Yahoo Autos How to Plant and Grow Tomatoes for Your Best Harvest Yet
Biting into summer's first sun-ripened tomato is one of the season's most anticipated events. And though grocery stores and farmers markets sell plenty of tempting varieties, it's hard to beat the flavor and freshness of a homegrown tomato. Plus, by growing your own tomato plants, there's a dazzling rainbow of heirloom and hybrid varieties you can try out. From huge, juicy beefsteak tomatoes to bite-size cherry types, tomato varieties come in all sorts of shapes, colors, textures, and flavors well beyond what you'll find at any store or market. No matter which varieties you choose, here's how to grow tomato plants that will produce a delicious harvest for you.
Scott Little
How to Plant Tomatoes
Whether you want to grow tomato plants in a garden bed or a container, choose a spot that gets at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Though tomato seeds can be directly sown outdoors, you can get a head start on the growing season by buying transplants or starting seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your area's average last frost date. After that date, you can place your tomato plants out in the garden. Space small bush tomato varieties 24 inches apart and larger varieties, especially sprawling indeterminate plants, 36-48 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart.
To give tomato seedlings the best chance of success, remove each plant's lowest leaves and set the root ball in a planting hole deep enough so that only the top cluster of leaves is above ground. This planting depth is unique to tomato plants because they can form roots along their stems. The extra roots help anchor the plant, especially when starting with tall, leggy transplants. Plus, more roots means better uptake of water and nutrients. Some gardeners also like to add a little slow release fertilizer to each planting hole, but if you have rich soil already, this is not necessary. After planting your tomatoes, water thoroughly.
Related: 10 Must-Grow Plants for Your Vegetable Garden and Kitchen
Stake, trellis, or cage your tomato plants immediately after planting (except small bush or patio varieties, which can often support themselves). As your plants grow, use cages and stakes to keep leaves and developing tomatoes off the ground, which helps prevent fruit rot and numerous diseases. Select sturdy tomato cages that stand 5-6 feet tall. Firmly anchor the cages to the ground with stakes to keep the plants from blowing over and uprooting themselves during storms. Or pound 8-foot stakes at least 12 inches into the ground and 4 inches from the plant. Attach tomato stems to the stake with garden twine, self-adhesive fabric, or strips of cloth.
Brie Williams
