How to Plant Tomatoes
How to Plant Tomatoes
There are many aspects of how to plant tomatoes that have not been explained to the first timer tomato grower. This is something that for the expert tomato grower they, either forget to tell you or have forgotten! But all gardeners have made mistakes with tomatoes and have learnt with each crop they grow, so don’t worry you are not alone.
Planting Tomatoes sounds easy but when I started out I didn’t realise that if you start off with a leggy young seedling and planted that then you would end up with a leggy droopy and weak plant. I hope to be able to give you a couple of pointers of what to do to get it right the first time.
If you want to find out about growing tomatoes from seed then please consult the other links as I have written about those too. When the young seedlings have been grown on and are about 6 inches / 15cm high they will need to be planted either into the garden or their large pots or grow bags. If your young plant is looking still on the leggy side at this stage you can still remedy the situation.
When you choose how to plant tomatoes it depends on your environment your tomatoes will need a warm place to grow and that may mean planting in pots rather than in the garden plot. It may be sunnier and more protected in a certain area in which case choosing a grow bag or large pot may be more appropriate.
If you have chosen to plant them in the garden then they will need to be grown approximately a foot and a half apart. You will need this area to allow for growth and to discourage diseases.
When planting in the garden make sure you dig a deep enough hole to be able to bury the whole length of the stem so you only have two inches above the ground showing from the first leaves. Planting this deeply means that your tomato plant will be able to more readily access moisture trapped in the soil. All along the now buried stem the tomato plant will form more roots and it will be able to grow strongly on a sturdier stem.
If you want to plant your tomatoes in a grow bag you can lie the plant down on its side to ensure that the majority of the stalk is buried. Now that might sound very odd but don’t worry about putting it on its side, they will grow upright and again with a much sturdier stem.
If you are using large pots which will have to be about 30cm /10-12’’across place the young plant as low down in the pot as you can so that again only two inches above the compost layer are showing below the first leaves.
NEWS UPDATE: Latest Ebook “How to Grow Great Tomatoes” now includes Tomato Recipes
How to Grow Great Tomatoes
i’ve ended up with so many leggy seedlings – i didn’t know you could virtually bury them thanks for that-
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Excellent suggestions. I always carry out your strategies and apply them.
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I think these upside down tomatoes are a great idea and i’m going to give it a go but aren’t they very heavy??????