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.