Tomatoes take time and care to grow properly. But with those elements in place, the plant can yield delicious and impressive fruit. Growing a tomato plant may take some luck and patience, but there are a couple tricks you can use to make sure your plants flourish this season.
As with most plants, it is important not to crowd. Tomatoes can be grown from a tiny seed into a flourishing plant. If attempting this method, however, it is important to remember to never crowd the seedlings. They need room to branch out and spread; being crowded together could stunt or inhibit their ability to grow. When the seeds do begin to grow, they will start to sprout leaves. At this point, they need even more space to grow, and should be transplanted into individual pots so they have all the room they desire.
Tomatoes can be grown from a seed relatively easily. Therefore, many gardeners decide to skip this step and buy a tomato plant that is already on its way to bearing fruit. Whether started from a seed or a plant, tomatoes like to get plenty of sun as they mature. If outside, tomatoes should be placed in the sunniest area possible to ensure they get plenty of the light they crave. If being grown with a grow light, they will need 14 to18 hours under the lights to get what they need.
Tomatoes can grow well in just about any type of soil. They are also perfectly happy to grow in either a pot or a garden.
But one thing tomatoes can't grow well without is water. Tomatoes need a lot of water, and regularly. Missing days or weeks or not watering often enough can lead to rotting and even kill the plant. Watering evenly will result in the best fruit. A slight lessening in watering can help the sugars in the plant to concentrate, but only after the fruit has already begun to ripen. The best course is to water regularly, deeply and uniformly.
When planted, the same rules apply to the tomato plant that applied to its seeds. Give each plant plenty of space about two to three feet (.6 to .9 meters) so they can grow and flourish without getting cramped. When the plants are large enough to be planted, make sure they are buried deeply in the soil. If the plant was purchased in a pot or container, they should be planted even deeper than they were when purchased.
The plant itself can require some pruning. A helpful tip is to start removing the bottom leaves of the plant once it is a few inches tall. This is because those bottom leaves are the ones that tend to develop fungus and other problems. Pruning those leaves can protect the entire plant.
Tomato plants may also sometimes develop suckers in the crotch joint between two branches. These take energy away from the main plant without ever developing or bearing fruit. Pruning these off can therefore be beneficial to the plant.
Once those tomatoes finally begin appearing and ripening on the plant, it's time to think about collecting them. Tomatoes should be picked when the fruit is fully ripened and just beginning to soften up. They do not need to be refrigerated after being picked; they can simply be stored somewhere warm and dark until they are needed.
