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Home Grown Tomatoes |
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WHERE SHOULD I PLANT MY TOMATOES? Tomatoes will be happy if planted in a sunny and hot part of the garden—which might be a challenge in the Northwest. Plant them in a place on the south or west side of the home where the plants can get full sun and some reflection off the foundation or side of the house, which gives them extra warmth. Tomatoes also grow good in containers on the patio or balcony protected from the wind. |
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| I BOUGHT A TOMATO PLANT AT THE
PLANT SALE. NOW WHAT? Tomato plants like organic humus in the soil, so make them happy and mix large quantities of compost or processed manure (steer manure – the stinky stuff) and peat moss with your existing planting soil. The planting hole should be about 18 inches across and 12 inches deep. Add some all-purpose vegetable garden fertilizer, like 15-10-10, at planting time, and water your plant thoroughly. |
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| MORAL SUPPORT You should provide some support for your growing tomato plants, although moral support isn’t necessary. You can either tie the plants to stakes as they grow or purchase wire tomato cages at a local department store to support the vines. |
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| FEEDING If you prepare the soil well before you plant, you should not have to fertilize your plants again. Overfeeding with too much fertilizer can promote an increased foliage growth instead of the desired fruit production. Should the plant leaves lose some of its color during the growing season, you can give them a light snack of tomato fertilizer or vegetable garden food to perk up. |
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WATERING – The best watering method is to let an open water hose or soaker hose run at the base of the plants, trying to keep the water off the leaves. Wet leaves could promote fungus growth; so try to keep your plants dry. |
| TOMATO
SUCKERS Suckers are the little extra stems developing between two already established branches. You can remove suckers from tomatoes to keep the plant from growing too many branches with too many fruits, resulting in smaller sized tomatoes. But generally it is not necessary to prune tomato plants, unless the foliage gets too thick and your plants want more air and light to grow. At the end of the season, when the top flowers run out of time to produce fruit, you can prune them back and guide the energies of the plant to the development of already existing fruit. |
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