buy have no yellow leaves on them as this is a sign that you could be buying trouble right from the start. Inspect the container. An indication the plant has been in the container too long is if the roots are growing out of the slits. Do not buy any starter plants that bear fruit already, as these plants will most likely produce very few tomatoes in the long run.

Step two is to prepare the soil. Tomato gardening is best in a soft soil. Mixing in some sand and compost will give them a healthy start. We have that colloidal humus is the best product to use as a compost. Preheating the soil in your tomato garden will give your tomatoes a boost that they will love. Just place plastic bags (black is best) over the dirt for a couple of weeks before planting. This will raise the temperature of the ground. This will help you obtain early tomatoes.

Step three is getting them in the ground. Tomatoes should be planted deeper than they come in the pot. You can plant them all the way up to a few top leaves. You can dig a deep hole or a long shallow hole and lay the plant sideways. It will find the sun and grow straight up through the soil. Tomatoes are capable of rooting all along their stems.

Step four is optional but recommended. Mulching is always a good idea for tomato gardens for moisture retention; however give the ground a chance to warm up some more after the planting before you put down your mulch. Mulch will also keep the soil born diseases from splashing onto the plants. Plastic mulch is best for heat lovers like tomatoes and peppers.
  
Step five is not widely known but critical to a tasty and bountiful harvest. When the tomato plants are about 3ft. tall, removing the leaves from the bottom of the plant about 1ft. of the way up will help prevent fungus problems since these are the leaves most likely to be effected. Spraying once a week with an organic compost tea can also be effective at warding off fungus in your tomato garden. One little secret is the tomato needs lots of air flow. A mature plant should have VERY FEW LEAVES left on them! 

Step six would be to remove suckers from your tomato plants at the cross joint of two branches will add more energy to the plant as these suckers will not bear fruit anyway. Thinning the leaves will allow the tomato garden to receive more sunlight. A tomato plant requires as much air movement as water. Indeterminate type tomatoes can be coaxed into early growth by just pinching off the tips of the main stems in early summer. Determinate tomatoes usually set and ripen their fruit at the same time.  

The final step is to make sure to water generously while the plants are developing. Once the tomatoes start to ripen lessen the water so the plants will sweeten up a bit more. Be sure not to let the plants wilt or the tomato plants may drop their blossoms or even sometimes it’s fruit. Planting in containers will make them portable. Follow these steps to insure a healthy and fruitful tomato garden.

Nancy Merkle is an long time amateur gardener from the Chicago area. She enjoys sharing some of her tips she has accumulated through the years with anyone that would like to visit her
website.

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Growing Heirloom Tomatoes

July 8, 2011 By 1 Comment

Heirlooms are a variety of tomatoes that have been cultivated many, many years ago. They have been handed down from generation to generation and are not really that productive, but they taste a lot better than the hybrids. Most of the heirlooms grow long vines and bear fruits continuously all throughout the season. These are pollinated plants, which means that if the seeds are saved and planted on the next season, you’d still get the same kind of result. [Read more...]

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Higher Yields from Your Tomato Garden

April 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The tomato garden is often a source of great pride for home gardeners. There is generally a friendly competition among the neighborhood gardeners to see who can produce the first ripe tomato, or the biggest or the most flavorful. In fact, the number one home garden project in our country is invariably growing a tomato garden. Tomatoe gardeners are constantly on the lookout for new ways to improve their production in their quest for neighborhood bragging rights. Growing the best tomato garden isn’t always a matter of using the latest and greatest magic potions from the local garden center. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of common sense and good gardening practices to produce the best possible tomato garden.

 Here are a few simple tips to help you increase your tomato garden’s productivity.

Keep the fruit and foliage up off the ground Remove the early suckers from the plant as well as those that appear late in the season Mulch your tomato garden

Keep the fruit and foliage up off the ground:

Tomato plants can contract a number of fungal infections and diseases from contact with soil. This can happen when the tomato plant is allowed to sprawl on the ground or even when the infected soil is splashed up on the foliage during a heavy rain. Plants allowed to make contact with the ground are also prime targets for slugs and other insects as well as just plain rot. We can prevent these problems easily by trellising or tying up our tomato garden.

The trellis can be something as simple as a stake driven into the ground to which the plants are tied as they grow. Or, a cage may be used to confine the plant and hold it in an upright position. Cages can be made at home or purchased ready-made, in a variety of styles and shapes. Personally, I like the square style cages because they can be folded flat for storage in the winter and thus take up very little space. These are generally made from 4 panels of woven or welded wire with spacing between the wires large enough for your hand to fit through to pick your tomatoes.

To avoid damage to your tomato garden, it’s best to place your stakes, cages or other trellis around the plants while they are still quite small. As the plants grow, you may have to help them by arranging their branches in the right position for your trellising sytem and possibly, even tying them in place. If you tie the plants, be sure to use a soft material and don’t tie too tightly. Use a soft, bulky twine, or if you have access to them, old nylon hosiery or pantyhose make excellent tomato ties.

Give your plants plenty of room in the tomato garden. Remember that crowding reduces the flow of air through the plants and holds in humidity, both of which lead to a number of diseases which will reduce your harvest.

Remove the early suckers from the plants:

If you’ve ever looked closely at a tomato plant, you’ve probably noticed that there is a new shoot or branch coming out of every leaf node. The leaf node is the point where the tomato leaf stem comes out of the main stalk. These new shoots or branches are called suckers and they make your little tomato plant into a very full, dense bush. Each of these suckers is capable of growing, blooming and producing more tomatoes… which sounds like a very good thing when you want a nice productive tomato garden. However, remember what we said earlier about giving your plants plenty of room to make sure there is good air flow. If the suckers are allowed to grow at will, you will soon have a lovely, bushy plant…. until the high humidity days of summer. At that point, problems will begin to develop because of the lack of air flow. We want the extra production of those new branches but we don’t want to make our plant susceptible to disease. Let’s consider pruning the particularly troublesome shoots.

Start at the bottom of the plant, near the ground. The first suckers to appear will be very low and practically impossible to keep olff the ground. That means any fruit produced on those branches is going to be more likely to suffer slug damage or rot from contact with the ground. The best procedure is to pinch these off with your fingers before they get more than an inch or so long. If they’ve grown longer before you get to them, you can still remove them either by snapping them off by hand or by using your garden shears. Be sure to disinfect your shears before moving on to the next plant, though. You don’t want to risk spreading problems from one plant to another by using infected shears.

Removing these first suckers from the plant will encourage it to put out even more suckers or branches. This is good… up to a point. You will want to keep most of them because of the tomatoes they will produce but you don’t want your plant to become so full that you can no longer see through it. If it begins to reach that point, clip out a few of the suckers so that air is once again able to circulate freely. Remember that lots of branches will produce lots of smaller tomatoes. If you want BIG tomatoes, remove some of the branches. That way, the tomato plant puts all its energy into developing fewer fruits, thereby making them larger. 

Toward the end of your growing season, if all has gone well, your plants will still be blooming and setting new fruit. However, late in the season we have to worry about frost killing the plants. If the fruit doesn’t have time to mature and ripen before that first frost, you will lose it. Or, if you’re so inclined, you’ll be eating lots of fried green tomatoes! A better option is to remove all the suckers that form late in the season. This will let the plant expend its energy in developing and ripening the remaining fruits, rather than in producing more foliage and blossoms that don’t stand a chance of maturing.

Mulch your tomato garden: 

Always apply a layer of mulch to your tomato garden in early summer, after the soil has warmed up. This will accomplish several things. Mulch will help control weeds and will conserve moisture. It will also discourage slugs and will prevent soil from splashing up on your plants when it rains. And when you till your garden next spring, the mulch will add organic matter to your soil. 

Edna Kelly is a home gardener in SW Florida who enjoys sharing her personal gardening experiences. You can find more of her gardening information at Dummy Gardening – You Can Grow It, her home on the web. For more information on growing those big juicy tomatoes, check out Grow Big Juicy Tomatoes
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For A Thriving Tomato Garden

March 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Do you dream of fresh tomatoes from your own garden? Following are some general steps, tools and necessary conditions necessary to establish a thriving tomato garden.

Your Tomato Garden Materials and Tools

If you want a thriving tomato patch, you will need compost to fertilize your soil. You know of course that the top soil has nutrients that were byproducts of natural decay. These nutrients make any plant thrive and your tomatoes are no different. The compost replaces the depleted top soil.

You must also have a garden fork to rake the compost over your garden plot, you must have a tiller to loosen up the soil, you must have some material to support your tomato vines, and you must have some rope or twine to tie or affix your tomato vine to its support.

Specific Conditions

First of all, you should be careful about watering your tomato garden. Your soil must not retain too much water and it must be drained of excess moisture. The soil must also be basic with around 6 to 6.8 pH level.

Next, plant your tomatoes during seasons most conducive to their healthy growth. In countries with cold weather, it is best to plant tomatoes after the season of snow. In hot climates on the other hand, a drop in the location’s temperature after the wet season or fall will be most suitable.

Third, a healthy dose of sunlight is a definite requirement for red, sweet tomatoes. Your tomatoes need from 6 to 8 hours of sun exposure everyday to flourish. It is best to plant your tomatoes in a greenhouse where they are protected from the elements yet receive ample sunlight.

Tomato Planting Procedures

First, you must prepare the tomato vine transplants. You must expose these tomato younglings gradually to outdoor conditions. A little bit of sun everyday should suffice. Do not drown them with water.

When your tomato plants have grown enough to survive on their own, prepare the soil by mixing in the compost. The testing of the soil’s pH must then be accomplished and adjusted if need be.

To transplant, I often remove lower leaves and plant deeper. Tomatoes will root in along the stem. Give the plants some warm water to help ease integration. As the roots develop, protect the stem by improvising a collar, construct your support and firmly attach your tomato vines to their support with some twine.

The tomato fruits will be ready for harvesting six to eight weeks after planting. It is said that tomatoes harvested straight from the vines taste best. If some tomatoes are still green after the 6 to 8-week time period, you can pick them, too, so you can make some pickled or fried green tomatoes.

Mark Sheppler is a handyman and home improvement writer. When not working in the house he enjoys Gardening around the house.

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Having Your Own Tomato Garden

March 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Having your own garden is the joy of every person. Seeing little plants grow in the backyard brings each and everyone the wonder and appreciation for the beauty of nature. But that’s not all to that, there are definitely a lot of blessings that gardens give us – much more if the garden is a vegetable garden wherein the most favored tomato plant is present.

Everyone loves tomatoes and having this fruit all year round is like being in cloud nine. Who would not want to experience the luscious tomato blast in every bite of this red succulent fruit? Anyone would surely be more than willing. And the best way to have these fruits all year round is to have your own garden. Having them straight from your backyards is the surest access to the freshest tomatoes.

Growing your own tomato garden has a lot of benefits, first would be the economical value of having your own tomatoes. You don’t have to buy them in the stores since you can just pick them in your place. You don’t have to worry where to buy since the stress has been eliminated. That means you are saving not just money but your time as well. Or if you want to earn, selling your harvest would add to your income.

If you want your tomatoes for your own personal use, you can have the choice if you’ll have them stored in the kitchen or just let them ripen naturally outside. If you choose the latter, that means picking them up just when you are to need them is tantamount to the best and freshest. Freshness will never be an issue. The foods you’ll be cooking will surely have the best tastes since nothing beats the flavor of a new fruit.

Whether you’re cooking a simple cuisine, cooking your tomato paste for your favorite pasta or simply wanting to eat the raw tomato fruit, you will simply be satisfied with the results. A tomato garden will also be aesthetically pleasing if you just arrange your plants well. As red fruits begin to blossom, the eyes would certainly be amazed and be attracted to it. Not only will you be appreciating this wonder but more or less making your little contribution to a better world. Your plant helps in the circulation of oxygen aside from giving you food for your everyday meal. You don’t just receive something but also give something good back to the good earth.

A single plant creates wonders… what more if you have an entire garden of it. You don’t have to find the best from outside your place since it is just around the bend. Having your own tomato garden will surely guarantee you convenience, joy, savings and quality fruits. And as you start growing your plants individually, you are also building the promise that you’ll receive in little time.

Paul Dale is the author of “Tomato Growing Secrets”. For more great information on growing a tomato garden go to our website. The website contains valuable information on anything related to growing your own tomatoes.

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Tomato Varieties – Ideas For Planting

February 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Tomatoes are juicy and nutritious. They taste great and are relatively easy to grow. Climate is the major factor in growing tomato plants. There are many different tomato varieties that could be grown in varied conditions (except extreme cold temperature), which include: [Read more...]

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Growing the Best Tomatoes!

January 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Who doesn’t like a tomato fresh from the garden? No tomato in the store can compare to one fresh from the field. Sun ripened and full of flavor and picked at the perfect time. No green tomatoes forced to ripen as they are carted off to the store. Harvested at the peak of perfection and flavor, there is nothing better.

So, how do you grow the perfect tomato? It really isn’t hard at all. It just takes a little planning and a few simple tips.  For the perfect tomato garden, just follow these simple tips and you will be on your way to enjoying a crop of delicious tomatoes!

Where to Plant
First of all, you need to make sure you have a good location for you tomatoes to grow. Tomatoes love the sun, so your area needs to get plenty of sunlight throughout the day.  Whether it is a sunny spot in your yard, or a sunny corner of a deck – make sure your sun worshiping tomatoes get plenty of sunshine!

You don’t need a lot of space to grow tomatoes. If you have a large yard, you can plant as many as your garden will hold then sell them at a farmers market, or can them for later use.  For those that have limited space, tomatoes are the perfect patio plant as well. Plant them in a pot that is well drained and gets plenty of sun. Put a trellis or a stake in the pot so the plant doesn’t tip over.  

What Variety
There are more varieties of tomatoes than you can count! With so many to choose from which do you pick? Your best option is to visit your local garden center and ask the experts what type of tomato grows best in your area.  Most tomatoes do well anywhere, but it never hurts to ask around.  Consider planting a few cherry tomatoes as well. They are great to pick fresh and add to salads and recipes.  Cherry tomatoes are perfect container plants and they also look great mixed in with your flowers. The little red fruit really looks attractive planted among marigolds. Plus, the marigolds help to deter pests from attacking the tomatoes!

How to Begin
You don’t want to put your tomatoes in the ground until the danger of frost has past.  Once that danger has gone by, you can place tomato plants in the garden or containers.  You can find tomato plants at most garden centers or you can start your own from seed indoors.  Tomatoes do best if they are transplanted into the garden rather than seeded into the garden. If you choose to grow your own with seed, then start them indoors six to eight weeks before you will be transplanting them outdoors.  Fill a growing tray with a seed starter soil mixture and gently press the seeds into the soil. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy.  Think of a damp sponge, you know it is wet but you can’t see water standing on it.  In a week or so you will see the seeds start to sprout. Keep the plants in a sunny window or under a grow light.  When the plants are big enough, transplant them outdoors.  

Watch for Pests!
Although tomatoes are very easy to grow, they do have their share of pest problems.  Probably the biggest tomato pest is the hornworm.  They like to feed on the underside of the leaves so you won’t really see them on the plant. If you find one, the best way to get rid of it is to squish it! Check over your plants regularly to make sure you don’t get infested with the hornworm.  

Some pests can be repelled by simply planting other plants close to your tomatoes. Perhaps you have noticed that people have a few rows of marigolds in their gardens. That is because marigolds are a great natural pest repellant.  

As you can see, it is simple to grow the perfect tomato. A few simple steps and you are on your way to a delicious harvest!

Piper is a freelance writer who enjoys fitness, good nutrition, and the outdoors. She loves to work in the garden with her garden cultivator. She enjoys nature, reading and fitness. Check out her website, www.smallgardentiller.org to learn all about getting the best small garden tiller so you can have a beautiful garden too!
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Is There A Big Secret For When Should I Plant Tomatoes?

January 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

For most tomato fans and backyard gardeners, the question, “When should I plant tomatoes?” is generally answered easily at your local gardening centers and nurseries. These are the professionals who best understand the local climate and growing patterns. . They also will have plenty of tomato gardening supplies for you and be able to give you plenty of tomato gardening tips and advice. They have everything well organized and labeled. There may even be free pamphlets with additional information.. Online support. is available with many gardening places.

Here is the question, ” When should I plant tomatoes or does it really matter?”

There are key weekends, when gardening centers and nurseries usually have great sales. Based on experience and their own tomato gardening tips, they have figured the best planting weekends. In the United States Mother’s Day and Memorial Day are big gardening sales opportunities as they fall on the dates when you can expect no more frost. Using sale weekends as a guide will be a great benchmark to plan your tomato planting schedule. Your only worry will be spending too much at the sales since you will get your annuals at the same time!

When you buy your plants it is important to take the time to double check that what you are buying is what you thought you were getting. Plant packs easily get put back in the wrong places, so if you want the larger, beefy kind of tomato, you do not want to end up with cherry tomatoes. Signs are helpful, but there really is no way to tell the difference in tomato plants except by the little tabs they put in the plants.

Here is another interesting tidbit. The tomato gardening supplies centers and nurseries will have tomato plants at various stages of development. This can be a time-saver for the procrastinator, or people who missed the best planting weekends due to weather or other conflicts. You will be able to buy very large tomato plants that have been growing for awhile a container, and plant them. Guess what? It will look like they were planted six weeks earlier! Of course you pay a price for these larger plants.

That brings us to another popular fad which is patio containers and planters. Tomatoes will need large containers and the tomato gardening supplies centers should have plants advertised as dwarf plants. These are designed to be used in growing container tomatoes on you patio or deck. Many people put a cherry tomato plant here, but regular tomatoes will also work.

When should I plant tomatoes or does it really matter? It does matter, but your local tomato gardening supplies and home improvement centers are a good place to find ways to work around the best systems Not to mention an excellent source of tomato gardening tips and advice.

Even when you have the right plants, everyone can use some extra help and advice with some expert tomato gardening tips and ideas. Click to Find out Secrets to Growing Incredible Tomatoes
Look for some free guides and other valuable information to help you grow some nice, juicy, tasty tomatoes! http://www.tomatofun.info

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Growing An Indoor Tomato Garden

January 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

For those aspiring gardeners that are challenged because of space or more accurately the lack of it – don’t worry. You can grow your tomatoes indoors and it is a refreshing pastime as you nurture the seedlings  to the point of fruition.

Tomato plants are grown in containers and kept on patios, window sills and even yards. It is an enjoyable activity and it in turn rewards you with big, fresh, juicy, organic tomatoes for yourself and family.

When you decide to venture into this field,  you should first choose the type of tomato you want to grow and also  the purpose that you want to use the tomatoes for . For example you could require tomatoes that are good for making pastes and sauces or those that have a higher shelf life.

You can grow tomatoes from seeds or seedlings that are also referred to as starts. Growing  tomatoes from seeds is usually tough but with a meticulous approach you are bound to succeed. When planting tomatoes from seeds, the preparation is the same through and through whether you are planting indoors or outdoors.

The first step is to prepare a mixture of potting compost and soil on a tray then water adequately until a balanced level of moistness is achieved. This mixture differs from one person to another but the beauty is in getting and identifying a mixture that works for you.

You can at this point insert the seeds nearly a centimeter deep. The seeds can be eight per hole. Just to maximize the effect, you can cover the tray with a Saran wrap or similar material. This helps it to retain moisture.

Place the tray next to a window sill so that it can get the requisite amount of sunlight.

Seeds start germinating at temperatures of about 80 degrees and after nearly 10 days they begin to sprout. At this point you take the cover off but continue watering them while also exposing them to regular sunlight and also artificial light from a normal light bulb.

Once they get to a height of about 2 inches you can now transplant them into bigger pots or containers of about 6 inches.

The now potted plants have to be kept under constant light since it is crucial for their development. The temperatures have to average at least 75 degrees.

Once they reach a height of 12 inches they can be transplanted to larger pots with the same mixture of potting compost, soil, water and fertilizer.

In another 6 weeks or so they should be ready for fruiting.

Flowering plants often require a strong light source in order to be able to generate healthy fruit. Mixing lime together with compost and soil helps stop the plant from getting infected with blossom end rot.

Growing tomatoes indoors is fulfilling since it gives a chance for those with little space to pursue their  gardening activities without the need to have an outdoor garden.

Thomas Taylor is a Tomato growing enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this amazing hobby by sharing information about Growing tomato indoors

His newest book,”The Expert Guide On Growing Tasty, Tantalizing Tomatoes”teaches Tomato growers everything they need to know about planting and nurturing their tomato garden. http://www.tantalizingtomatoes.com
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How To Grow Your Own Hanging Tomato Garden

January 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

For anyone who has space constraints but wants to enjoy a bit of gardening, hanging gardens akin to the biblical ones are the way to go. The pots bearing the plant can hang anywhere in the house, be it the patio, the deck, or even the yard. These regal plants add a certain amount of beauty, not to mention the satisfied look that you harvest your big, red, juicy tomatoes.

To start of  this hanging garden, you need humid soil, an airtight bucket with lid, clean water, soapy water, tomato seedlings or seedlings, heavy duty scissors for dredging up a hole in the bucket, sphagnum moss and coffee filter and a heavy duty chain with which to hang the bucket securely.

You can recycle any type of container for this purpose so long as it has a handle that can be used to hold and suspend its weight with the soil include. These containers can also be gotten cheaply at a local hardware store.  

Clean up the bucket with soapy water then rinse it very well. Using scissors cut up nearly two inches off the top and bottom of the container. Seal the holes with sphagnum moss, coffee filter or cheesecloth. Bundle them together firmly so that the soil in the container may be held in place when you tip it over.

Fill the bucket with water up to the brim while tapping on it to free trapped air. When you finish put the lid then turn it upside down. Dredge a hole in and insert the plant in. Make sure you water the plant regularly and give it fertilizer, it should be about to form roots in about two weeks.

The plant should be kept where it can easily access sunlight. Because tomatoes thrive in places where there is enough light. Sunlight is essential for their growth, sustenance and for producing fruit.

Tomatoes can practically be grown anywhere from what we have seen. These hardy plants can survive anywhere so long as the conditions are controlled. The good thing with having hanging plants is that, apart from pruning, you don’t do anything like weeding as you would an outdoor garden.

Pests do not perch onto the plant as it hangs neither can diseases move from one plant to another. Most hanging garden enthusiasts put one plant in one container. The number of plants you have depends on your own personal choice. Nobody can dictate to you the quantity of plants you want to keep.

The idea of having a hanging garden makes one feel fulfilled when the fruits finally arrive and you can have bragging rights when you manage to have a good harvest. Furthermore, you may pass over the acquired knowledge to more and more people thus making this type of gardening even more popular.

Thomas Taylor is a Tomato growing enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this amazing hobby by sharing information about successfully Growing Hanging Tomato

His newest book,”The Expert Guide On Growing Tasty, Tantalizing Tomatoes”teaches Tomato growers everything they need to know about planting and nurturing their tomato garden. http://www.tantalizingtomatoes.com

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Heavenly Hanging Tomato Gardens: Fact or Fiction?

January 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Growing hanging tomatoes? Huh? That’s the question I first asked myself when I heard what I considered to be a ridiculous story. How could you grow hanging tomatoes? And where would they hang from? All these questions ran through my mind and I decided to do a bit of research. I will share the findings here with you.

The growing of hanging tomatoes helps in so many ways. For starters, there are people who enjoy gardening but lack the single most important thing in gardening, and that’s the gardening space.

Most gardening is done in a garden in the outdoors. Growing hanging tomatoes is done in containers rather than in a garden. Therefore those with space inhibitions can still enjoy the act of growing their own tomatoes.

Where you have no continuous direct access to sunlight, you can rotate the containers bearing the hanging tomatoes so that they get the requisite amount of sunlight needed for their growth.

When growing hanging tomatoes, there is no need for staking. When tomato plants in a garden grow taller, they always need support but in hanging tomatoes, this is not the case since when they are hanging, the weight of the plant follows the gravitational pull.

This type of growing also negates the need for weeding since all impurities would naturally fall to the ground and weeds would never find their way up to the containers. Furthermore, if you do not have nutrient rich soil you do not have to go through too much trouble to prepare your gardens since working on the soil in a container is fairly easy.

Growing tomatoes in this manner also offers more benefits to the plant itself, this evident since the plants hang freely and thus have a better air circulation which helps improve the yield and there is also less strain on the branches during growth. These tomatoes ripen faster as compared to those grown in a conventional outdoor garden.

Since the tomatoes don’t come into contact with the soil, the problem of rotting tomatoes is one problem you will never have to deal with.

One very big advantage that hanging tomatoes have over conventionally grown tomatoes is that contact with pests is almost completely removed from the equation. Pests that plague tomatoes find it difficult to latch onto the plant as it hangs further than the ground. Moreover, when you plant the tomatoes separately you limit ways in which they can pass diseases to each other.

This is certainly not the case in an outdoor garden. Diseases are easily passed from one plant to another because of their close proximity.

This method of planting generally suits tomatoes that are of the smaller variety but is not limited to them. You can grow bigger varieties as successful as the smaller ones.

Hanging tomato growers ascribe to this method so much because of the ease with which you can grow the plants and also when harvesting you don’t need to go all the way to the garden, you can just stretch your hand and pluck a big, fresh, juicy, organic  tomato from your patio or deck.

Thomas Taylor is a Tomato growing enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this amazing hobby by sharing information about Growing hanging tomato

His newest book,”The Expert Guide On Growing Tasty, Tantalizing Tomatoes”teaches Tomato growers everything they need to know about planting and nurturing their tomato garden. http://www.tantalizingtomatoes.com
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Tomato Gardening 101

January 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It’s easy, very inexpensive and they taste better too so lets get started!

STEP 1: Which tomatoes should I grow?  If you have a long growing season then you would want to go with an indeterminate variety which grows all summer long.  If your growing season is short then you would go with a determinate variety which produces its fruit quickly (in as little as 85 days or less) and ripens all at once.  Go to www.PennysTomatoes.com for more info on varieties.

Step 2: Now that I have bought my seeds what do I do with them? Six to eight weeks for the end of winter I line up little paper cups filled with peat moss and put one seed in each cup. I then place them in a sunny window sill and water almost daily as peat tends to dry out quickly. Make sure not to over water or let the seed/roots sit in excessive water as this will kill them.

As your seedlings grow transplant them into larger and larger containers, each time burying them up to the first set of leaves.  The plant will send out roots from the buried stem and will develop a stronger root system by the time they are ready to be planted outdoors.  Once your seedlings have taken off and the threat of frosts are over move your plants outdoors for a few hours each afternoon to get them acclimated, or hardened off, before actually planting them in the garden.

Will any soil work? Tomatoes need a rich, well-drained soil ideally full of organic matter, so get started on that compost pile early.

How much sun do they need? Tomatoes require full sun which translates into no less than 6 to 8 hours a day.  Plants will be weak and unhealthy with anything less.

STEP 3: Okay it’s time to transplant. Transplanting is an important step and if you do it carefully, you can look forward to an abundant crop of healthy mouth watering tomatoes.

Once your tomato plants have been hardened, or acclimated to outdoor conditions, and night-time temperatures continually exceed 50 degrees, it’s time to set your plants out into your garden or patio containers.

Raised beds work best and you’ll want to bury your plants up to the first set of leaves.  This will ensure a healthy root system. After planting it’s a good idea to place mulch around each plant. Mulch helps keep the soil most and helps keep fruit off the ground, preventing rotting. The advantages to mulching are that the soil retains moisture requiring less watering. Also, the mulch acts as a slow release fertilizer and helps keep the weeds down.

How often should I water them? Your plants should be deep watered 2 to 3 times a week or more depending of your soil type. If the plant is seen wilting in the middle of the day, ignore it. They will perk right back up by late afternoon. If the plants look droopy in the morning, they need water.

All that hard work is getting ready to pay off and depending on what type of tomato plants you chose more than likely you will have an over abundance of ripe tomatoes.

When the fruits have ripened, pick them by bending back the fruit at the notch on the stem.

Tomatoes store well in a cool, dry location. Do not put them in the refrigerator. While they last longer in the refrigerator, they will lose their flavor and texture.

What do I do with all these tomatoes? We have some great recipes at www.PennysTomatoes.com and we would love for you to share yours so check us out online.

Good luck and happy gardening!

Penny

www.PennysTomatoes.com

http://pennystomatoes.com/meetpenny.html

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DIY Tomato Gardening Techniques

January 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Maybe you have contemplated about growing tomatoes in your own garden. In the US, there are countless people who really enjoy growing tomatoes at home and has become one of their preferred pastimes. Growing tomatoes is often both enjoyable and useful. As you will discover different approaches by which tomatoes can be utilized in culinary preparations, they are really hardly ever thrown away.

There is certainly a very extended growth season that can be associated to tomatoes, and you can try growing tomatoes at home in your unique garden. Certainly a great experience awaits you, if you decide to take up this as a leisure activity and stick to it well. One of the greatest rewards associated with tomatoes, is that it is a healthy and balanced vegetable and can be consumed fresh. Tomatoes can also be made into sauce and then sold off in the market as canned food.

When you make a decision to pursue the curiosity of growing tomatoes at home, there are a few important guidelines which you should keep in mind. If you comply with these tips, you will definitely have a memorable encounter and you can even enjoy the benefits out of it.

Transplantation:

One of the initial steps which you need to undertake is suitable transplanting. You need to be extremely mindful about taking away the upper section of the leaves properly when you transplant. The transplantation process should consist of quality handling of the plant. The base of the roots really should be tough enough so that the plant is intact at the ground level. If the foundation of the plant is strong, and if it gets deep inside the ground, automatically the intake of nutrients improves. The plant must also be fertilized, just after five days of transplantation.

Drip irrigation:

While you are growing tomatoes at home, drip irrigation is additionally one of the techniques which you can undertake. As tomato plants need daily watering, you can implement drip irrigation methods, with the help of an automated timer. The water goes faster into the ground as a direct result of drip irrigation, and plants can mature well.

Mulching:

For growing tomatoes at home, another approach which plays a very beneficial role, is mulching. Mulching brings down the loss of water as a result of evaporation. Keeping aside all these variables, fertilizing of the tomato plants is also necessary, within an interval of two to three weeks. You should select the right fertilizer brands which provide the necessary nutrients for growing tomatoes.

Growing a garden at home can bring many beneficial and relaxing opportunities. Sally’s Plant Food has been rated one of the best vegetable plant foods and will produce healthier fruits, vegetables and flowers year round.
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Tomato Gardening As a Hobby

January 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When the need to dabble in a little bit of gardening hits there are a number of plants you could choose. For instance, you could grow flowers for their beauty or you could grow tomatoes, for the nutritional and health value.

Given a choice between these two options, I would settle fort tomatoes. These plants don’t require too much attention.

You can choose from more than 7,500 assorted varieties of tomatoes though I doubt if most of us can differentiate the sheers number tomatoes in existence. Tomatoes differ in color, taste, flavor, size, shape.

The type you want to grow should be dependent on what you want to achieve with the tomato. Some tomatoes are better suited for making salads, while others are primarily used for making pastes and purees.

Tomatoes in outdoor gardening depend on a warm climate. Most tomato plants are easily damaged by frost as they can tolerate the cold; they are better suited to warm weather. The ideal weather for tomatoes should generally be between a high of 85 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

This optimal weather is normally realized towards the end of May.

You as a budding gardener should understand that tomatoes are to be planted with a space of between 15 to 30 inches separating two plants. Spacing helps in reducing the infection of diseases from plant to plant and also limits the migration of pests from one plant to the other.

Furthermore, if the plants are closer to each other one could cast a pall over the other, the latter of which will stunt due to lack of sunlight. Tomato roots also grow and branch out widely under the soil thus the need for ample space.

Tomatoes are known to thrive in the sun as we have seen and so ideally, they must be exposed the suns rays for at least 6 hours everyday. Sunlight helps the plants to generate its own food and that’s why it is so important.

Tomatoes also need constant watering, and also moist and well aerated loam soil. Too much watering may end up choking the plant, thus the need for an effective watering method.

Some types of tomatoes actually belong to the climbing species hence the need for trellises. These trellises are structures made of strips of wood or plastic intertwined together thus offering support to these plants. Once the tomato fruit comes into contact with ground or soil, it quickly starts decomposing thus the trellises help in preventing this.

Pruning is a very fundamental part of tomato growing. Removing suckers that are growing on the plant, helps to reduce the amount of energy it burns up growing these suckers, instead it focuses on growing a healthier fruit.

Growing tomatoes in a small garden could be classified as a hobby but it is a very fulfilling hobby. Apart from the aesthetically pleasing garden variety tomatoes on display you also get to enjoy one succulent tomato after another, all within the confines of your home.

Thomas Taylor is a Tomato growing enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this amazing hobby by sharing information about Growing Tomato Garden

His newest book,”The Expert Guide On Growing Tasty, Tantalizing Tomatoes”teaches Tomato growers everything they need to know about planting and nurturing their tomato garden. http://www.tantalizingtomatoes.com

insightfulnana.com Learn how to hand pollinate your garden tomatoes. This procedure is especially helpful if you plant your tomatoes in a container garden. You will see an increase in your tomato production immediately if you give the bees a helping hand in pollinating your tomato garden. Tomato pollination is easy and it has proven to be successful. Insightful Nana goes through the simple steps in helping you learn how to perform this easy method of hand pollinating your garden tomatoes. If you don’t have a regular tomato garden, container gardening may be the answer for you. The simple task of hand pollinating your tomatoes will add to your container garden crop.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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The Best Way to Grow Tomato Plants

January 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

OK, so it is getting to the right time to think about getting your tomato plants off to a good start. So what makes a good start?

Well the first think to think about is use a tomato seed which is best quality. Sure we all like a bargain but it can be a false economy to use cheap seed. The cheapest seed is one you save yourself and this can be very successful. In fact I save my own seeds with my chili plants but not tomatoes. The reason for this is that I grow what is know as an F1 Hybrid. This means that it is the first generation seed which has been bred from specific parent plants. As such, were I to grow a seed I had saved it would then be a second generation seed and would probably not grow as I had hoped. You can save your own seed but I also grow 3 different types of tomatoes close together so there also may be some cross pollination which again may make the seed different from the parent plant. I buy my seeds from a seed company I trust but not necessarily every year. If I buy a packet with 20 seeds in, I tend to grow half of them as I only really need 5 plants and grow the rest the following year. This saves costs and as I store the seeds in a sealed container in a cool garage they are still fairly fresh the next year.

Starting off tomato seeds is fairly simple and can be done in many ways. What you need to consider is when to start them. I live in the UK and start mine off at the end of January. In the south of the US you may be able to grow them at any time of the year but in the north of the US this may be too early. I cannot offer specific advice and you need to do some local research as to when you can plant them into a greenhouse or your yard. I start about 10 weeks before planting them out. Of course, if you live in the southern hemisphere, somewhere like Australia you start them in your late winter/early spring.

I used to start my seeds off in flats, (seeds trays to many people), and this works well. I place them on the surface of the compost and cover them with about a quarter of an inch of fine grade vermiculite. This is a moisture retentive product which is lightweight and not only keeps moisture close to the seed it is light enough for the emerging seedling to push through easily. However, I now grow them in plug trays which are trays of cells using a peat based compost. I cover them with a sprinkling of sieved compost. I also used to use a heated propagator to do this but find the kitchen windowsill is just as good. Because I use plug trays the root ball that develops allows me to easily transfer the entire plug easily when potting these on to a proper plant pot.

When potting on into larger pots I simply push the entire plug out of the tray and transfer this into the top of the compost in a plant pot. All I do is fill a new plant pot with fresh compost and make a hole in it with my finger and push the plug into it. Simple but it works and works well. Gardening is not a complicated science.

I use a fresh plant pot so there is no change of transferring any disease to my new plants and fresh compost because it is fresh and I assume better. Just think which you would choose. A glass of fresh water, or one which has been stood in a room for 5 weeks. Like you I would want the fresh one just as your tomatoes will prefer fresh compost. I will grow these tomatoes in the pots until they are large enough to be transferred to a large pot or even planted into the plant pots I use in the greenhouse. Whilst I have used these before, they have been cleaned and sterilised.

Remember to keep your tomatoes well spaced apart whilst growing them on in the small pots. If they are too close together they will grow faster and become a tall stretched plant which is something you do not really want. I continue to grow the tomato seedlings on my kitchen windowsill, keeping them watered but do not feed them. There should be enough food in the compost for a few weeks – up to 6 with better quality composts.

I finally plant my tomatoes into sterilized plants pots in a greenhouse. You may be growing them to plant outside and these are likely to need planting out a little later than ones in the greenhouse. What you do need to do is to make sure that you avoid frosts getting to the plants as frost is a tomato killer. You tomato plants can stand some cold but not frost. One of the main things you need to consider when planting them out into a greenhouse or yard is the climate you are growing them in and above all the last date for frosts. I cannot give you specific advice on this as it depends on where you live. Use your common sense and do not plant them out too early.

You can learn more about High Density Gardening and growing tomatoes by checking out http://www.highdensitygardening.com/home.html which also has free downloadable worksheets on building hotbox compost bins.

Ric Wiley is an internet writer and gardener. His website about High Density Gardening can be found at http://www.highdensitygardening.com/home.html and his latest ebook is High Density Gardening

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Everything There is to Know About Tomato Gardening

January 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A lot of fruit and vegetable gardeners, both hobbyists and professionals alike, have in their garden some type of tomato species. The health benefits of tomatoes are countless. Among them is this fruit’s ability to improve skin color and texture, purify blood, and combat cancer cells, among other things. Aside from this, tomatoes are also one of the easiest types of fruits to grow and cultivating them should be as easy as pie. That is of course if one knows how to do it right. Read on below to discover a few tips on how to ensure that one’s tomatoes are juicy, plump, and disease-free.

Location, Location, Location

One of the cardinal rules of tomato gardening is that proper garden location is essential. Tomatoes simply love the sun so it is necessary to expose these wonderful fruits to as much sunlight as possible. Ideally, the tomatoes should be exposed to direct sunlight for at least 6 hours a day in order to reach their optimum growth. However, gardeners should still remain wary of overexposure. A good way to balance things out is by adding some tall plants or even some trees that can provide some shade for the tomatoes.

Water and Nutrients

It is needless to say that much like any fruit, tomatoes will not flourish unless they are able to receive sufficient amounts of water and nutrients. Watering the plants frequently will not only ensure their growth, but it also helps keep the soil moist.

However, too much water will drown the tomatoes so it is necessary to give them just the right amount. A good way to do this is by making use of a drip water system. A lot of people make use of used gallon milk jugs to serve this purpose. What they do is they pierce the bottom and the sides of the container and bury them right beside the tomato plants in such a way that only the top part sticks out. They then fill the containers with water and let the jugs constantly and evenly distribute the water to the plants and the soil without the fear of drowning them.

When it comes to nutrients, this process begins even before the actual planting of the tomato seeds. A good gardening technique that should help the growth of tomatoes—or any type of vegetation for that matter—is by working the soil with a fertilizer or compost in order to create a rich setting for the seedlings. During their growth, it is also ideal to give the tomatoes a dose of fertilizer every now and again. Just remember to stay away from chemical-based products that may cause damage to the tomatoes.

The Stakes are High

Another valuable tomato gardening tip is to make use of cages or stakes to make sure that the tomatoes don’t grow across the ground. Failing to do so will increase the fruits’ susceptibility to fungus and disease so it is necessary to stake the plants at an early point. Other folks opt for cages that can be purchased from any local garden shop as they find them to be more convenient and easier to use.

Angus Horticulture is a leading supplier of garden products such as lawn and garden fertiliser. If you prefer a garden that requires less maintenance why not try Dekorbeton’s imprinted concrete which provide a low cost alternative to natural stone paving.

A hanging tomato garden starts with selecting the right tomatoes, and smaller tomatoes are easier to grow in hanging baskets. Use a seed tray to start a hanging tomato garden withhelp from a sustainable gardener in this free video on growing tomatoes. Expert: Yolanda Vanveen Contact: www.vanveenbulbs.com Bio: Yolanda Vanveen is a third-generation flower grower and sustainable gardener who lives in Kalama, Wash. Filmmaker: Daron Stetner

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Best Tips For Organic Tomato Gardening

January 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Growing your own organic tomatoes is fairly easy. If you are tired of paying high prices for organic tomatoes at the store then next season, you should be prepared to experiment with organic tomato gardening. There are a few basic tips in organic tomato gardening:

Location with Plenty of Sun:

Tomatoes need plenty of sun, at least eight hours a day to be productive and to keep the soil and roots warm. Organic tomato gardening is based on the ideal garden location. Tomatoes thrive as much on heat as they do the sunlight. If you have to increase the level of light or heat, then sometimes a reflective back fence can help. It can be as simple as a white sheet staked between two fence poles to reflect more light onto the tomato plants.

Temperatures:

Plants do the best when the soil temperature is over 55 degrees and the night-time temperatures don’t get colder than that. On the other hand, tomatoes have a hard time withstanding a heat wave for very many days when it reaches over 90 degrees. If the temperatures at night are cooler than 55 degrees, you may need to cover your plants with buckets or sheets overnight. If it is getting extremely hot during the day, you need to provide shade, by hanging a sheet on one side of the garden to block the hottest sun of the day.

Staking and Pest Control:

In organic tomato gardening, staking plants by keeping them off the ground protects them from soil that is laden with harmful plant insects. Natural pest control in organic tomato gardening also means that you don’t re-plant tomato plants in the same place you may have experienced diseases or pests the year before. Organic tomatoes are to be grown in an area that has not been chemically treated in three growing seasons, so you may have to relocate plants.

Watering:

Uneven watering can be responsible for sporadic growth of fruit and can also cause problems with rot diseases. Two good waterings per week, with the ground soaked six to eight inches is usually sufficient for tomatoes. Of course, they love water, so if it gets extremely hot, you will have to water more often for them to stay productive.

Mulch for Weed Control and Preserving Moisture:

By using black plastic around your plants, you will discourage weed growth and keep warmth in the soil. This can help direct water to the plant’s root system when sloping towards the plant. You can keep weed growth down and moisture in by laying heavy layers of newspaper around the plants and keeping them damp.

Pruning:

By pruning the suckers at the joints of the stem and leaves, you will focus more of the plant’s energy on bearing fruit. If you don’t prune, you will get more tomatoes, they will be smaller in size, and be sure you have plenty of mulch to keep the vines and fruit from direct contact with the soil. If you decide not to stake plants, the suckers will root themselves into the ground. This can help provide more water. If they are not rooted, they will take more of the water the plant gets.

Fertilizer:

You can use natural fertilizers, such as manure or fish emulsion on the tomato plants. Using compost from your recycling pile is another way to add nutrients without chemicals, when you are organic tomato gardening.

Get the latest and unbiased Organic Gardening Tips and Gardening Secrets only at http://www.Gardening-Solution.com.

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Caring Guide Tips For Growing Your Own Tomato Garden

January 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Wouldn’t it be a pleasure to be assured that you have the best? Wouldn’t it be much delightful to reap the products of your labor? Wouldn’t it be great to have the biggest, reddest and juiciest tomato straight from your garden? And wouldn’t it be much greater to know that all of these can be attained in simply one phrase – Taking good care of your tomato garden. And much more than what has been said is that it is very much easy to do.

Taking good care of your garden is the very key for you to be able to obtain the tomatoes you want. When we hear the word taking care, we usually associate it to something already there, but then it shouldn’t be. Concern begins even in the planning. You have to know the right things that your plants would need for them to begin growing well.

You need to begin with the area where you plant. You should make sure that it is a place conducive for planting. It should be away from large trees and that it should be able to allow your plants to receive sufficient sunlight necessary for their growth. The sun is the most helpful agent in photosynthesis and if you want your plants to grow healthy, the sun should always be in sight. It is also important that you give your plant enough room to grow. This means that you should plant one tomato a little farther from the other so that it could grow a strong root system underneath and space for its branches and fruits as it grows big. The soil you should be using should have the necessary PH level for nutrient absorption of your tomato plant. It should also be new soil to avoid diseases that can be transferred through the soil.

You have to water your tomatoes regularly. Watering the plants well shall affect the taste or the sweetness of your developing fruit. If you are able to water your plants well, you would surely expect the tastiest blast in every bite of your own homegrown tomatoes. Pruning your tomatoes is also an activity that is essential as you grow your own garden. If you prune, you will be able to avoid an overcrowded plant. Your plant will always be in shape and the fruits will grow healthier. Cleaning your garden regularly is another thing. Weeding and keeping the environment clean at all times will make your tomatoes smile. With a clean area, you are guaranteed that there are no parasitic creatures that would corrupt your fruits, no weeds that would share in the nutrients that are intended for your plants, no soil-borne diseases that would make your plants sick; and no plant diseases, parasites and infections that would worry your mind. Plus, if you fertilize your plants regularly, you would definitely be able to have the best that you could imagine. Then you’ll be able to say to the rest of the world that growing tomatoes naturally that are red, big and so juicy can be done…and you just did it.

Paul Dale is the author of “Tomato Growing Secrets”. For more great information on
growing a tomato garden go to our website. The website contains valuable information on anything related to growing your own tomatoes.
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Does the Upside Down Tomato Garden Really Work

January 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you have been interested in trying to grow your tomatoes upside down you may have seen an innovative product sold by Hammacher Schlemmer called The Upside Down Tomato Garden. You may ask: “Will it work for me?” We will have a look at how the product works and look at customer feedback to discover the pros and cons.

The Product:
The Upside Down Tomato Garden is a square 4 foot tall structure made from plastic and pvc. It holds a plant bed at the top that is filled with soil/compost and a plastic base with supporting pipes that are filled with water or sand to keep the structure steady. The plant bed has 4 holes for tomato plants and can also grow herbs upwards. The attractive product pictures show a healthy crop of tomatoes growing down with a herb garden on the top. It typically retails for around .

2 Ways of Growing Tomatoes Upside Down:
There has been much interest recently in growing tomatoes upside down. It is a unique gardening technique and can be quite ornamental. It also eliminates the need for staking as the plant is off the ground supported upright by gravity. The most common method of upside down planting is to suspend a container with a hole in the base from a solid support. The disadvantage of this method is that you may not have a suitable support to suspend your container. The alternative method used by The Upside Down Tomato Garden is to provide a free-standing support structure for the plant container.

Customer Feedback:
Let’s look at what customers that purchased the product have said – starting with positive feedback. The good points raised have been that it has been a great space saver allowing multiple plants to be grown in one spot. It is also just the right height for planting and harvesting – no need to bend down or reach up. Many people reported that it was easy to assemble and sturdy when the base was filled with water.

Many of the negative points raised said that the plant bed at the top was too small for more than one or two tomato plants. There was also some concern over the price compared to the standard suspended planters that typically retail for around . Many people also struggled to grow healthy plants – this was often due to not being able to get enough sunlight to the plants due to the shadow from the plant bed and keeping the planter next to a wall.

Essentially the customers that were happy were the ones with lower expectations of fruit quality who bought the product for its ornamental qualities.

You can find more information on The Upside Down Tomato Garden at my site www.growingtomatoanswers.com including a more in depth review and other upside down planting solutions.

Mark Shelton is a keen home gardener with a special interest in growing tomatoes.  He has shown many people how to grow better tomatoes with little effort and he can help you too!  Check out his site at www.growingtomatoanswers.com
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Your Home Tomato Garden: The 7 Key Factors

January 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

So what exactly are the key factors to have a thriving tomato garden, or any garden for that matter, at home?

A few friends and I were tossing this subject around the other day… actually we were talking about the things that make a difference to our gardening efforts… and it got me thinking.

You see, the things that we each really saw as important weren’t the sort of things that you generally find in the “how to create the garden of your dreams” information that abounds in the online world.

Perhaps it is because we have been around the traps, so to speak, as gardeners and the “techniques” of growing are second nature to us already. Whether that was the reason or not though, the thoughts and feelings that we had were, to say the least, surprising… and not at all what I had initially expected.

As well as I can recall (no I didn’t have too much to drink) here they are, in point form, for your consideration…

1) Purpose – Gardening is a lot of work. Why are you doing it? One of the things that we found that we all shared was an absolute love of gardening itself. It brought us peace and contentment, or satisfaction, or fulfilment or whatever… but it brought each of us something… and this ‘something’ was incredibly important.

It has many effects, some of them hard to describe, but the main effect was that we all looked forward to being in our garden. It wasn’t just something that we do, rather it is a part of us.

2) Knowledge – Fairly obviously this is important. But what exactly do I mean when I say knowledge? Well really it can be broken down into three types of ‘knowledge of’…

Conditions: I have written about this often and it always seems to me to be the thing that needs more emphasis. In short, knowing your local conditions including the conditions in your backyard is paramount and affects what you can grow and how it will grow tremendously. You can find more details in my other articles.

What you are growing: Understanding the plant that you are attempting to grow is vital if you are to have any success at all. If you understand this then you know what it is you are trying to achieve and you can act in harmony with the plant to achieve the best results. As far as I am concerned too much attention is put on what to do and nowhere near enough is given to knowing why we are doing it.

Techniques: The most obvious and most covered subject. There is a ton of information around, most of it good.

3) Assistance – This was quite surprising in a way, but it probably shouldn’t have been. Not one of us failed to be able to name at least one person who had served as a guide or inspiration for us.

None of us had learnt everything all by ourselves and in fact all but one of us were involved constantly with not one or two, but in fact many other gardening experts. We were a community, and we shared a passion. Who do you go to when something goes wrong?

4) Materials – Be prepared. Overall, compared to some other pursuits, gardening doesn’t require much in the way of equipment, it isn’t rocket science. But the right tools do make the job so much easier and the wrong ones (or not having what you need) will make things a lot harder.

5) Attitude – Further to the point made in (1) above we each found that there were a few “attitudes” that we shared in common in relation to our gardening efforts. These were…

Fun: We were invariably more successful when we were having fun. And most of the time our gardening was fun. But of course there were certainly times when things didn’t happen the way we wanted and this meant that we needed a little…

Stoicism: Things don’t always go to plan and the ability to quietly accept setbacks and persist, never-the-less, was an art that somehow we had each picked up somewhere along the way. You could call it a calm determination in the face of adversity.

Love: Or caring, (for all the men out there) was also vital. Quite simply we care for our plants. We care what happens to them and we want the best for them. They are companions that we can share moments of solitude and introspection with. Of course the boys didn’t quite phrase it this way but the sentiment was the same.

6) Discipline – Possibly above all other things in regards to our success was this… and again it can be broken down into a few important areas.

Preparation: Be prepared! Boy Scouts, Girl Guides… whatever. Getting caught with your plants down (pun intended) is really not clever. Make sure that you have everything that you need before you start to garden. It is really very inconvenient to be halfway through an important action only to find out that you have forgotten something vital.

Routine: Absolutely crucial. Each of us had his or her routine. And it was a part of our lives, like breakfast, lunch and tea. The routine that we ‘groove’ into means that we don’t forget crucial steps that must be done.

Persistence: We all had our failures (plenty of them actually) and we remember each one of them. However we didn’t let those failures stop us from trying again, and sometimes again, and again. The point is that, whether it was because of our passion for what we were doing or some other reason we became ‘expert’ eventually through persistence. Which leads us to…

7) Experience – Nothing replaces it. And, of course, it doesn’t happen overnight (I all of a sudden feel like washing my hair… very strange) but it will happen… if you have the above 6 points covered. In one way or another they contribute to creating a life out of whatever activity you are undertaking, one that leads to becoming ‘expert’ and certainly one that is full of satisfaction at the end of the day.

All in all it was an interesting day and one that I got a lot of realisations out of… here’s hoping that the things I have pointed out will strike a chord with you too.

Tired of having poor results in the garden? Go to http://www.growingbettertomatoes.com and sign up for my free mini-course. It’s full of helpful tips and information on creating a thriving tomato garden. For a fantastic resource that you really shouldn’t be without get How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes.



Herb garden care & maintenance: Growing your own indoor – outdoor herb garden: Learn how to make a basicherb garden in this free gardening video series, with tips for herb selection, soil preparation methods, planting techniques, and herb plant maintenance. Expert: Jose Zuniga Bio: Jose’s experience with gardening comes from growing up around his grandfather, who was an avid gardener and farmer. Filmmaker: Grady Johnson

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