grow tomatoes in your backyard can be a rewarding experience for any gardener . However , it can also be a frustrative one if your plants do n’t produce the pure tomatoes you were hop for .
To help you achieve the arrant harvest , here are 13 essential tips to help you attain a bountiful and delicious tomato harvesting this time of year .
1. Choose the Right Tomato Variety
Selecting the right tomato plant variety is the first step towards a successful harvest .
Determinate vs. Indeterminate
Tomato plants can be sort out as determinate or indeterminate . Determinate flora grow to a sealed height and then stop , while indeterminate plants uphold to grow and produce yield until the first frost .
Determinate plant are ideal for small gardens or containers , while undetermined plants are better beseem for larger gardens .
Heirloom vs. Hybrid
Heirloom tomatoes are open - pollinated varieties that have been passed down through contemporaries and have a unique flavor .
Hybrid tomatoes , on the other hand , are make by cross - breed two different Lycopersicon esculentum varieties to produce a plant with desirable trait such as disease electric resistance or higher fruit .
While heirloom Lycopersicon esculentum are known for their flavor , crossbreed tomatoes are often more reliable and leisurely to grow .
Cherry vs. Beefsteak
cherry red tomatoes are small , sweet , and perfect for snacking or adding to salad . Beefsteak tomatoes , on the other hand , are large and meaty , making them idealistic for slice and using in sandwiches or on burgers .
Both variety are luscious and can be grown in the same garden .
By understanding the different tomato diversity available , you’re able to pick out the ones that are best suited for your garden and your taste preferences .
Whether you prefer heirloom or hybrid , cherry or beefsteak , there is a tomato plant variety out there that will help you grow the perfect tomatoes in your backyard .
2. Use Big Pots for Containers
Tomatoes have extensive root systems and need plenteous place to grow . If you ’re planting in containers , use at least a 5 - gallon pot with dear drainage .
Avoid black containers , which can overheat , and opt for plastic or fiberglass to maintain moisture level well than clay pots .
3. Ensure Plenty of Sunlight
love apple are Sunday - bang plants . They necessitate a lower limit of six to eight hours of direct sun daily . If growing indoors , offer 14 - 18 hour of contrived ignitor .
outside , choose a cheery pip in your garden to insure robust growth and fruit production .
If your backyard is shaded , consider develop tomato in container that can be move to sunnier locations .
4. Maintain Good Air Circulation
Proper air circulation is essential to prevent disease and advance solid stalk ontogeny . Indoors , expend a fan to create gentle flow of air .
Outdoors , spacing flora adequately and staking them helps maintain flow of air .
But tomatoes need protection from strong breaking wind that can damage the plant and knock off fruit . opt a location that is shelter from strong hint , or moot using stakes or cages to support the flora .
5. Prepare Healthy Soil
Tomatoes spring up better in well - drained soil that is robust in constituent matter . Test the soil pH and amend the soil as needed to ensure a pH of 6.0 - 6.8 .
Amend the soil with compost to improve fertility and structure . see side - dressing with compost midseason and using a tomato plant - specific fertiliser bi - weekly .
avert planting tomatoes in dirt that has been used to grow Lycopersicon esculentum , Madagascar pepper , or Solanum melongena in the past 2 - 3 years , as these industrial plant are susceptible to the same diseases .
6. Plant at the Right Time
Timing is crucial for tomato planting . look until the danger of frost has passed and dirt temperatures pass on at least 60 ° F .
dark temperature should appease above 50 ° degree Fahrenheit . Harden off seedling gradually by exposing them to outdoor term before engraft .
7. Plant Deeply
Tomatoes gain from being planted deeply . swallow the plant life up to the top few leaves to promote the ontogenesis of a strong root system . This can be done by digging a cryptical hollow or set the plant sideways in a trench .
8. Water Deeply and Consistently
To grow the perfect tomato in your backyard , proper watering strategies are essential . Overwatering or underwatering can harm the plant ’s emergence and reduce the yield . Here are some tearing tips to facilitate you accomplish tidy Lycopersicon esculentum industrial plant .
Consistent Watering Schedule
Tomatoes necessitate consistent watering to thrive . A regular lacrimation schedule is crucial to exert the soil ’s moisture level and preventing stress on the plant . It ’s urge to water tomato plant deeply once or twice a workweek , reckon on the weather conditions .
Watering Techniques
Watering the works ’s base is the most effective way to save water to the root word . Avoid getting water on the leaves , as it can chair to fungal diseases . Additionally , using a drip irrigation organization or cloudburst hose can help conserve water and keep soil erosion .
Watering Amount
The amount of body of water your tomato flora needs depends on various component such as the plant life size , weather , and dirt case .
As a general rule of quarter round , tomato industrial plant need about one inch of water per workweek . However , it ’s essential to supervise the soil moisture level and adjust the lachrymation amount consequently .
Soil Moisture Level
To determine the soil wet spirit level , stick your finger’s breadth about two inches late into the soil . If the soil feel dry , it ’s metre to water the plant . If the filth feels moist , wait a day or two before water again . Overwatering can cause solution buncombe , while underwatering can lead to wilted leaves and reduced yield .
By conform to these watering strategies , you could see healthy growth and a bountiful harvest of perfect tomatoes in your backyard .
9. Mulch to Retain Moisture
Once soil temperature have warmed , go for mulch around your tomato plant flora . Mulching help retain moisture , reduce stain - borne disease , and mold soil temperature . Organic mulch like straw or Natalie Wood chips are excellent choices .
10. Avoid Crowding Seedlings
Give tomato seedling ample distance to grow . Overcrowding can lead to disease and inhibit growth . Transplant seedlings into larger pots once they have their first rightful leave and thin out them out to ensure each plant has enough outer space .
11. Provide Adequate Support
Tomato plants require support to keep them just and healthy . Use cages , stakes , or trellises to tolerate the plant life as they arise . This prevents the fruit from pertain the ground , reducing the risk of disease and pest .
12. Prune Lower Leaves and Suckers
Once plants reach 2 - 3 foot marvelous , remove the crushed leaf to forestall fungous diseases . Prune sucker ( small shoots that form in the private parts joint of two branches ) to take aim the plant ’s vigour towards yield output . This can also be an chance to circulate novel plant life from the suckers .
13. Monitor for Pests and Diseases
Regularly inspect your tomato plants for sign of pest and disease . Common issues include aphids , tomato hornworms , and blight . Use organic pest ascendance methods like neem crude oil or insecticidal soap , and practice harvest rotation to forestall disease buildup in the soil .
Bonus Tips for Harvesting and Storing Tomatoes
harvest : woof Lycopersicon esculentum when they are fully emblazon and house . They should make out off the plant easily . For partially ripe tomato , place them in a theme udder at elbow room temperature to end up ripening .
put in : memory full advanced tomato in the icebox for 2 - 3 day , but let them come to board temperature before consume for the best flavor . Green tomato can be used in recipe if they do n’t ripen .
By following these 13 secrets , you’re able to enjoy a bountiful harvest of consummate tomatoes from your backyard .
