If you are growing fruit or vegetables, chances are you want to keep tomatoes as well; There are so many varieties, with delicious flavors and endless health benefits - hard not to appreciate them. With proper care in the planting, growing and harvesting stages, you will be able to achieve great production and enjoy it for many years to come. Read on to learn how to grow them from scratch or from a young seedling by following a few simple strategies.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Choosing the Location
Step 1. Plant them directly in the ground if possible
In this way you can grow almost any variety and it is not necessary to water as often as a vegetable garden in pots; this method is suitable if you want to get a big harvest.
Find a place with 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day. If any soil disease develops, you probably won't have enough time to sterilize the whole area or replace the soil; in this type of cultivation it is easier for infestations of moles, other rodents, birds, squirrels and deer to occur
Step 2. Create a raised (porca) bed
It is an excellent solution if you are worried about the presence of pollutants in the soil; if necessary, you can also replace the soil if diseases start to develop. Loose soil allows for better drainage and aeration than growing in a standard garden. If you suffer from back pain or leg pain, this technique allows you not to lean forward excessively when working.
However, the disadvantage is that you have to leave enough space between one pig and the other to proceed efficiently with the care and harvest; You also have to pay for the material, such as untreated lumber and soil. The raised vegetable garden dries even faster than the traditional one
Step 3. Use the pots if you have limited space
Some are more manageable than others and are a great solution if you don't have enough space in the garden; however, more frequent watering is required in this case, as the earth dries out more quickly. If you live in an area particularly exposed to winds, you should also consider investing in additional plant support structures. Some common types of containers are:
- Recycled buckets, they are cheap and easy to find; they are quite light when you move them, but you must have a drill to make the drainage holes. Those made of dark plastic can overheat and transfer toxic chemicals to the soil; metal ones can rust and stain your patio or terrace.
- The barrels are beautiful to look at and offer enough room for the roots to develop properly; However, keep in mind that they are difficult to move and may even rot. Again, you need a drill to drill the drainage holes.
Step 4. Install flower boxes on the window sills
You can water and harvest tomatoes by simply opening the windows; moreover, following this method, the higher the floor of the apartment you live in, the lower the number of pests you have to manage. Preferably choose the smaller varieties, such as Pachino tomatoes, to prevent them from falling due to excessive weight; Also be sure to anchor the planters to the windows.
Step 5. Hang the plants
This is a good alternative if you want to avoid bending over when you work. Since they are not in the ground or in any case not close to the ground, you need to water them more often; you also need to provide a more robust fastening system.
- If you live in an apartment on the upper floors of an apartment building, you can hang baskets on the windowsills; keep in mind that in this case the options are limited to the smaller varieties, such as Pachino.
- You can make overturned pots using recycled buckets; in this case, the plants do not need support posts. Also, birds are less likely to peck fruit because they don't have a spot to land on; however, water that is not absorbed can drip onto leaves and fruits, increasing the risk of disease, not to mention that the yield is limited.
Part 2 of 4: Plant the Tomatoes
Step 1. Buy the plants
You can find them in nurseries, garden centers and fruit and vegetable markets; choose the healthy looking ones and buy them just before planting them.
Step 2. Add a lot of compost
Tomatoes need a growing medium rich in organic material. If you can't make compost yourself, get a commercial compost that contains rock dust and topsoil; you need about 25-40 kilos per 1 m2, mix it with the soil of the first 6-8 cm.
Before placing the seedlings or plants in the ground, add a couple of handfuls of organic matter or egg shells to the bottom of the hole; as the roots begin to grow deeper, they can absorb these nutrients just in time to increase fruit production
Step 3. Monitor the pH of the soil
Tomatoes prefer slightly acidic soil; a very acidic one can cause the plant to release calcium and cause tip rot. The ideal is a pH between 6, 0 and 6, 8. If the test reveals a higher value, water the tomatoes with a mixture of equal parts of water and cold coffee; you can also add some pine needle mulch. If, on the other hand, you find a figure below 6, 0, use either dolomitic lime or a source of calcium, such as crushed egg shells or calcite.
Step 4. Choose a sunny spot
Place the plants in full sun. If you live in a rather cold geographical area, make sure that the tomatoes are exposed to direct sun at least 6 hours every day; if you live in a warm climate area, choose a place that has some shade in the afternoon.
Keep in mind that tomato plants can stay in full sun even in the hottest climates, the important thing is that the soil is rich in mulch and well watered
Step 5. Space the plants about 50-100cm apart
This is enough space to be able to walk between the different plants, water them, remove the weeds and reap the fruits. If you live in a warm region, you can space them between 25-50 cm; in this way the plants kept in the cages enjoy each other's shade avoiding burning in the sun.
Step 6. Transplant them deeply
Underground for about 50-80% of their height; compact the soil firmly around the roots, making sure they are completely covered. Remember to cut off the lower leaves of the plant and not bury them, otherwise they may rot.
When you take the plants out of the pots, tap the bottom of the container and make sure that the roots and soil come out in one block; this is an important aspect, because if you tear the roots you could damage the plant
Part 3 of 4: Caring for Plants
Step 1. Use stakes or tomato cages
Install them when you bury them, since their function is to support the climber; do not wait more than two weeks. If you prefer, you can make handcrafted cages.
- The cage must be at least 120 cm high; however, it may bend when the plant gets heavy and sometimes even collapse during a violent summer storm. Remove secondary leaves and stems as the plant grows.
- The pole should have a minimum section of 1.5 x 5 cm and a length between 180 and 240 cm. Plant it about 30-60 cm deep and at least 5 cm away from the plant; tie the latter to the pole using strips of fabric or gardening twine, wrap the fabric twice and do not over tighten the knot, so as not to choke the stem of the plant. The pole can be bamboo, scrap wood, an electrical cable duct, or an iron bar.
Step 2. Water every 7-10 days
Do this after the first week; you need to provide about half a liter of water every day to each plant. It is better to install a drip or garden hose facing the roots rather than watering the plant from above, otherwise you could increase the risk of disease.
- To prevent mold or fungal disease from forming, you should water in the morning.
- After 10 days it begins to reduce the frequency of irrigation. Make sure the plants get 2.5-7.5cm of rainwater every week; if not, you have to wet them with about 7.5 liters of water per week, starting 15 days after burial.
- Increase your water supply as plants start growing and the weather gets warmer. Wet them abundantly 2 or 3 times a week with 3-4 liters of water each time; make sure the soil is moist but not too soggy.
Step 3. Apply mulch
After a week or two, apply a layer of dried straw or grass all around the tomatoes; this way, you should be able to control weeds and keep the soil moist during the dry season. Check that the layer is 2-3 cm thick and that it covers the surface within a radius of 15 cm from the base of the plant.
Step 4. Choose the fertilizer
Tomatoes can grow very well organically when the soil is rich in organic material. If you get a chemical fertilizer, look for one that is suitable for vegetables and use half the recommended concentration (based on the instructions on the package).
- Do not use that for the lawn, because the mineral content in this type of fertilizer is indicated to favor the development of the stems and foliage.
- If you fertilize excessively, the plant can grow too fast, making it more susceptible to disease and insect infestations.
Step 5. Gently shake the pole or cage
This expedient increases fruit production, as well as spreading pollen; proceed once or twice a week for about 5 seconds and start when the first flowers appear.
Part 4 of 4: Addressing Common Problems
Step 1. Check for sucker growth
They are branches that grow at the junction between the main stem and other branches, "sucking" the plant's nutrients during the growth phase. If you allow them to develop, you get more fruit, but smaller; you should therefore tear them to get larger fruit.
Step 2. Fight the heat
If you live in a particularly hot region, choose strains that tolerate high temperatures well, such as Phoenix, San Marzano or Sunrise. Find a spot with full sun in the morning and filtered light in the afternoon; try to protect the plants between 10:00 and 14:00 with sheets that provide shade.
If the fruit begins to ripen during an intense heat wave, with night temperatures exceeding 24 ° C and daytime temperatures above 35 ° C, harvest the fruit early to stop ripening
Step 3. Check the humidity
To produce fruits, this plant needs a humidity level of 80-90% during the day and more moderate (65-75%) at night; if it exceeds 90% and falls below 65% it can trigger the apical rot of the fruits. If you are growing your plants in a greenhouse, use a psychrometer to measure humidity; to increase it you should spray water on the plants; if you have to reduce it inside the greenhouse, increase the ventilation.
If the region you live in has a very humid climate, the best thing to do to grow tomatoes outdoors is to choose varieties that tolerate humidity well, such as Ferline, Legend and Fantasio
Step 4. Prevent apex rot
It is a disease that leads to the blackening and erosion of the final part of the fruit. When you start noticing it is already too late to save the plant, so the best solution is to prevent it; the main cause of this disease is calcium deficiency. Here's how to act preventively:
- Bring 4 liters of water to a boil with 15 ml of lemon juice;
- Add 6 tablespoons of bone meal and mix well; do not worry if it does not dissolve completely;
- Cook the mixture in a covered pot for about half an hour;
- Let it cool;
- Pour a liter on the leaves and roots of each plant;
- Repeat the treatment a second time after 3 or 5 days;
- You can also spread crushed eggshells around the plant to enrich the soil with calcium.
Step 5. Prepare home-made bird deterrents
Put some red decorations around the top of the cages; the birds think they are tomatoes and peck them. The hardness of the surface and lack of flavor can confuse them and are more likely to leave the fruit undisturbed.
Know that this is only effective for a while; before the tomatoes ripen on the plants, protect them with a net to keep birds away
Step 6. Keep chickens and ducks in the garden
You can proceed with this technique only if you live in the countryside or if it is allowed in your city. These animals like to eat snails and other weed caterpillars; if you can't keep the population under control, these parasites kill the plant by eating all the leaves.
Step 7. Keep the snails under control with the carton
Put the roll of toilet paper or kitchen paper on the tomato stem when the plant is still young; the material it is made of prevents snails from climbing and reaching the seedling.
Step 8. Grow plants that attract weed predators
Some great choices are marigold, zinnia, marigold, nasturtium. Ladybugs and braconid wasps attracted to plants eat aphids and caterpillars that would otherwise destroy your crop.
Advice
- The suckers you remove can be planted in moist soil to get new tomato plants, but they need to be quite large to be successful. Only do this if you live in a region with a long growing season, as suckers reach maturity later than mother plants.
- If you decide to remove the suckers on plants with "indeterminate" growth (not shrub-shaped), consider not removing them completely; let them grow just enough for them to produce leaves and pinch off the top. By doing so, the plant does not devote too much energy to the development of long branches.
- If the stem or roots are damaged, it is often possible to save the plant by burying most of the stem and lower branches, as you did at the beginning by burying 75%; in this way, the fine hairs present on the stem and branches develop into roots.
- Use manure tea as a fertilizer, which you can make yourself if you can get hold of composted manure. Transfer the latter to a nylon stocking or cheesecloth and place the resulting "tea bag" in a 20-liter bucket filled with water. Leave it to infuse for a few days and use the liquid thus obtained by diluting it with an equal amount of water.
- You can grow your favorite tomatoes by storing the seeds; however, you must first soak them in a cup of hot water with tomato juice for a few weeks, then rinse them off and let them dry. You can save them for planting the following year.
