Starter Plants

There are thousands of varieties of starter plants available for growing tomatoes. Purchasing plants from your local nursery or discount store garden department will ensure that you have the correct plants for growing tomatoes in the climate zone for your area. Many additional varieties, such as heirloom varieties, are available in nursery seed catalogs. Heirloom varieties have not been genetically altered to produce disease resistant strains and can be grown to form from seed.

Tomato Success Kit, Terra Cotta

Seeds

Growing tomatoes from seed at the beginning of the season can be easily accomplished, although it takes more effort than simply buying the plants and putting them in the ground. Do not collect and plant seed from the fruits of plants which have been genetically altered, called hybrids, since the resulting plants will not be true replicas of the original plant. Heirloom seeds planted directly in the garden during the growing season will yield a later producing crop when the original planting is almost finished producing. Seeds for growing tomatoes should be started six to eight weeks before the last frost date in your climate zone. Consult the seed packet. A suggested seed starter mix is described under Organic Soil Mixes in the section on Organic Gardening. A week before planting in the garden, place the plants outside during the warm part of the day (above 50 degrees F) to “harden” them.

Soil Preparation

Growing tomatoes in well prepared soil will yield better results. In heavy sticky soils, mix in sphagnum peat moss at each plant location in about a one to one ratio of peat to soil at least ten inches deep in a twelve inch radius around where the plant will be located. A mixture of 1/3 soil, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 sphagnum peat moss is even better. Mix in limestone to attain a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Also mix in two or three cups of Epsom salts. The Epsom salts provide magnesium which is needed for growing tomatoes. Mix the ingredients well with the soil. Now mix in a fertilizer high in potassium and phosphorus but low in nitrogen.

Planting

The ideal location for growing tomatoes is where the plants will receive full sun at least eight to nine hours during the day. You should also try to place plants where it is convenient for you to pick the tomatoes. One planting format to save space when growing tomatoes in large quantities is to arrange plants in double rows placed eighteen inches apart. There should be about two to three feet between the double rows for access. Plant each plant so that only the top four leaves remain above the soil. If the seedling is tall, lay the plant horizontally and carefully bend up the tip of the branch, being careful to not break the branch. This way, most of the stem will form roots, producing larger, more productive plant.