The first step towards realizing your dream of growing your own tomatoes is to first understand that tomatoes prosper in warm environments. Places where cold temperatures are the norm are seldom ideal tomato growing environments, unless growing is done under a controlled environment.
When planning to plant tomatoes, it is important to ensure that the garden is preheated. This heating is managed by covering part of the garden with black plastic lining. This lining insulates heat and also helps the garden retain moisture which is ideal for plant life. The heat aids the plant in growth.
Everyone wants to succeed in their chosen path and tomato growers are no exception. If you aspire to reap healthy tomatoes, the transplanting period is critical.
During transplanting ensure that the seedlings are buried deep in the soil. In fact the two bottommost leaves should be buried along with the roots and part of the stem.
This helps the plant develop strong roots. Planting the tomato in a hollow ditch can also boost the harvest though care should be exercised to ensure that the nearly exposed root system doesn't get damaged.
The tomato garden should be periodically pruned. Pruning makes it possible for the sun's rays to penetrate into the fruit thus aid in the fruits growth. However, the pruning should be carefully done and the gardener should take care so that you don't end up lopping off too many leaves thus leaving the plant bare and with no means of photosynthesis and therefore no way to produce its own food.
The leaves also generate important sugars that provide the fruit with its distinct flavor. Pruning also aids in helping get rid of unwanted suckers that just consume energy that would have otherwise helped the plant in its growth.
Tomatoes are suckers for water. They thrive where water is in good supply, so it is good tomato growing practice when you consistently water the plant, and the consistency should be maintained.
Once you develop a watering schedule you stick to it, if you miss a session you will probably end up over compensating/ over watering the plant thinking you are making up for the missed times while in fact you are only poisoning it.
Too much watering makes the fruit itself appear cracked, and may lead to other diseases such as blossom end rot. These diseases end up affecting the harvest.
When harvest is near and the fruits have started ripening, you are advised to gradually lessen the watering of the plants. Upon realization that water is becoming insufficient, the plant starts to focus its sugars on the fruit hence giving it sweet flavor.
The withholding of water should be reasonable, if it goes beyond acceptable limits then the plant begins to get stressed and wilts and while trying to survive ends up dropping the fruit.
These tips if followed as stated will greatly boost the crop and will make tomato growing a much more enjoyable and fulfilling experience.
