How to Learn the Top Tomato Gardening Tips

Few flavors can compete with the taste of homegrown tomatoes. Here are some tips to help you grow them.

Step 1: Prepare soil Prepare soil in a bed that gets plenty of sun. Tomatoes prefer fertile soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.8 that drains well. The soil should be rich in organic matter.
TIP: A soil pH test kit can be purchased at any gardening retailer.
Step 2: Choose healthy plants Choose plants with healthy green leaves if you are purchasing them. If the leaves have yellow speckles, the plant may be diseased.
TIP: If you grow tomatoes from seed, sow the seed indoors from 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost.
Step 3: Water regularly Water the base of the plants regularly, but do not let the ground become soggy.
TIP: Try to keep the leaves dry. Tomatoes can become infected when airborne spores land on wet leaves.
Step 4: Add fish emulsion or compost tea Add fish emulsion or compost tea to the plants as they are growing. These supplements contain nitrogen, which tomatoes need.
Step 5: Harvest your tomatoes Harvest your tomatoes when fruit has turned red all over. Now you can enjoy the fruits of your labor.
FACT: Tomatoes belong to the Nightshade family, which includes some poisonous plants.