Tomatoes, like all living creatures, have specific requirements for light, temperature, water, nutrients and air.
To help them grow to their best, give your tomato plants what they want.
Light - Fluorescent lighting is fine for germinating seeds and for early seedlings.
Once you have a couple of branches on your tomato stems, they will need 6-8 hours of actual sunlight each day: • When there is no risk of frost, put your plants in the sun, either in the ground or in a container on your patio or balcony.
• While nights are still cold, put plants outside for a sun bath during the daylight hours only.
Be sure to bring them in at night.
• If you still have snow on the ground, you can get some artificial lighting that includes more a sun-like light spectrum.
Hydroponics suppliers are a good source.
Temperature - Tomatoes are most comfortable in temperatures ranging from 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit: • They can tolerate a few nights that are a little cooler, but should be protected with a frost blanket, plant guard or cold frame if there will several colder nights once the tomato plants have been put outside for the season.
• While tomatoes love lots of sunlight, they are not happy with lots of heat.
Be ready to water more frequently and even mist your plants during the hottest part of the day when temperatures are in the high 90s or above.
A fine spray from a hose or a spray bottle will provide some welcome relief from the heat.
Water - Here is a watering rule of thumb for tomato plants: • Water well, keeping the soil moist but not soggy, until the actual tomatoes appear.
• Then reduce the amount of water, keeping the soil just damp, until the harvest.
This is to prevent the fruit from filling up with water and splitting open.
• Be sure to balance this rule with the need to compensate for extremely high temperatures, as described above.
Nutrients - Tomatoes love nutrient-rich soil.
If planted in soil without extra compost or fertilizer, tomato plants can deplete the soil around them by mid-season, just when the fruit is starting to need more nourishment.
A condition called blossom-end rot can develop due to nutrient deficiency: • If you already have a source of compost, mix it generously into the soil as you put your tomatoes out for the season.
• If you don't have a compost pile yet, start collecting kitchen scraps in a compost bin or bucket with a tight lid at the same time you put your tomato seeds into your growing medium.
When you are ready to plant the seedlings, mix some of your compost into your planting soil.
Or pour your compost into a piece of cheesecloth or old pillow case, squeeze out the liquid and mix with water to create a compost tea that can be used regularly as part of your watering routine.
• If you don't use compost tea every week or so throughout the growing season, give your tomato plants some extra compost or tomato fertilizer during blossoming.
A ratio of 1:2:2 is best for tomatoes.
That is, you want half as much nitrogen and equal amounts of phosphorus and potassium.
A fertilizer marked 10-20-20 is fine and so is one marked 7-14-14.
• To provide magnesium for faster development of tomatoes, mix 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts to a gallon of water.
Give each plant one pint when you see the first blossoms on your tomatoes.
Air - Leaves of the tomato plant use up large amounts of Carbon Dioxide from the air and, thus, need good air circulation: • If your plants are in a garden with no nearby obstacles, nature takes care of the air flow.
• If you plant tomatoes against fence, be sure there is plenty of room for air to flow between plant and fence.
• If you are growing tomatoes on a balcony or other confined space, be sure the air can circulate freely around all parts of the plant.
To grow tomatoes like a champ, and enjoy plenty of home-grown harvest, just give your tomato plants lots of sun, mild temperatures, plenty of water to start and less to finish, along with compost or fertilizer and good air flow.
To help them grow to their best, give your tomato plants what they want.
Light - Fluorescent lighting is fine for germinating seeds and for early seedlings.
Once you have a couple of branches on your tomato stems, they will need 6-8 hours of actual sunlight each day: • When there is no risk of frost, put your plants in the sun, either in the ground or in a container on your patio or balcony.
• While nights are still cold, put plants outside for a sun bath during the daylight hours only.
Be sure to bring them in at night.
• If you still have snow on the ground, you can get some artificial lighting that includes more a sun-like light spectrum.
Hydroponics suppliers are a good source.
Temperature - Tomatoes are most comfortable in temperatures ranging from 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit: • They can tolerate a few nights that are a little cooler, but should be protected with a frost blanket, plant guard or cold frame if there will several colder nights once the tomato plants have been put outside for the season.
• While tomatoes love lots of sunlight, they are not happy with lots of heat.
Be ready to water more frequently and even mist your plants during the hottest part of the day when temperatures are in the high 90s or above.
A fine spray from a hose or a spray bottle will provide some welcome relief from the heat.
Water - Here is a watering rule of thumb for tomato plants: • Water well, keeping the soil moist but not soggy, until the actual tomatoes appear.
• Then reduce the amount of water, keeping the soil just damp, until the harvest.
This is to prevent the fruit from filling up with water and splitting open.
• Be sure to balance this rule with the need to compensate for extremely high temperatures, as described above.
Nutrients - Tomatoes love nutrient-rich soil.
If planted in soil without extra compost or fertilizer, tomato plants can deplete the soil around them by mid-season, just when the fruit is starting to need more nourishment.
A condition called blossom-end rot can develop due to nutrient deficiency: • If you already have a source of compost, mix it generously into the soil as you put your tomatoes out for the season.
• If you don't have a compost pile yet, start collecting kitchen scraps in a compost bin or bucket with a tight lid at the same time you put your tomato seeds into your growing medium.
When you are ready to plant the seedlings, mix some of your compost into your planting soil.
Or pour your compost into a piece of cheesecloth or old pillow case, squeeze out the liquid and mix with water to create a compost tea that can be used regularly as part of your watering routine.
• If you don't use compost tea every week or so throughout the growing season, give your tomato plants some extra compost or tomato fertilizer during blossoming.
A ratio of 1:2:2 is best for tomatoes.
That is, you want half as much nitrogen and equal amounts of phosphorus and potassium.
A fertilizer marked 10-20-20 is fine and so is one marked 7-14-14.
• To provide magnesium for faster development of tomatoes, mix 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts to a gallon of water.
Give each plant one pint when you see the first blossoms on your tomatoes.
Air - Leaves of the tomato plant use up large amounts of Carbon Dioxide from the air and, thus, need good air circulation: • If your plants are in a garden with no nearby obstacles, nature takes care of the air flow.
• If you plant tomatoes against fence, be sure there is plenty of room for air to flow between plant and fence.
• If you are growing tomatoes on a balcony or other confined space, be sure the air can circulate freely around all parts of the plant.
To grow tomatoes like a champ, and enjoy plenty of home-grown harvest, just give your tomato plants lots of sun, mild temperatures, plenty of water to start and less to finish, along with compost or fertilizer and good air flow.