Growing Tomatoes

          Growing Tomatoes

Here are some great tips to growing tomatoes:

1. Use a seed starting mixture that is light,
      and drains well. Add vermiculite to
      improve a soil mixture and to prevent damping off, (soggy soil).

  2. Light - Make sure your tomato seedlings get enough light. If growing
      tomatoes under a florescent light
      or a grow light, set the tomato
      seedlings about 2 - 4 inches
      away from the light bulbs.

  3. Temperature - Tomato seedlings grow best at about 55 - 65 F.
      Tomatoes grown in cooler temperatures tend to grow slowly,
      stockier, and healthier. If a seedling grows too quickly it will
      become spindly, and weak.

  4. Prevent root bound pots. Roots need room to grow.
      When a seedling becomes to large for the container, transplant
      the seedling into a larger container. This may need to be done a
      few times until it is time to transplant the tomato plants outside in
      your tomato garden.
      Don't let the roots grow so much that they touch they are touching
      the edges of the containers. This will slow growth of the seedlings
      down!

  5. Feed your tomato seedlings.
      After the first set of true leaves
      have grown, feed the seedlings
      using with a diluted liquid fertilizer
      once a week. Don't over feed.
      If leaves start to turn brown, stop feeding the seedling and give extra
      water. After some time the seedling should improve and be healthy again.
  6. Transplanting the tomato seedlings is best when the temperature
       outside at night stays above 50 F. Tomatoes transplanted in
       cooler conditions tend to slow growth down.
       When transplanted into the garden plant seedling as deep as you
       can into the soil, covering the stem with soil up to the first set of
       leaves.

   7. Keep your transplanted seedlings
       protected and warm.
       Provide shelter around
       each tomato plant.
       This will also protect the tomato
       plants from harsh weather, and very hot temperatures.

   8. Pinch, pinch, pinch!

        Keep pinching flowers off until the tomato plant grows
        to about a foot tall.
        Pinch any suckers; shoots at the bottom of the stem,
        until the tomato plant starts to produce fruit.

     9.                       Provide tomato plants support.
                               Support your tomato plants
                                using tomato cages or stakes.