Tomato Growing Tips

Welcome to the Wonderful World of the Tomato.

In this issue I'm showing you some secrets about getting the best out of your Tomato plants.

Before we go into that I have something really cool lined up for you - I'm creating a membershipsite for all my customers and subscribers.
This will be the 'Tomato Success Club'.

The good news is that I'm not going to chargeyou a dime for it - yes it will be totallyfree.
So each month you will get a content packedissue of the Tomato Success newsletter PLUS more great stuff in your totally freemembership site!

Stay tuned; I'll be giving you more details soon, but for now back to this month’s newsletter:

The Art of Growing and Showing Tomato.

Tomato:- One hundred and fifty years ago the tomato (or, as it was then called, the Love Apple) was little known and less cared for. It was grown by a few only, and merely for the decorative value of the fruit. During the last one hundred it has grown rapidly in public favour. With the aid of heated greenhouses it is possible and comparatively easy to have fresh Tomatoes all year round, though to provide a supply throughout the winter is an expensive matter. Tomatoes may be grown in any sort of greenhouse, so long as there is means for ample ventilation and sufficient heat to extrude frost. But if the most is to be made of the plants, then a light sunny, polytunnel that can be heated is necessary. Peat based growing medium is very good for the purpose, but Tomato plants are gross feeders so if an amount of loam can be acquired to mix with the base compost this will be very helpful. The mixing of the growing medium should be very precise, with equal parts of peat, pea gravel and loam, with a base dressing of Tomato fertilizer. It is possible to acquire what are called Tomato grow bags, these are fine to start with but the feed in these bags does run out very quickly and supplement feeding is needed. Over the past twenty years we have done many tomato growing trials, and have concluded that the old ring culture is still the best way to grow and fruit tomatoes.

Outdoor Tomato culture:- During the summer months Tomatoes are usually planted out in a prepared border, cultivation in pots being preferred for early crops. The border needs to be well drained and made suitable by deep digging and have plenty of home made compost incorporated into it, (home made compost making is dealt with in our article GARDEN COMPOST MAKING WORLD
at

http://gardencomposthelp.blogspot.com/

plus if it is possible to obtain some well rotted farmyard manure this can be incorporated into the top 9inchs (23cm) also bonemeal is very beneficial, always use rubber gloves when handling bonemeal.
From eight to ten week should be allowed from the time of sowing the seed until the plants are wanted for planting out, this time can be cut to six weeks if the more expensive F1 Hybrid seed is used. If a large amount of plants are required it is better to use the cheaper open pollinated seed. Sow the seeds into seed trays of good quality seed and potting compost, specially prepare for this purpose. The seeds should be sown thinly as possible to stop damping of when they emerge in about ten days, hybrid seed will germinate much faster and have less failures. When the seedlings have reached about one inch in height they are lifted and transplanted at about 2 inches apart into seed trays or single pots, they should stay in the greenhouse and be shaded from direct sunlight for a few days, then expose them to the light and give free ventilation. In about three weeks the plants will be ready to pot into 5inch (13cm) pots, in which they will remain until planted out in pots or borders.

When nicely rooted in 5-inch pots, and from 8 to 10 inches in height they are ready for the final planting. If to be fruited in flower pots, choose a pot which is 8 inches wide; always plant the Tomato deep in the pot this will allow for top dressing of new compost, plus the stem of the plants will root into the new compost giving the plant more anchorage as it grows taller. Press the compost firmly round and over the roots, stake the plants and move to the place where they are due to fruit. If planting in borders, let them be in rows and 15 inches apart in each direction. At every fifth row let the distance be 18 inches in order to allow room for the grower to get amongst the plants. Press the soil firmly round the roots in planting.
When growing in pots in the greenhouse the best way to train the shoots is to run a wire at roof height from one end of the house to the other, place a cane in the pot with the plant and run a string from the base of the cane and tie it to the wire at roof height, as the shoots grow on the plant twist them around the string.

Unlike, the cucumber and melon, the Tomato cannot be grown successfully without a certain amount of fresh air, which must be regulated carefully, so that the temperature is not lowered unduly, on cold days only a small vent should be left open, but not to cause a draft, when the days are sunny and the temperature is raised greatly both end doors can be opened if growing in a tunnel, in greenhouse all vents should be opened. When Tomatoes are grown in pots the labour of watering is great, it is advisable to purchase an automatic watering system, the best system is a drip feed type, not a spray system these can scorch the foliage on the plants very easily on hot sunny days. With most of the drip feed systems a bottle is supplied that can be filled with liquid feed, the system will dilute the feed as the water passes through the container and deliver it to the plant roots. With regular feeding the fruits will swell very fast so constant picking of the crop is needed, we have found over the last 20 years with the introduction of the new hybrid seeds that it is advisable to collect the fruit when changing from green to orange, these fruits can be stored in a box placed on the potting bench and they will ripen nicely there, the removal of the fruit allows more feed to go to the smaller fruits at the top of the shoots.

We hope you have enjoyed this months Blog.

We will over the next months to come be looking at growing Tomato from seed.

How to capture and save seed from your own plants.

How to get the best out of your Tomatoes out of doors.

How to grow the perfect Cherry Tomatoes.

How to grow Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets, the perfect hanging Tomato.

How to grow the perfect beef Tomato, the giant Tomato.

How to grow cherry Tomatoes in containers, container grown Tomatoes.

All the facts you need to know about the benefits of the Tomato.

The best times when to plant Tomatoes.

Facts on the best tasting Tomatoes.

How to grow Yellow and green Tomatoes.

All the different types and kinds of Tomatoes available.

How to grow hydroponic Tomatoes and growing Tomatoes in hay bails.

How to grow Tomatoes in patio planters.

We have many free to view websites packed full with Fuchsia photo’s and growing tips. Just click on the link at the top of the page named.
HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR GARDEN.
Or go to

http://www.dalley-nurseries-onlinehome.org/

Other blogs and articles of interest are at:-

Step by step to Growing Eye Catching Fuchsias
click on:->
http://fuchsiagrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

A guide to the Management of all Types of
Chrysanthemum, Queen of the Autumn.
click on:->
http://chrysanthemumgrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Lettuce all year round, my favourite Webb's Wonderful
click on:->
http://lettucegrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Nutritionally, the Tomato is highly esteemed for its
health protective Vitamins and Minerals
click on:->
http://tomatogrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Garden Design for all Gardens Large or Small
click on:->
http://gardendesignhelp.blogspot.com/

Build up the fertility of your Garden Soil with
Organic Vegetable Compost:->
http://gardencomposthelp.blogspot.com/

One of the best loved soft fruit's, how to grow the
easy way:->
http://strawberrygrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

How to Grow Indoor Cucumbers of the highest
quaility:->
http://cucumbergrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Melon growing, a Delicious Summer Fruit for
Greenhouse and Cloche Cultivation:->
http://melongrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

A Complete Guid to the Production of Grapes
http://grapevinegrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Growing and Showing these very popular
fragrant Garden Flower:->
http://sweetpeagrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Carnations a Complete Guide to their Successful
Cultivation:->
http://carnationgrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Asparagus One of the most delicious early summer
vegetables:->
http://asparagusgrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Loganberry a very Profitable Cane Fruit for Garden Cultivation
http://loganberrygrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Raspberry a Profitable Soft Fruit, Full Details of How to Produce a Bumper Crop.
http://raspberrygrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Blackberry a Profitable and Easily Grown Hardy Fruit for Garden Cultivation.
http://blackberrygrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Rose a Complete Guide to the Cultivation Of all the popular Types.
http://rosegrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Crop Rotation, Catch Cropping and Successional Cropping
http://croprotationhelp.blogspot.com/

Abelia an attractive leaf-losing or evergreen flowering shrub
http://abeliagrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Abeliophyllum a hardy climbing shrub ideal for wall covering
http://abeliophyllumgrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Climbing plants for all areas of the Garden outdoor or indoor
http://climbingplantgrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Abies-Silver Fir, Hardy evergreen trees for planting on lawns.
http://abiesgrowinghelp.blogspot.com/

Acanthus, Hardy Perennial Plant valued for it Cut Flowers.
http://acanthusgrowinghelp.blogspot.com

Hardy Border Plants, For a Continuous display of colour.
http://hardyborderplanthelp.blogspot.com

Antirrhinum 'snapdragon' most Popular of all Bedding plants
http://antirrhinumgrowinghelp.blogspot.com

Achillea, a showy front row Plant for the Herbaceous border.
http://achilleagrowinghelp.blogspot.com

Aquilegia, favourite Hardy Border Flower, ideal for cutting.
http://aquilegiagrowinghelp.blogspot.com

Aster, 'Michaelmas Daisy' a showy hardy Perennial for late summer.
http://astermichaelmasdaisygrowinghelp.blogspot.com

Clematis, beautiful Spring and Summer Flowering Climbers for Walls and Arches.
http://clematisgrowinghelp.blogspot.com

If you would like to leave any comments about
our Blogs and articles, please go to:->
http://www.dalley-nurseries-onlinehome.org/
and click on the Guestbook bar.