Growing Tomato Plants

Tomatoes are easy to grow, even in containers and there's nothing like biting into a fresh homegrown tomato, so consider growing some in your garden.

See our article about 10 great products for growing tomatoes successfully.

Organic Fertilizer is a great idea for tomatoes and other vegetables. Organics actually improve your soil over the long term, insuring great gardens for years to come. Tomato plants grown in organic soil also yield higher levels of antioxidants.

People with space limitations often love the Upside Down Tomato Planter, and especially the Grow Poles that can go with them. An outdoor hydroponic garden planter is also a great solution for limited space.

Don't forget to buy certified organic tomato seeds.

Tomatoes and other vegetables do best with good drainage. Raised beds and containers are excellent ways to provide good drainage. Traditional rectangular beds built with boards or cement blocks are fine, but you can be creative. You can use any design you want-perhaps something that enhances your landscaping.

Although you don't necessarily need to plant your tomato plants in neat rows, the tradition of planting a row or two of tomatoes and then a row or two of something else is a tradition that courts disaster. It is not a natural kind of plant growth and pests will be attracted.

A better way to plant tomatoes is to intersperse your tomatoes with something they like - so called "companion plants". As an example, tomatoes and carrots are excellent companions. By planting carrots between tomato plants, both will benefit and fewer pests will invade your garden.

An Organic Insect Killer can also come in handy to get rid of aphids or other pests that you might have.

It's also easy to grow tomatoes indoors. When choosing tomato vines for an indoor planter, it's important to choose 'determinate' varieties instead of 'indeterminate' tomato species. Determinate tomatoes grow to short, manageable lengths, and then focus their energy on producing fruit. Indeterminate tomatoes keep growing and growing, and they take up large amounts of space.

Tomatoes crave warm weather and should have eight or more hours of sun a day. They are sensitive to cold temperatures. The average nighttime air temperature should be 55 degrees F or more and the soil temperature should be at least 55 degrees F to 60 degrees F. If you expect lower temperatures, be sure to cover your tomato plants. Tomatoes also need plenty of consistent watering and nitrogen.

If you want to learn more about tomatoes and their soil needs and history among other topics, be sure to read our complete guide to growing organic tomatoes .

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