Growing tomatoes - One of the most popular garden vegetables

When growing tomatoes, you have many choices in varieties of tomato plants. There are different harvest times for many varieties of tomato plants, so if you plan your garden right you could be harvesting them throughout the season for growing tomatoes.

Some early varieties of tomato plants include Moreton Hybrid, Pik-Red and Pilgrim. Mid-season varieties include Better Boy, Roma, and Celebrity. Late varieties include Ramapo, Supersteak and Beefmaster. Growing tomatoes from each category will let you harvest at all different times. Most seed catalogs will have these and other varieties available. The different varieties all have similar requirements for how to grow tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes is not difficult but there are a few important things to keep in mind to make your tomato plants successful.

Growing tomatoes in the right type of soil is the first step to successful tomato plants. The soil should be loamy, with plenty of organic matter and good drainage. If your soil is not well-suited, you should till it and add fertilizer and/or composted organic matter before planting your tomatoes.

In most climates, growing tomatoes works best if you use transplanted tomato plants. If you would like to start them from seed it is best to start them in a greenhouse or indoors, usually about 12 weeks before the average date of last spring frost for your area. Your local florist or garden supply store should be able to tell you when this is. By transplanting young plants into your garden, they will be hardier and more adaptable to the weather.

Proper support for your growing tomatoes is critical. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing all your tomato plants lying on the ground broken after a heavy wind or rain. Using tomato cages or stakes to support your plants will give them the strength to withstand the weather, as well as the strength to support the weight of the fruit.

Once your tomato plants are in the ground and growing, they respond well to fertilizer however it’s best to use one with a low nitrogen content such as 5-10-10 or 5-20-20. Too much nitrogen will promote vine and leaf growth rather than fruit growth. I’m sure you would rather be growing tomatoes than growing leaves.

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