A Beginners Guide To Growing Tomatoes

So you have made the decision to begin growing tomatoes.

Good news – they are a hardy plant which is pretty simple to achieve good results with.

Bad news – there are a huge number of varieties to choose from which can make it hard to decide on which one to go with.
If you follow these quick steps you will be up and running quickly.
When growing tomatoes use a well known hybrid variety. Hybrid varieties have been especially bred to be disease resistance. Traditional strains may in some peoples opinion taste better but they do need a lot more experience to grow them sucessfully. Luckily these days there are a number of good tasting Hybrids available so finding a variety that will be acceptable to your taste buds won`t be hard.

Seeds or Seedlings for Growing Tomatoes

Start off with seedlings: Growing tomatoes from seed is a more difficult way to go which the beginner gardener can avoid. Buying tomato seedlings from your local nursery makes the most sense. Let them know that you are starting out and ask their advice, you can always go back for more help later on if you need to.
the seedlings that you buy should be short and solid looking not long and straggely.

Which Variety to Choose when Growing Tomatoes

The tomato variety you choose when growing tomatoes depends on where you are going to be growing them. The choice is either outside in the garden or inside in pots or upside down baskets. In many ways it is easier to grow tomatoes in pots as you can then control your soil and location requirements far more easily. Good soil and a good location are the two most important factors to decide on when it comes to growing tomatoes. By growing them in containers you have more control over each aspect. Another important thing is to make sure the pot you choose is big enough, tomato polants have a fairly large root system and can grow a long way so don’t cramp them.

Whether inside or outside they require a suitable amount of sunlight. It is good if they have as much as 8-hours of sunlight every day. These plants develop in temperate weather. You’ll need to wait till the outside temperature reaches 50 degrees or more every day before planting the seeds or the seedlings for growing tomatoes. You may use seeds or seedlings  to grow them in your garden. Remember it will be necessary to grow the seeds inside the house until they sprout and grow into strong seedlings.

The plants will react well to soil that has been well fertilised with compost and other organic material. The seedlings must be planted in holes that you have created approximately a foot in diameter and at least 2-3 feet apart. The plants need enough room to grow. Tomato plants like well drained soil, they dont like having their roots sitting in saturated ground but they do need moist conditions.
Its a good idea to place mulch, straw or similar material around the areas where the seedlings are planted. It is also a good idea to feed the tomato plants with liquid fertiliser every few weeks. it is also important to give the plants enough water as they grow. Water them at the roots instead of on the leaves and never saturate the plants in too much water.
As the plants begin to grow, make sure that they are well supported by securing your plants to stakes driven into the ground.

Harvesting your Growing tomatoes

Be ruthless with pinching out side shoots on the tomato plants. Pinching out means squeezing the shoot between your thumb and index finger to break it off. Tomatoes growing outside in the ground only need pinching out once or twice to do well. I have learned this through trial and error. The plants in pots were pinched out once a week to ensure that the fruits I got were big and juicy. I never bother pinching out cherry tomatoes.

Once all the tomatoes are set on the plant remove any leaves that are hiding the fruit from the sun. Its best for the tomatoes to ripen on the plant as this helps speed up the ripening process. Removing the leaves also gives you slightly bigger tomatoes.
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.
Its not hard to know when your growing tomatoes are ready for harvesting. They have grown in size and changed colour from green to reddish orange.