There is nothing better than a homegrown sun ripened Tomato. If you do not know this yet, there is a BIG difference in flavor of store bought tomatos vs’ homegrown tomatoes and once you’ve tried homegrown you’ll never go back if you don’t have to. So here is your guide to growing your own Tomatoes in your garden.
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Did you know that there are over 10,000 varieties of Tomatoes? Ranging in flavor from sweet to acidic. There are so many varieties and flavors to choose from!
To get started you need to source seeds. There are many retailers that will have Tomato seeds in stores starting in January and sometimes earlier. If you want more variety than what’s in store I suggest ordering online. Here are some cool places to shop online.
Now that your seeds have arrived it’s time to decide when and how you want to plant them. The easiest way to start Tomato seeds is to plant them directly in the garden after your first frost date. Its a good idea to have a space in your garden prepared prior to planting. You can prepare a bed by tilling the soil and adding in compost prior to planting.
You will follow the depth requirements on the seed packet then once planted, water them in and let nature do the rest! Kidding, well not entirely. You will need to keep watch for birds and other critters that would love to dig up and eat your seeds. While also keeping the soil moist by hand watering or drip irrigation.
Inside or Out?
Outside
Whether you start your seeds inside or out is up to you. Both options are wonderful depending on your situation. Starting your seeds outside will be the easiest by far but you will have to deal with pest pressure from the start.
Birds, chipmunks, squirrels among many others will be after your seeds as soon as your plant them in the ground. Aside from watering nature will take care of them for you. You will have stronger seedlings that grow into healthy plants.
Follow the planting guide on the seed packet for planting outside in ground. You will likely need to plant your seeds about 2 inches apart and and inch or so down in the soil.
Determinate vs Indeterminate Tomatoes
Determinate Tomatoes grow to a certain height and stop. Determinate Tomatoes are perfect for growing in containers and for small space gardens. Different determinate varieties will grow to different heights based on variety but top out at a certain height. Tomato cages are nice but not always necessary depending on the variety.
Indeterminate tomatoes grow to an indeterminate height meaning that they can grow as tall as they please. If you choose to grow Indeterminate tomatoes, be ready to provide a trellising system for them. Simple tomato cages will only be enough if you “Top” your tomatoes at the same height of the cage. If you let them grow taller than your trellising system you are asking for a mess. They will flop over and grow all over the place.
To real an awesome book about tomatoes click here!
Inside
To grow tomatoes indoors you are going to need patience and space because tomatoes sprout and grow very fast! Here’s what you need to grow your own tomatoes.
Seed Starting Supplies
How to grow Tomatoes From Seed
Fill your pots with seed starting mix then depending on the size of your pots plant your seeds 1/2 inch down, cover with soil and water them. Be prepared to keep your seed mix consistently moist. Dry soil can be the death of young seedlings
If you don’t have strong window light or overhead grow lights you will get leggy (stretched) seedlings. While you can grow your seeds in a window sill but I highly recommend you get a grow light or two.
Aside from overhead lighting you will want to keep your seedlings in a warm area of your home. Sunflower seeds don’t need to much heat to germinate but do best in a warm room.
Should your Tomato seedlings get leggy there is a fix! You can bury tomato plants deeper into soil and the stem will root. It’s amazing!
Tomato Seedlings
Once your seeds have sprouted you will want to make sure to keep the soil moist, overhead light consistent and your space warm. Seedlings need at least 13 hours of daylight. This is made easier by the use of artificial lights. You can leave your grow lights on for at max 16 hours a day to keep your Tomato seedlings happy.
When you begin seeing roots growing from the bottom of your pots it’s time to repot your plants. If your outdoor temps are warm enough ( Above 46 degrees at night) you can begin to transition your seedlings into the garden.
To learn how to transition your seeds I recommend you read this post!
If it’s not yet time to plant your tomatoes outside then continue with regular care until the weather is right. You may have to repot your seedlings several times before transitioning them out into the garden.
Planting Outside
Once you’ve transitioned your seedlings it’s time to plant. You can plant your seedlings in containers, raised beds or in ground making sure your plant is in full sun. Full sun is at least 6 hours of direct sun oh the foliage.
Fertilizing
When you plant be sure to use a fertilizer to feed your plant. Tomato plants grow quite fast and are very heavy feeders so make sure to provide them with fertilizer all season long. You can use a tomato specific fertilizer to feed them all season long.
Watering
Tomatoes love moist soil as much as they love being fertilized regularly. Keep your tomatoes consistently moist especially if you plant them in pots. You can water them by hand daily or install drip irrigation so that you don’t have to water daily.
Once you grow your own tomatoes you will never look at store bought tomatoes the same. There are so many types of tomatoes that there’s always new tomatoes to try.
Happy Gardening
Ciearra
[…] If you also plan to grow Tomatoes you can learn how to grow them here! […]