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Planting The Right Way To Avoid Tomato Growing Problems

By Kaye Dennan

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 03Jun2010
Word count: 515
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Tomato growing is a very popular hobby for many home gardeners. The taste of a freshly picked sweet tomato is a real thrill for a keen gardener and for this reason, and because they are such prolific producers, tomatoes are grown in many countries around the world. Tomato growing does come with some problems though, so here are some tips to help overcome some of those that a tomato grower will face.

The planting and growing period.

The planting process and timing of planting are important to the success of the tomato crop. Staggering the planting of tomato plants is one way that growers are able to have a longer harvesting season. Choosing the right tomato varieties to do this is also part of the success of having a longer picking season. Some varieties of tomatoes take 65 days to produce fruit whilst others may take up to 85 days so choosing the right combination of varieties will give a longer picking period.

Tomatoes need warmth to help them grow and to ripen the fruit. Tomato growers need to wait until the soil temperature in their area is at least 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature during the day should also be 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature at night should be between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Timing of planting.

Because tomato plants are so reliant on warmth to produce fruit, even if the plant is put in the ground very early in the season the fruit still only starts to ripen at the peak of the summer with the full harvest following on from that time. The tomatoes will stop ripening as soon as the first frosts arrive as they just will not tolerate frosts.

In warmer climates tomatoes can be grown all year round because they will still get the required 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day and the temperatures are warm enough to allow all year round growth.

Growing tomatoes from seed.

If growing from seed then these can be sewn indoors in seed trays, 6 - 8 weeks prior to the planned planting time outside. Read our article "Growing Tomatoes From Seeds" which describes in detail how to start growing tomato plants from seed and the steps that need to be taken to ensure a successful transplant.

Growing container tomatoes.

Container grown tomatoes is a popular way to follow the sun during the day if the climate where you live is not generous with the sunlight. The containers can be moved around during the day if necessary. Growing tomatoes upside down is also a popular way to grow in containers.

Sunlight is critical to the success of tomato growing but the soil mix is also important. Make sure the ground is well tilled before planting and that it is slightly acid with a pH level of 6.0 to 6.8. Although tomatoes are known to grow in many different types of soil, one high in organic matter, light and well drained is considered to be the best.

By using these tips to avoid tomato growing problems, the plants will have the best start towards their production of sweet, full grown tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes can be very annoying but when you have read how to plant them and how to maintain them you can reap wonderful sweet tomatoes for months. Learn how to Grow Tomatoes Successfully by signing up to our 10 part FREE mini-course 'Luscious Tomatoes'.

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